When I first saw Tomax's ability in the first preview a while back, it seemed pretty great. Having had a chance to think about it... not so sure this pilot is good for anything, really.

The first use that comes to mind is: combine him with the best one-use EPT - Crackshot.

Except that the 25 pt crackshot tomax is completely eclipsed and outclassed by the 26 point juke+comms omega leader, who does a similar, but much better trick via juke + target lock, eliminating not only one natural evade but also bypassing any focus/evade tokens the opponent might have, and autothrusters to boot! This is on top of better survivability (counting the evade token, he goes into combat with 5 hull + 3 agility, can "regenerate" that evade shield and use target locks defensively) and a MUCH better dial.

Second option was to take that crackshot and make him into a torpedo boat with protons (or ion torps), munitions, chips... Except those 3 extra points of pilot skill and abiltiy are costing you 5 squad points compared to a gamma vet, and also you end up without deadeye, which is really painful if your opponent has PS8+ ships.

Last idea: the Tomax Bren command ship: cool hand, fleet officer, systems officer. This Tomax gives your squadron a total of 4 actions (3 of those can/must be passed along) for 30 points. Seems good for alpha strike lists until you realize the new deadeye gamma vets are not so action-starved to mandate such expenditures... and probably would synergize much better with Jonus. Who can either be a command ship or carry torps himself.

So the three top ideas have much better alternatives. The other Tomax options, i.e. REALLY manouverable ship with lightning reflexes or adrenaline rush... well, the 2-dice primary kinda kills that one, and loading a manouverable tomax with prockets or clusters makes him as expensive as the best imperial aces. Prockets inquisitor versus prockets lightning reflexes Tomax - no contest, really.

Is there any Tomax build which would actually be really useful, as opposed to "potentially decent, but others do it much better/cheaper"?

the command ship is easily the least viable of the lot, being as it is a gimmick that fails to deal over academy pilot levels of damage

really, you're looking at crack missiles or bust. Hope long range scanners and good flying can keep him alive longer than his 6 hull; 2 agility would normally last and you can have a blast (heh)

and yes, missiles not torps. Proton torps one focus --> crit <<<<<<< homing missile full mods - evade token

squishier than the inq, but harder hitting for sure. Not much can boast 4-dice full mods + crackshot

I personally find all those uses interesting. Whether they're meta-defining is another question.

Also, FYI, Omega Leader cannot run Autothrusters. It would be awesome if he could!

I meant Omega Leader bypasses autothrusters on enemy ships...

I am looking to try out Bren with Crackshot, shuttle title, Rebel Captive, and Tactician tonight. Crackshot does a lot to make his 2 attack go further.

The most useful build really is the Crack Shot ordnance boat. The high cap on his damage is worth getting, and he's actually pretty reliable: PS8 Homing Missiles are going to hurt. (If you're adjacent to Jonus, take Proton Torpedoes instead.)

He's definitely on the expensive side when compared to Gamma Squadron Veteran + Deadeye, but you're getting +3 PS (which is relevant) and Crack Shot really does make a difference to his damage--both when he's using ordnance and after it's gone (assuming he lives that long).

Tomax Bren with Crackshot, extra munitions, homing missiles, guidance chips with a veteran instincts Vessery with D title and tractor beam (and comm Juke Omega Leader) will allow him to push a lot of damage through with the missiles, following the Tractor Beam.

They're all PS8 too which will help with movement and attacking.

Has anybody mentioned that with Tomax Bren you can have a TIE bomber with a 100% white and green dial?

Adrenaline Rush anyone?

Bren (24), Crack Shot (1), Homing Missile (5), Long Range Sensors (0), Extra Munitions (2) = 32 points

The shot he puts out is basically the second most dangerous shot in the game (Miranda+Jan Ors Homing Missile is better), and the most dangerous from a single ship. It's very bad news to aces, and good against everyone else. I think you maybe consider him as third ace in an Imperial Aces build. He has the PS, he sits at a decent point cost, and provides you with a significant, if short term, bump in firepower when it matters most. Compared to another ace, he probably lets you get a ship off the board a turn faster, which can be leveraged into some real advantages later. Compared to a Gamma Vet, he is more likely to PS-kill stuff, and he's more dangerous after his missiles are gone.

It's also worth noting the while Omega Leader prevents modifications they still keep all of them for subsequent attacks that round. Tomax could force them to spend the token and still negate it.

I'm fairly certain we will see more "one-use" EPTs soon. Bren will still be around when they pop up, so he will have some lasting value, as each new expendable EPT is one that will be able to be used by him. Not a game-breaking or meta-shaping pilot, but he will probably see a surge of use everytime a new EPT he can use comes out.

It's not like Tomax and Omega Leader are mutually exclusive. Now you can run two high PS ships that are constantly getting rid of an evade result.

Except you can load Bren with missiles, and pump out some serious, serious damage via Crack Shot. More expensive that OL? Sure. But he's going to kill something very, very hard at the start followed by plinking with consistent CS afterwards.

Omega doesn't have that alpha strike. Honestly, flying both together should probably be a thing.

The first argument is basically this- "He's not as cost efficient as the most cost efficient ship in the game right now! Unusable!"

Thank goodness not every player just plays what's been proven to be good in this game. Would get pretty dull if everyone played Omega Leader, Wampa, Inquistior, Palpmobile.

The first argument is basically this- "He's not as cost efficient as the most cost efficient ship in the game right now! Unusable!"

