So, we now finally know what Tractor Beam does. In the article we have:

Tractor Beams

Finally, the Mist Hunter Expansion Pack introduces one of the most hotly anticipated cannon upgrades ever, the Tractor Beam .

The idea of the tractor beam has made an indelible mark on the Star Wars ™ galaxy ever since the Millennium Falcon was pulled into the Death Star during A New Hope . Bringing the tractor beam to X-Wing , however, required a bit of finesse, as the game is largely about maneuvering, and it could be harmed by introducing effects that detract too heavily from that focus.

In the end, though, the Tractor Beam and the tractor beam token that it assigns to its target strike a nice balance between the weapon's iconic utility and its implementation into the game as a powerfully disruptive, temporary effect. When the Tractor Beam successfully hits a target, it deals no damage, but the target loses a point of agility for each tractor beam token assigned to it.

Of course, the Tractor Beam works best when it is employed against a smaller ships, and if you assign a tractor beam token to your opponent's small-base ship, you immediately get to choose one of the following effects:

• Perform a barrel roll using the straight speed "1" maneuver template. You select the direction of the barrel roll and the final position of your opponent's ship.
• Perform a boost using the straight speed "1" maneuver template.

Forcing your opponent's ship through this boost or barrel roll does not count as an action or a maneuver, and you can force the ship to overlap obstacles, meaning that if you catch your opponent's ship in the right spot, you can potentially deny it the chance to fire and perform actions in the following round. Moreover, you may get as many as two points of damage out of the collisions, depending on the results of your opponent's attack dice.

So, we know that when the attacker hits an opposing small base ship with it, the attacker may choose the defending ship to perform a barrel roll and decide to which side it should be as well as the defending ship's final position. But what about the template? Is it placed by the attacker or the defender?

The example image does not help elucidate this, from my point of view:. So what do you think?

you can force the ship to overlap obstacles, meaning that if you catch your opponent's ship in the right spot, you can potentially deny it the chance to fire and perform actions in the following round

This sounds incredibly abuse-able. At first read, I really don't like it.

I think I would argue that the attacker's ability to determine the "final position" of the ship would include determining how the template is placed, i.e. "roll to the right and as forward as possible."

Seems likely that the attacker places the template since otherwise they're not really determining the final position entirely.

I think the bit about "final position of your opponent's ship" makes it clear that you are pretty much telling them exactly how they are doing the barrel-roll.

That is my take on it too. But just by leaving it implicitly in the wording makes me think that it might not.

It's right there on the reference card that the opposing player of the ship receiving the token makes all the decisions. They didn't actually post the image on the page, it's a link, but it's there.

I still can't find this under FFG news, is there any link to it?

This also seems incredibly powerful for one point. Especially on the defender. Stackable agility loss, plus a forced movement? Potentially on asteroids or off the map? That's extremely powerful.

Might even bring scyks back to the meta, and will definitely catapult the Defender at one of the top spots!

I still can't find this under FFG news, is there any link to it?

This also seems incredibly powerful for one point. Especially on the defender. Stackable agility loss, plus a forced movement? Potentially on asteroids or off the map? That's extremely powerful.

Might even bring scyks back to the meta, and will definitely catapult the Defender at one of the top spots!

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/1/12/tricks-traps-and-tractor-beams/

It's right there on the reference card that the opposing player of the ship receiving the token makes all the decisions. They didn't actually post the image on the page, it's a link, but it's there.

Maybe I am being a rules lawyer here, but the card reads pretty much the same as in the article: It says that the opposing player (attacker) chooses the direction of the barrel roll and the final position of the ship. It leaves out the part about the template of the barrel roll.

It would be much better if they had been more specific about this - unless there is a reason.

It's right there on the reference card that the opposing player of the ship receiving the token makes all the decisions. They didn't actually post the image on the page, it's a link, but it's there.

To me the "direction of the barrel roll" is also going to include where the template is place alongside a base.

I too wonder how things will work if the initial roll/boost is blocked by ships and even more generally if all possible rolls/boost are blocked. I don't see where the moving part the first time is optional which tells me it needs to be done allowing an initial choice to be reconsidered if blocked but if no choices are legal what will happen? This is especially true if a blocker is somehow removed and then the ship is hit again and would have somewhere to move.

It's right there on the reference card that the opposing player of the ship receiving the token makes all the decisions. They didn't actually post the image on the page, it's a link, but it's there.

To me the "direction of the barrel roll" is also going to include where the template is place alongside a base.

