Warning in advance: this is based on spoiler images. I haven't seen the final cards. If any of these cards were printed differently, please let me know!

Shadow Caster title:

"...if the defender is inside your mobile firing arc and at Range 1-2..."

Sabine Wren (pilot):

"...an enemy ship inside your mobile firing arc at Range 1-2..."

Ketsu Onyo (pilot):

"...enemy ship inside your firing arc at Range 1-2."

All standard "inside arc at Range X" wording templates. Check.

Asajj Ventress (pilot):

"...choose a ship at Range 1-2. If it is inside your mobile firing arc..."

Why is this different? Does this wording mean I have to use the closest point-to-point distance to check the range?

Ketsu Onyo (pilot):

"...choose a ship at Range 1. If it is inside your primary and mobile firing arcs..."

Okay, this one I can almost understand being different, but the same question applies.

Also:

Ketsu Onyo (pilot):

"...choose a ship..."

Asajj Ventress (pilot):

"...choose a ship..."

Confirm/deny: these abilities can be used on friendly ships.

(Note: Ketsu does not let you tractor-move one of your own ships even if this is true. The choice of whether and how to move a tractored ship is made by that ship's opponent, not by the player who created the token.)

Confirm/deny: a ship is within its own firing arcs.

Warning in advance: this is based on spoiler images. I haven't seen the final cards. If any of these cards were printed differently, please let me know!

Shadow Caster title:

"...if the defender is inside your mobile firing arc and at Range 1-2..."

Sabine Wren (pilot):

"...an enemy ship inside your mobile firing arc at Range 1-2..."

Ketsu Onyo (crew):

"...enemy ship inside your firing arc at Range 1-2."

All standard "inside arc at Range X" wording templates. Check.

First of, note that the SC title does not have the standard "inside arc at Range X" wording. There is an and in there, that changes everything. You check the Range between the ships closest point to closest point. If the mobile firing arc is pointing left or right and the defender is at Range 2 in the primary firing arc, but at Range 3 in the mobile firing arc. SC would still work.

Asajj Ventress (pilot):

"...choose a ship at Range 1-2. If it is inside your mobile firing arc..."

Why is this different? Does this wording mean I have to use the closest point-to-point distance to check the range?

The same thing can be worded in different ways. It is not uncommon for FFG the vary how they explain an effect, unless it has a specific explained wording like "inside arc at Range X".

Just like above the Range check is performed separately from the in arc check. So yes closest point to closest point.

Ketsu Onyo (pilot):

"...choose a ship at Range 1. If it is inside your primary and mobile firing arcs..."

Okay, this one I can almost understand being different, but the same question applies.

Again, yes. Check Range 1, then check both firing arcs.

Ketsu Onyo (pilot):

"...choose a ship..."

Asajj Ventress (pilot):

"...choose a ship..."

Confirm/deny: these abilities can be used on friendly ships.

(Note: Ketsu does not let you tractor-move one of your own ships even if this is true. The choice of whether and how to move a tractored ship is made by that ship's opponent, not by the player who created the token.)

As worded, yes these abilities can be used on friendly ships. And yes if you use Ketsu Onyo on a friendly small ship, the opponent may choose to boost or barrel roll that ship as explained on the Tractor Beam Token. But remember that the boost/barrel role was made optional in the errata.

Confirm/deny: a ship is within its own firing arcs.

This is actually not defined. The FAQ has clarified that ships are friendly to themselves, and at Range 1 of them selves, which allows certain effects to be applicable to the ship itself. We have no such clarification. Logically I would say no. The firing arc is the area created by the front of the ship base and the extension of the printed arc of the ship. But I could see the argument being made that every ship is inside their own firing arc because the arc is printed on the base.

FWIW my assumption is that Ketsu and Assaj are worded the way that they are so that they have a chance of failure - you pick the ship first then check it meets the conditions, if it doesn't, the effect doesn't work. But I can't read the designers' minds sadly

I am having a hard time understanding the thinking behind the question about Ketsu and Assaj. First, why would you ever want to assign one of your own ships a TB token? I mean yea sure there is the possibility of a boost or barrel roll (chosen by your opponent = probably not good for you) and it reduces your evade by 1 for the combat phase. As for Assaj, why would you choose to add a stress token to your own ship (well other than Soontir but this is a scum ship so he doesn't apply)?

I am having a hard time understanding the thinking behind the question about Ketsu and Assaj. First, why would you ever want to assign one of your own ships a TB token? I mean yea sure there is the possibility of a boost or barrel roll (chosen by your opponent = probably not good for you) and it reduces your evade by 1 for the combat phase. As for Assaj, why would you choose to add a stress token to your own ship (well other than Soontir but this is a scum ship so he doesn't apply)?

You might want to give 4-Lom stress so he can hand it off to an enemy out of range of Assaj.

FWIW my assumption is that Ketsu and Assaj are worded the way that they are so that they have a chance of failure - you pick the ship first then check it meets the conditions, if it doesn't, the effect doesn't work. But I can't read the designers' minds sadly

Well nothing else has a chance of failure (in the sense of wasting the attempt and not getting to try a different target), so I doubt this is meant to work that way. In practice "Choose a ship at Range 2..." would then be the same as "Choose a ship. If that ship is at Range 2..."

Making you waste an opportunity for guessing a range wrong would be a big enough change that I'm sure had they intended to do that they would have spelled that out on the card.

First of, note that the SC title does not have the standard "inside arc at Range X" wording. There is an and in there, that changes everything.

Well, crud. Then things are even worse than I thought. That's two cases where it's easily arguable that a) FFG meant to use the standard wording, and b) it would be better for the game as a whole if they had used the standard wording, but they didn't and now we have to stop the game and debate how our cards work.

No need to stop. Do what the card says. Do not do what is does not say. If FFG meant in arc at Range 1, they will errat it if if is not changed before print.

It is not the first time a preview differs from the final printed text.