I completely agree with Ion Cannons on the TIE defender. You are going to use a cannon with every shot, since it can attack with both, so you need a cannon that is useful every turn.

Tractor beams are not useful every turn, and they don't do damage on their own. They are worth it for a 1 point option on a ship that has an open slot, but they are not worth filling a slot that you intend to use every turn.

When they work right, they are the only thing that will work that way, but you aren't even going to get that situation once in every game. Throw them on a shuttle which isn't filling the cannon slot anyway, or the second aggressor slot, or a G-1A to give it barrel roll and it is the best 1 point you can spend. Put it on anything where you are planning to use the cannon and the opportunity cost of filling that slot is way too much.

I've played with a triple 8's list using Inquisitor, no title Vessery, and omega leader. Beam is very strong at the right time but it's situational. There were a few occasions though where it really was the correct option. Vessery could take an r3 shot with cannon to make sure he hit and then roll the enemy either into the inquisitor's arc or off of the inquisitor's block to get a well modified range 1 shot that is more likely to kill than the r3 Vessery primary.

Tractor beam also is quite good on one of the best control ships I've played in Imperials, the tractor beam tactician baffle lambda. You lose damage output but rolling people into range 2 for tactician broadly increases the threat zone of that upgrade and rolling a ship into a rock then stressing them on top is just evil.

I imagine /d ion defenders will actually be the way to go since it's so strong for a defender to control a joust like that and /d is a glass cannon build so just hitting extra hard is not enough to keep them alive.

Tractor beam isnt getting much press right now. I havent played with it yet but im hearing some noise its very good. How are you using it? Iv seen it on crackbots and that looking interesting. It adds utility vs small ships but is situational. how good is it?

Sooo... Remember me? Ole Kelvan Tiberius here. And I have a thing for the Alabaster Void Manatee. I've avoided even saying anything I like the new shuttle so much. But Ghostly Space Baffaloes are incredible. IN CRED AH BLE!

Omicron/Baffle/Tactician/Tractor Beam. 25 points. I've run 4, I've run 3 w/ Omega leader (have to drop 1 tractor tho). It's really solid.

Tractor beam isnt getting much press right now. I havent played with it yet but im hearing some noise its very good. How are you using it? Iv seen it on crackbots and that looking interesting. It adds utility vs small ships but is situational. how good is it?

Sooo... Remember me? Ole Kelvan Tiberius here. And I have a thing for the Alabaster Void Manatee. I've avoided even saying anything I like the new shuttle so much. But Ghostly Space Baffaloes are incredible. IN CRED AH BLE!

Omicron/Baffle/Tactician/Tractor Beam. 25 points. I've run 4, I've run 3 w/ Omega leader (have to drop 1 tractor tho). It's really solid.

I've been waiting so hard for you guys to talk Baffaloes. I think there's something huge there.

Tractor beam isnt getting much press right now. I havent played with it yet but im hearing some noise its very good. How are you using it? Iv seen it on crackbots and that looking interesting. It adds utility vs small ships but is situational. how good is it?

Sooo... Remember me? Ole Kelvan Tiberius here. And I have a thing for the Alabaster Void Manatee. I've avoided even saying anything I like the new shuttle so much. But Ghostly Space Baffaloes are incredible. IN CRED AH BLE!

Omicron/Baffle/Tactician/Tractor Beam. 25 points. I've run 4, I've run 3 w/ Omega leader (have to drop 1 tractor tho). It's really solid.

I've been waiting so hard for you guys to talk Baffaloes. I think there's something huge there.

Alex Davy mentioned it and I forgot about it. Then Sable ran it on a table and showed me the list. I have flown nothing else for 3 weeks. I hate talking about it I think it's that good. Being able to hard turn or stop every round is great!

My favorite move is a block, and then a tractor beam on the blocked ship so my blocking ship gets a shot in.

GREAT vs Aces. Pretty good against most other things.

That being said Jump masters give it a hard time. you really need to be on your blocking game.

Are you going to be at Game Cafe on Saturday?

Are you going to be at Game Cafe on Saturday?

My cousin is getting married that day. I remembered last Sunday. I'm definitely in the 5 stages of grief about it.

The fact that TBs are useless against Ghosts and Decimators really sours me on the upgrade, even on Defenders. Ions are generally the better choice, TBs only if you've got no room for anything else.

I don't generally run my Palpshuttles in lists that can afford even a single point extra (and if I did, I'd take electronic baffle first!).

