As the title says guys.

What are your thoughts on Tractor Beams?

Thinking about running a MC80 with them and just trying to gauge people's success or lack thereof with them

I find they're best when fielded in numbers so you can focus-slow a specific enemy ship. You need to be careful about when to use them - sometimes slowing down an enemy ship is actively beneficial to your enemy and therefore you shouldn't just use the tractor beams by default if there's no good applicaiton.

It can feel like all they really do sometimes is force the enemy to keep spamming Navigate commands, but that can be beneficial if he otherwise would've been doing other commands. I think they'll be more useful once Slicer Tools show up so you can stop enemy ships from Navigating back up to speed 2.

Underrated right now.

Come Wave 3, severely underrated.

Come Wave 4, either completely underrated, or spammed to all hell and back.

I actually think they give Vics a fighting chance. I've theorized with a Triple Vic list, all with tractor beams: it gets rid of demolisher's Nav token, it deals with Cr90 swarms (somewhat), it levels the playing field for the Vics and allows you to have more firepower, coverage, squadron activations, and hull than a double ISD list at about the same cost. The problem is getting sufficient AS options in there, in addition to a synergized commander/crit effects upgrade scheme, and the tractor beams really don't kick in to effect until round 2, meaning your VSDs are still slow to fight.

And to agree with Dras, underrated. Combine it with any sort of maneuvering-oriented objective. Minefields- "oh, you thought you could go speed 4 to avoid both the mines and my funnel of death? Speed 3, choose between the mine, the asteroid, or the funnel."

Or even with defense objectives. Hyperspace assault- "you can't outrun that incoming fleet, even with your first activation, because you're now at speed 1."

I think they would be valued much higher if they could reduce speeds to 0. Imagine taking away the ability to use defense tokens at all just by activating your ship. That's probably why they didn't allow it. I think it's still possible for them to incorporate an advanced tractor beam, which costs more and can reduce speeds to 0. That would be interesting.

Underrated right now.

Come Wave 3, severely underrated.

Come Wave 4, either completely underrated, or spammed to all hell and back.

Hopefully it actually works and doesn't become an Avenger OLP type gimmick that instead of killing ships mildly hinders them...

I had it on Zuckass with VI. Then I would attack with an extra attack die (his ability) and had some great success moving ships on to asteroids while decreasing their agility for the rest of my squad to enjoy Great fun!

I had it on Zuckass with VI. Then I would attack with an extra attack die (his ability) and had some great success moving ships on to asteroids while decreasing their agility for the rest of my squad to enjoy Great fun!

Which is awesome and all, but totally the wrong Forum

If you're moving at Speed Zero, do you still complete a maneuver? For example, could you Tractor/G-8 a ship down to Zero on an asteroid, and have it keep hitting the asteroid?

I love tractor beams. As someone already mentioned I often take them on my VSD or a raider acting as a picket for my VSD to help keep pesky ships from getting behind its arc rapidly.

Reegsk, yes you can.

If you're moving at Speed Zero, do you still complete a maneuver? For example, could you Tractor/G-8 a ship down to Zero on an asteroid, and have it keep hitting the asteroid?

Yes, as specified in the Rulebook:

RRG, Page 11, "Ship Movement"

• If a ship executes a speed-0 maneuver, it does not move from its current position, but it is still considered to have executed a maneuver.

Underrated right now.

Come Wave 3, severely underrated.

Come Wave 4, either completely underrated, or spammed to all hell and back.

I am using 2 of them with my GR75's. Their key goal is to hit small ships so that I can swing in and attack them or so that they can set a trap up the next turn. Add on Slicer Tools and I have a PARTY!

I really want tractor beams on my mc30s which can slow down ISDs et al.

I havent yet come to terms with how many obstacles there are to doing this.

As I detest assault frigates there is no real way for me to run multiple tractor beams right now. As Lyraeus says, slicer tool tractor beam flotillas are annoying to face.

The tractor flotillas will only affect small ships, though. So an AF, VSD, ISD or MC80/Liberty list will just laugh and laugh at all of those points you spent on tractor beams.

It will be a hard counter to DeMSU and CR90 swarms, though.

The tractor flotillas will only affect small ships, though. So an AF, VSD, ISD or MC80/Liberty list will just laugh and laugh at all of those points you spent on tractor beams.

It will be a hard counter to DeMSU and CR90 swarms, though.

