I have Targeting Astromech in two of my builds that I've done pretty well with. One of them is Hobbie, of course; that list has gone 12-3. The other has TA on Dutch Vander paired with a couple of B-Wings; they are 8-2.

I put Autoblaster on Dutch and slam him into the thick of things with 4-straight or 4-K. If he bumps, he still gets his target lock, which he shares with one of his friends. If he doesn't bump, he is usually in range to use ABT. It is a tactic that is entirely reliant on TA.

It occurred to me after this thread was posted that shara bay can use R5-K6 and C-3PO to guarantee a fresh target lock for herself after a friendly spends it.

No idea if it's worth it, but it uses her ability in a way that can deliver 2 ordnance strikes on a single target without much trouble

Nope. Because if someone else is spending the lock, she isn't. They are.

Check the wording on that.

The droid only asks that your lock be spent, not that "you" spend it.

"After spending your target lock, roll 1 defense die.

On a result, immediately acquire a target lock on that same ship. You cannot spend this target lock during this attack."

Yet another casualty of FFG's bizarre insistence on this particular piece of inelegant phrasing. The meaning is the same as 'after you spend your target lock' and that phrasing would add precisely one more space to the line but so much more clarity to the wording.

Suffice it to say, you're wrong about the wording of R5K6 permitting this, but if you really think it will, you're welcome to submit it for FAQing after the set actually comes out. They won't clarify it until that time.

im actually sure it goes the other way around.

Whenever a card mentions spending its talking about THAT ship with the upgrade (except Chaser ability). She wouldnt regain a TL, but the guy that "stole" her TL could proc R5K6 and not only have her TL for the attack but bank one for later so he didnt have to steal it again.

Same crap for manaroo and overclock. She didnt spend anything, so no overclock.

Rules as written. It works, and until you can providea an answer that isn't a guess at intent, it will continue to work.

im actually sure it goes the other way around.

Whenever a card mentions spending its talking about THAT ship with the upgrade (except Chaser ability). She wouldnt regain a TL, but the guy that "stole" her TL could proc R5K6 and not only have her TL for the attack but bank one for later so he didnt have to steal it again.

Same crap for manaroo and overclock. She didnt spend anything, so no overclock.

Yes, this is correct - the person spending the lock can trigger the droid, even if the lock was Shara's originally.

Exactly the same case as Poe being able to trigger his pilot ability off Esege's focus tokens, which is confirmed to work by FAQ and has identical wording.

The card only asks that Shara's target lock be spent.

im actually sure it goes the other way around.

Whenever a card mentions spending its talking about THAT ship with the upgrade (except Chaser ability). She wouldnt regain a TL, but the guy that "stole" her TL could proc R5K6 and not only have her TL for the attack but bank one for later so he didnt have to steal it again.

Same crap for manaroo and overclock. She didnt spend anything, so no overclock.

Yes, this is correct - the person spending the lock can trigger the droid, even if the lock was Shara's originally.

Exactly the same case as Poe being able to trigger his pilot ability off Esege's focus tokens, which is confirmed to work by FAQ and has identical wording.

However the droid does specific that you can't spend the new lock, it would need to be spent by someone else/shara herself.

im actually sure it goes the other way around.

Whenever a card mentions spending its talking about THAT ship with the upgrade (except Chaser ability). She wouldnt regain a TL, but the guy that "stole" her TL could proc R5K6 and not only have her TL for the attack but bank one for later so he didnt have to steal it again.

Same crap for manaroo and overclock. She didnt spend anything, so no overclock.

Yes, this is correct - the person spending the lock can trigger the droid, even if the lock was Shara's originally.

Exactly the same case as Poe being able to trigger his pilot ability off Esege's focus tokens, which is confirmed to work by FAQ and has identical wording.

However the droid does specific that you can't spend the new lock, it would need to be spent by someone else/shara herself.

As noted in the already-3-page-long thread in Rules Questions about this, it's not 100% clear because of the aforementioned poor wording choice, despite there being a clear precedent set by FAQ with Esege Tuketu's wording, so until the set actually comes out and is FAQed, the two camps will just have to agree to disagree.

I'm not going to carry on arguing, I think my point is clear.