Are you going to be at Game Cafe on Saturday?

My cousin is getting married that day. I remembered last Sunday. I'm definitely in the 5 stages of grief about it.

Rough.

Are you going to be at Game Cafe on Saturday?

My cousin is getting married that day. I remembered last Sunday. I'm definitely in the 5 stages of grief about it.

Rough.

Fly 4 Baffaloes in my honor. I'll be simultaneously livid and proud when you win the tournament.

or at least 3 and Omega.

I don't have that many, and I gots to run a Defender again before they get cool.

I will admit that I was contemplating a list for a while that was 2 Baffaloes (one Vader, one Ion Cannon) plus a Defender. I couldn't really make it work, though.

I find it a nice situational upgrade. If you have 1 point free adding it to medium-tp-high PS pilot is ann option. You just have to use it when the right conditions are met, those are:

- You have many ships pointing at the target, so the loss of damege would be compensed by the lower agility.

- If you can't kill the target this turn, and can move it to a better position (to deny him a shot for example).

I don't have that many, and I gots to run a Defender again before they get cool.

I will admit that I was contemplating a list for a while that was 2 Baffaloes (one Vader, one Ion Cannon) plus a Defender. I couldn't really make it work, though.

*cough*

================== [unnamed Squadron] ==================

100 points Pilots ------

Rexler Brath (50) TIE Defender (37), Heavy Laser Cannon (7), Predator (3), Hull Upgrade (3)

Omicron Group Pilot (25) x 2 Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Electronic Baffle (1), Tractor beam (1), Tactician (2)

That was just about it, but like I said, Vader and Ion Cannon. Parking for like 3 turns in a row is so cool.

That was just about it, but like I said, Vader and Ion Cannon. Parking for like 3 turns in a row is so cool.

I pulled off a 4 turn stop the other day on VASSAL and used that ship like a plug to bottle up a decimator and Soontir... it was freaking glorious.

Like i said i've have not a lot of issues with Aces.

That was just about it, but like I said, Vader and Ion Cannon. Parking for like 3 turns in a row is so cool.

I pulled off a 4 turn stop the other day on VASSAL and used that ship like a plug to bottle up a decimator and Soontir... it was freaking glorious.

Like i said i've have not a lot of issues with Aces.

It's especially cool because it's not "take damage to get a string of red maneuvers", it's effectively "take damage to turn a string of red maneuvers white". You still get your action while you're parked like that.

I've only done three shuttles with Baffles and Tacticians, along with the Inquisitor, title and Adaptability. It was a struggle, as my opponents refused to allow me to hit them at range 2.

In hindsight, I should have run Omega Leader for the same 26-point cost as the Inquisitor, but I was fixated on getting my TAP on the table.

I've only done three shuttles with Baffles and Tacticians, along with the Inquisitor, title and Adaptability. It was a struggle, as my opponents refused to allow me to hit them at range 2.

In hindsight, I should have run Omega Leader for the same 26-point cost as the Inquisitor, but I was fixated on getting my TAP on the table.

Honestly the tractor beam part of it is key because that expands the size of range 2 by 1 base on either side of it making it go from being 2.5 bases long to being 4.5 bases long which is crazy. Essentially there's usually a place you can put someone where they will land r2 of you if you can shoot them.

I've only done three shuttles with Baffles and Tacticians, along with the Inquisitor, title and Adaptability. It was a struggle, as my opponents refused to allow me to hit them at range 2.

In hindsight, I should have run Omega Leader for the same 26-point cost as the Inquisitor, but I was fixated on getting my TAP on the table.

Honestly the tractor beam part of it is key because that expands the size of range 2 by 1 base on either side of it making it go from being 2.5 bases long to being 4.5 bases long which is crazy. Essentially there's usually a place you can put someone where they will land r2 of you if you can shoot them.

Tractors have gone a really long way helping both tactician and arc fire on the baffaloes. Like I said I almost worry about talking about this combo i like it so much.

shouldnt tractor beam work vs obstacles like asteroids? just saying.

shouldnt tractor beam work vs obstacles like asteroids? just saying.

Well conceptually you could say moving a ship behind an asteroid is similar.

It's been situational at best, but when it works against small, low AGI ships, it is great. At one point, if you can squeeze it in, it doesn't hurt to have it.

Personally, when running it on a Mist Hunter, I've found paying the 1 point to give the MH barrel roll as an option has actually been more beneficial than the actual weapon itself some games.