Yeah but those slicer tools will be Super Effective!

Given the nature of the current meta (3 activations being on the low end, with most fleets going for 4 and some for 5+), I think it's a relatively safe bet to assume at least 1 small ship on the other side of the table. This seems especially true with flotillas coming out in wave 3.

One of the problems with tractor beams in the early days of wave 2 was there was always a chance you'd face an all-large ship fleet and then any tractor beams you had on your medium ships didn't do anything.

I suppose my concern is that, if you take lots of small tractor beams, there's a good chance you'll run into a fleet centered around a Large ship (ISD or Liberty). So you'll be able to tractor beam something, but it won't be the main threat.

Of course, if you see a lot of small tractor fleets, I would expect to see the DeMSU list to drop in popularity.

Right now I wouldn't use them on a bet as I can not affect the underlying command.

Wave 3: Slicer Tools + Tractor Beams kills my "Arch Enemy": Demolisher.

Wave 4: Depends on what happens in the Wave 3 meta, if everyone goes towards 2 big ships, and the new Rebel ship here makes that a possibility they may fall out of use or perhaps you may put one on a large based ship and just keep it near to the slicing tools Flotilla.

I suppose my concern is that, if you take lots of small tractor beams, there's a good chance you'll run into a fleet centered around a Large ship (ISD or Liberty). So you'll be able to tractor beam something, but it won't be the main threat.

Of course, if you see a lot of small tractor fleets, I would expect to see the DeMSU list to drop in popularity.

Oh I would never recommend bringing a lot of little flotilla/Raider tractor beams. I'd say just one (on the Slicer Tools flotilla) should be sufficient to cause some problems for the at least 1 other small ship most fleets will have. Best case it's the Demolisher, and your little annoyance flotilla can assist your other ships in shutting its Navigating and speed down.

Usless, for now. Every time I have been tractor beamed the effect was so marginal it was negligible or I was thinking sweet now I can pull a tighter turn or stay in arc longer.

When using it against enemy ships, even multiples, it was pretty much the same. This is doing nothing.

Who know what will happen in wave 3-4. Since Indic can most likely carry Tractor and G-8 you have two effects on one ship. But only one of those will effect the Liberty which will be heavily played. Besides what does slowing down a front arc brawler do exactly?

Small ships is a different story. X number of Floatillas with their scatter and Offensive Retro might be able to tractor focus Demo and control MSU with Tractor Beams and Fleet Upgrades.

Find a reliable way to remember you HAVE tractor beams, and to actually USE them when you activate a ship.

... coz I always forget.

Right now I wouldn't use them on a bet as I can not affect the underlying command.

Wave 3: Slicer Tools + Tractor Beams kills my "Arch Enemy": Demolisher.

Wave 4: Depends on what happens in the Wave 3 meta, if everyone goes towards 2 big ships, and the new Rebel ship here makes that a possibility they may fall out of use or perhaps you may put one on a large based ship and just keep it near to the slicing tools Flotilla.

THIS! This! This!

X number of Floatillas with their scatter and Offensive Retro might be able to double tap Demo and control MSU with Tractor Beams and Fleet Upgrades.

Right now in my little meta (we 3 players at my home) we have a fellow that plays Demo and he has it down to an art. So far in the past 6 months he has lost 2 games when playing this list, I am working on a third in Vassal and it looks close at this time. Now, he and I go around 50/50 in our other games, so for me the task is to make him look at other lists and try them out. At that time the Tractor Beam and Slicing Tools have done their jobs and I can drop them from the list as it will have altered my meta.

So I was just looking at the Gladiator profile to see what there is available and if there is something that can help him out relating to Slicer Tools.

There is a hard counter and you will probably see it on Gladiators in wave 3.......Navigation Officer!!

6 points - Officer Slot - Before you reveal a command, you may change that command to a nav command.

Boom. Slicer tools useless. That makes me sad

So I was just looking at the Gladiator profile to see what there is available and if there is something that can help him out relating to Slicer Tools.

There is a hard counter and you will probably see it on Gladiators in wave 3.......Navigation Officer!!

6 points - Officer Slot - Before you reveal a command, you may change that command to a nav command.

Boom. Slicer tools useless. That makes me sad

If a Gladiator has a Navigation Officer equipped then he doesn't have Wulff Yularen or (more likely and more terrifyingly) an Intel Officer. That's not a bad thing.