I too wonder how things will work if the initial roll/boost is blocked by ships and even more generally if all possible rolls/boost are blocked. I don't see where the moving part the first time is optional which tells me it needs to be done allowing an initial choice to be reconsidered if blocked but if no choices are legal what will happen? This is especially true if a blocker is somehow removed and then the ship is hit again and would have somewhere to move.

I would argue that those points are clearly spelled out on the card. "The first time ..." just says that it only happens when you receive your first token. And the last addition tells you that you cannot overlap other ships. So RAW if you cannot do it the first time due to blocking ships there is no move. Period.

I think the card explains everything.

I wonder what a tractor beam will do when equipped on a Huge ship or even how TB affects the Epic bigboys... when FFG introduces them to Epic play.

Edit: made my wondering comment clearer.

It's right there on the reference card that the opposing player of the ship receiving the token makes all the decisions. They didn't actually post the image on the page, it's a link, but it's there.

Maybe I am being a rules lawyer here, but the card reads pretty much the same as in the article: It says that the opposing player (attacker) chooses the direction of the barrel roll and the final position of the ship. It leaves out the part about the template of the barrel roll.

It would be much better if they had been more specific about this - unless there is a reason.

What do you mean? It says "Perform a barrel roll using the [1 Forward] maneuver template." What room for ambiguity is there?

I think the card explains everything.

I wonder what a tractor beam will do when equipped on a Huge ship or even how TB affects the Epic bigboys.

Really has very little interaction with huge ships at all.

I think the card explains everything.

I wonder what a tractor beam will do when equipped on a Huge ship or even how TB affects the Epic bigboys.

No huge ships can equip it can they? And shooting one at a huge ship is pointless, no agility to reduce and not a small ship to move. As has been mentioned, could move an enemy ship in the way of a huge ship, but it has a chance to move before getting crushed.

Really has very little interaction with huge ships at all.

Surely TBs are coming on the next Huge ship or to Epic play in the future...so then I wonder how they will work... SOMEDAY.

I think they will be powerful with an ability to force other smaller ship to do Zero/ full stop

I still can't find this under FFG news, is there any link to it?

This also seems incredibly powerful for one point. Especially on the defender. Stackable agility loss, plus a forced movement? Potentially on asteroids or off the map? That's extremely powerful.

Might even bring scyks back to the meta, and will definitely catapult the Defender at one of the top spots!

Really good on the Defender, but otherwise it loses a lot of power when you don't have the higher PS, meaning you're giving up a high value shot to get the benefits. A Scyk swarm is going to be annoying, but it won't stop anyone from shooting back.

A Scyk swarm is going to be annoying, but it won't stop anyone from shooting back.

As long as you are a higher PS it most certainly can stop them from shooting back. Even if you don't land them on a rock you can position them with nothing in their arc to shoot.

That X-Wing isn't shooting anybody.

Tractor Scyks are going to be terrifying. TIE/Ds with Tractors are an absolute must.

However.

Mark my words.

You will see Tractor Dash and Tractor Bossk.

I totally realized that before posting, I wasn't clear...

Surely TBs are coming on the next Huge ship or to Epic play in the future...so then I wonder how they will work... SOMEDAY

Ah... Yes, we will presumably get a hard point TB that costs energy and will effect large ships too.... Eventually.

I think it's pretty straight forward. When your hit a small ship for the first time during the turn you get to barrel or boost it. Following all the rules for each of those. It's as if the ship is on your team and you get to give it a free barrel roll or boost action. But since it follows all the normal rules, except for hitting obstacles with them.

It's not just about forcing someone on an asteroid. Making them fly through an asteroid on their next turn (even if they don't clip it this round) is substantial too.

It seems pretty strong to me, but not doing damage even if you hit just seems so underwhelming, even with the gimmicks you gain seem like an expensive investment.

Black and white: 17 points minimum investment for zero damage... I will need some play testing to get me convinced though.

It seems pretty strong to me, but not doing damage even if you hit just seems so underwhelming, even with the gimmicks you gain seem like an expensive investment.

Black and white: 17 points minimum investment for zero damage... I will need some play testing to get me convinced though.

It's a tough balancing act, for sure. The effect has to be strong enough to be worth giving up an attack, but not so disruptive that it veers into a negative play experience for the target. The cost in points is really a secondary concern; it's the cost of firing the cannon that's the real drawback.

You will see Tractor Dash and Tractor Bossk.

Not Tractor Bossk, Tractor Moralo.