I have been working around the 2 PS missiles plus archetype. It has been working very well. I usually drop a ship of my choice at the start of the game. Then the game turns in to my 85 points versus their 75 or less. Yes, this also works exceedingly well against tie swarms.

Having only one test game, and many games with the general archetype, I feel that a particular Tomax build may work as a third ship.

Tomax

Fleet officer

Ept of your choice crack/cool hand/wired/etc.

Tomax buys your 2 aces a focus on top of their typical token milieu. This lets Vader have a much more aolid first round, him being able to target lock evade and have a focus. Inquisitor can triple dip like Vader with Tomax assist. Tomax is also no slouch in with crackshot and Kallus for helping get that last point of damage through on a ship. I believe a non Vader tie advance could work well here, not having to suffer the no defensive action penalty for acquiring an ATC target lock is quite nice.

I am not sure how many other ships benefit significantly from a focus, to the point of meaningfully damaging an opponents squad. I can also concieve of a 4 ship build working with this Tomax load out, being able to meet my personal requirement of destroying a stressbot in the first exchange.

Any tips for ships that can bring the bag of hammers neccessary to maximize the alpha strike alongside Tomax?

Honestly... save 8 points, do it with a Scimitar Squaddie. All you need is for him to keep up with your aces and use an action each round, Tomax is probably wasted. Jonus would be a much better argument.

The two ships I've had success running alongside this have been Vessery (VI/Tractor/TIED) and Redline (FCS+boomsticks) but I've been looking at swapping down to Tomax and seeing if I can't save enough room for a blocker. Having two ships alongside that get free locks and multiple attacks in a round really capitalises on the fact that they're getting double focus so two maximally modded attacks every time they shoot more or less.

It's a brute of a list.

If you're doing the fleet officer just do jonus, double down on your buffing power

You'd probably be better off buffing a Crackshot + homing missile Tomax Bren. Add more munitions and ships to taste.

Tomax

Fleet officer

Ept of your choice crack/cool hand/wired/etc.

Unless you are wanting a PS10 Bomber I don't think it makes sense to take any EPTs on Tomax that aren't one shots. The Gamma Squad Vet has an EPT and is going to save you 5 points and work much the same against most squads.

What they said. A fleet officer tomax seems like a waste of points, and his ability, for the most part.

Actually, rereading cool hand, I think it would trigger off fleet officer. So you could do that for an evade every turn with tomax.

Actually, rereading cool hand, I think it would trigger off fleet officer. So you could do that for an evade every turn with tomax.

It definitely would. There's no question about that.

However, whether it's worth the 8 points extra it costs over a Scimitar Squaddie is really, really questionable, an in most cases where it does, it's the pilot skill that makes the difference, not the EPT.

So it's really 10 points for a 6 bump in PS and a free evade or focus every turn? (gotta count Cool Hand and Mk II to be fair). It's probably not worth it. I'm in the camp that Tomax is a missile boat guy, slap on some homings and crackshot, hits like a brick. You can always Experimental Interface on Scimitars for 7 less points, and still focus/fleet officer. Granted you don't get the Mk II then, but still. You're not outputting much damage, or outmaneuvering aces, so the PS doesn't matter much for the shuttle version.

Maybe even throw on Moff Jerjerrod for a 2 point Shield Upgrade?

Maybe even throw on Moff Jerjerrod for a 2 point Shield Upgrade?

Jerjerrod doesn't stop the damage, he just gets to turn the card down. He essentially makes the hull point of your choice into a shield.

So it's really 10 points for a 6 bump in PS and a free evade or focus every turn? (gotta count Cool Hand and Mk II to be fair). It's probably not worth it. I'm in the camp that Tomax is a missile boat guy, slap on some homings and crackshot, hits like a brick. You can always Experimental Interface on Scimitars for 7 less points, and still focus/fleet officer. Granted you don't get the Mk II then, but still. You're not outputting much damage, or outmaneuvering aces, so the PS doesn't matter much for the shuttle version.

I wouldn't lump MKII into the point difference. I would almost consider MKII a requirement for taking Fleet Officer. Using Experimental Interface to take an action and then use Fleet Officer would leave you with two stress to get rid of before you could take another action.

I think that the real alternative to Tomax with Cool Hand, MKII, and Fleet Officer is a Gamma Vet with Wired, MKII, and Fleet Officer. Like Cool Hand, Wired gives improved action economy but also allows you to have modified attacks and defense on turns that you are not able to get rid of stress. You are saving 5 points but losing 3 PS. The Gamma Vet doesn't grant the extra reroll from either Dengar or Predator.

I think that Bren's PS is in an awkward spot to be a Fleet Officer carrier. His PS isn't high enough that he's making arc dodgers commit before knowing where he is going but it's high enough that he can be blocked (thus denying Fleet Officer use) by everything but those high PS aces. The Gamma Vet has some of the same issues with PS, but you aren't paying as much for that PS and he's still coming in below most of the named pilots that see play.

Tomax Bren is so awesome as an ordnance carrier. Why neuter him?

Tomaximum Effort!

If you're doing Fleet Officer Tomax, use Cool Hand. All the tokens he could ever want. If you really need him to dish out some supporting damage, Crack Shot can make his two dice pretty scary.

...Using Experimental Interface to take an action and then use Fleet Officer would leave you with two stress to get rid of before you could take another action...

Duh, not sure why I was forgetting the second stress, I knew there was a reason that was no good.