Taking advantage of this idea I thought this might be a fun list to play.

Tomax Bren (24)
Crack Shot (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Homing Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Colonel Vessery (35)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Tractor Beam (1)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/D (0)

Valen Rudor (22)
Juke (2)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/v1 (1)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Tomax can acquire a target lock at range 3 to fire a homing missile and trigger Vessery's ability. If he can keep his firing arc on the same target next turn the TL is still in place to trigger Vessery again before launching cluster missiles and potentially triggering crack shot with both rolls for the lulz. Tractor beam helps line up targets for Tomax. Rudor is in there because I haven't used my TAP yet and he was in the right points range.

Has anybody else tried the crack shot cluster missile combo on Tomax? What would you fly alongside him?

Tomax Bren can use his ability only once per round, so you could use it once on the homing missiles, again on one of the cluster missile shots, but then that would be it. My understanding is that you can permanently discard Crack Shot to use it on the second cluster missile shot.

Actually you could use it on other of the user missiles, but after you turn it facedown for the second cluster missile attack you wouldn't be able to turn the crack shot face up again. Though the new timing FAQ might have altered this.

Aww, I should have known it was too good to be true. I'm clearly too tired to bother reading all the cards properly. Even without double-dipping on the crack shot I might still fly this list.

The option to permanently discard crack shot for a game-winning shot is an interesting one. It might even catch some people out and they decline to spend the necessary token, or lull them into spending more tokens than necessary just in case.

Agreed. Its a surprising technicality that only occurred to me while reading your original post. Tomax is good regardless, because crack shot is amazing when combined with munitions.

I like the Tomax Crack Shot with Homing Missiles idea. Sounds good.

I am expecting, when I get round to running him, to double crack with Tomax, because in the end, he's high threat and fragile. I'm banking on getting two shots off with him before he dies, one long range missile, probably homing, and one double crack cluster missile. I don't think it's necessarily even worth the Extra Munitions.

Drop engines on Vess and Valen and give autothrusters for TAP. I don't see stress bots coming back shortly and honestly speaking his ability is not action based and he has good white moves. Both will do good without engines.

Good ideas from both of you. I also suspect that Tomax is likely to be an early casualty, it's only a bomber after all.

I frequently overlook autothrusters because I never get good results from it. That's on me to improve my arc-dodging skills however, not a problem with the strategy.

The option to permanently discard crack shot for a game-winning shot is an interesting one. It might even catch some people out and they decline to spend the necessary token, or lull them into spending more tokens than necessary just in case.

Agreed. Most people are quite happy to trigger Vader crew and suffer damage if it takes an opposing ship out of the game. Using up your Crackshot is equally valid if you can finish off something (especially something valuable ).

I'm banking on getting two shots off with him before he dies, one long range missile, probably homing, and one double crack cluster missile. I don't think it's necessarily even worth the Extra Munitions.

For 2 points, I think that EMs are still worth it for 2 reasons. Firstly, you may get lucky and he survives longer than you expect which means he has extra payload for those turns. Secondly, you can use him like a pseudo-Biggs. His damage output is such that your opponent cannot afford to let him live which in turn keeps the attention off your other ships.