Thank goodness not every player just plays what's been proven to be good in this game. Would get pretty dull if everyone played Omega Leader, Wampa, Inquistior, Palpmobile.

I dunno, would be kinda fun to be the guy with a Vader/Gunner Decimator in that meta =D

It's also worth noting the while Omega Leader prevents modifications they still keep all of them for subsequent attacks that round. Tomax could force them to spend the token and still negate it.

Honestly I think it's also worth mentioning that omega leader isn't that scary unless a) it's 1v1 or b) he's rolling stupidly well. Tomax gets to spend target locks without becoming a very expensive tie fighter.

It's also worth noting the while Omega Leader prevents modifications they still keep all of them for subsequent attacks that round. Tomax could force them to spend the token and still negate it.

Honestly I think it's also worth mentioning that omega leader isn't that scary unless a) it's 1v1 or b) he's rolling stupidly well. Tomax gets to spend target locks without becoming a very expensive tie fighter.

Yeah, it's a difference of "pretty scary to one ship over the course of 3+ turns of firing" compared to "might just one-shot you the first chance he gets".

Tomax Bren with Crackshot, extra munitions, homing missiles, guidance chips with a veteran instincts Vessery with D title and tractor beam (and comm Juke Omega Leader) will allow him to push a lot of damage through with the missiles, following the Tractor Beam.

They're all PS8 too which will help with movement and attacking.

I actually run them with Inquisitor instead of Omega Leader.

Bren (24), Crack Shot (1), Homing Missile (5), Long Range Sensors (0), Extra Munitions (2) = 32 points

The shot he puts out is basically the second most dangerous shot in the game (Miranda+Jan Ors Homing Missile is better), and the most dangerous from a single ship. It's very bad news to aces, and good against everyone else. I think you maybe consider him as third ace in an Imperial Aces build. He has the PS, he sits at a decent point cost, and provides you with a significant, if short term, bump in firepower when it matters most. Compared to another ace, he probably lets you get a ship off the board a turn faster, which can be leveraged into some real advantages later. Compared to a Gamma Vet, he is more likely to PS-kill stuff, and he's more dangerous after his missiles are gone.

N'dru with Crack Shot, Homing Missiles, Glitterstim and Guidance Chips would seem to have a more dangerous shot than Bren (granted Bren gets two of them). Five dice with full modification and Crackshot that also ignores evade tokens is hard to beat.

Bren (24), Crack Shot (1), Homing Missile (5), Long Range Sensors (0), Extra Munitions (2) = 32 points

The shot he puts out is basically the second most dangerous shot in the game (Miranda+Jan Ors Homing Missile is better), and the most dangerous from a single ship. It's very bad news to aces, and good against everyone else. I think you maybe consider him as third ace in an Imperial Aces build. He has the PS, he sits at a decent point cost, and provides you with a significant, if short term, bump in firepower when it matters most. Compared to another ace, he probably lets you get a ship off the board a turn faster, which can be leveraged into some real advantages later. Compared to a Gamma Vet, he is more likely to PS-kill stuff, and he's more dangerous after his missiles are gone.

N'dru with Crack Shot, Homing Missiles, Glitterstim and Guidance Chips would seem to have a more dangerous shot than Bren (granted Bren gets two of them). Five dice with full modification and Crackshot that also ignores evade tokens is hard to beat.

Yep, I forgot about N'dru.

War huh!

Bren (24), Crack Shot (1), Homing Missile (5), Long Range Sensors (0), Extra Munitions (2) = 32 points

The shot he puts out is basically the second most dangerous shot in the game (Miranda+Jan Ors Homing Missile is better), and the most dangerous from a single ship. It's very bad news to aces, and good against everyone else. I think you maybe consider him as third ace in an Imperial Aces build. He has the PS, he sits at a decent point cost, and provides you with a significant, if short term, bump in firepower when it matters most. Compared to another ace, he probably lets you get a ship off the board a turn faster, which can be leveraged into some real advantages later. Compared to a Gamma Vet, he is more likely to PS-kill stuff, and he's more dangerous after his missiles are gone.

N'dru with Crack Shot, Homing Missiles, Glitterstim and Guidance Chips would seem to have a more dangerous shot than Bren (granted Bren gets two of them). Five dice with full modification and Crackshot that also ignores evade tokens is hard to beat.

Yep, I forgot about N'dru.

N'dru is technically stronger, but I think I like that Tomax Bren can pull it off as the start of an unpleasant salvo, because he's not having to keep away from his team-mates during setup. Fly him with Vessery (VI, /D, Tractor) and the Inquisitor, and there's a lot of target locks floating around for a rather horrifying range 3 opening engagement...

Really, he'll be fine. He's not going to warp the meta, because he's 'yet another solidly PS8 imperial ace' and the meta is already shaped by the fact that the Imperials have plenty of these. But there's nothing that makes me sad about having another one.

Also, even you ignore his pilot ability, he's a PS8 ordnance carrier, possibly 10 with VI. How'd Whisper like a chipp'd concussion missile before cloaking? Adaptability Vader? Soonter fell who cant arcdodge it?

Has anybody mentioned that with Tomax Bren you can have a TIE bomber with a 100% white and green dial?

Adrenaline Rush anyone?

This is EXACTLY how I have him built. Adrenaline rush, allowing him to do a 5 K turn, Bomb drop and laugh all the way to the bank as ships fall before him. Or having the 5k in your back pocket allows you to line up some interesting Missile or Torpedo shots. I'm drooling in anticipation for Veterans to drop in store..