When would you consider the turning point at which the Phantom is more valuable on the field than it is giving the Ghost a rear arc and an extra turret shot?

That would depend on how the game is going would it not? What would you consider the point to be?

When the ghost is about to go pop I think, the attack shuttle is not that hardy.

And a ghost with no rear arc isn't gonna last long.

That would depend on how the game is going would it not? What would you consider the point to be?

Is there an absolute point (apart from Ghost Gonna Die Next Turn)? I don't think there is, it's dependent on the respective builds.

With a naked Zeb and a fully loaded Ghost the Phantom becomes something of a Nashtah Pup, essentially an 18 pt extra arc and attack until the Ghost goes down in flames. A more heavily kitted out Phantom (say, Sabine with PTL and Engine Upgrade with Kanan crew on the Ghost) is going to want to launch as soon as it gets a good shot. Between those extremes it becomes somewhat murkier.

Hobo mentioned the Attack Shuttle is pretty easy to splat, which is a good point: even an expensive Attack Shuttle is going to want to wait until something that'll splat it outright is off the field. The Sabine Interceptor build for example isn't going to be overly keen on Stresshogs.

Problem with the ghost is its k turn is speed 5 that's an awful lot of space to cover to turn around and you could easily land on something or go off an edge if that's your only option for a shot.

Having that rear covered is more valuable than having a four hull ship on the board early, if the game goes your way launch it but otherwise you want that rear to be a no go area.

I kill brobots with defenders because they can't out turn me and I stick to their butts where they can't retaliate and they are far more agile than the ghost.

Ghost's always going to have a turret though: without the Phantom to cover its rear and with the Phantom because of the free attack.

My take?

The Phantom should deploy the first round in which doing so is advantageous.

The question is, what counts as an advantage?

• Certainly, using it as a Hound's Tooth; deploy just before the death of the other. However, this is unlikely to be the ideal play, as you never get to use it in concert with the Ghost.
• Deployment can mean a surprise attack vs a foe who was out of either arc of the Ghost, or as a surprise blocker. However, these are situational.

Personally? I say to deploy as soon as the Attack Shuttle is no longer more fragile than ships on the field; a few rounds of combat, everyone's a little wounded, and then out comes the Shuttle, fresh as a Daisy (Ridley) and hungry for blood.

Also, I've realized why none of the Ghost pilots have an Elite Talent:

Daredevil could theoretically launch the Phantom, while also being very useful to acquire shots with the 'special' arc.

Particularly in conjunction with Chopper's ability...

Stay On Target's another reason.

I like to undock the phantom prior to list-building.