Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, with the addition of the Tractor Beam into the game, does this give the Scyk a bit more of a reason to be taken? Especially Serissu, who's PS 8, lead by a swarm of Z-95s. Would that be viable, or no? I'm just thinking of potential ships that could make use of it with high enough PS. What do you guys think?

Also, how do you guys plan on using the Tractor Beam?

In a scum list, I think it will be interesting to pair a tractor beam with Latts Razzi (or even put the tractor beam ON Latts) to lower a pesky ace's agility by up to two, in preparation for a decent alpha strike from another ship. In fact, I have just such a Latts / Guri list waiting to see some table time..

Edit: I also have a list with the tractor beam on Laetin, with the aim of making it difficult for an enemy ship to get into Kavil / Moralo's rear arc while they circle the table.. but again since my tractor beam only just arrived, I haven't been able to test it out yet.

 Siygess wrote:
In a scum list, I think it will be interesting to pair a tractor beam with Latts Razzi (or even put the tractor beam ON Latts) to lower a pesky ace's agility by up to two, in preparation for a decent alpha strike from another ship. In fact, I have just such a Latts / Guri list waiting to see some table time..

Edit: I also have a list with the tractor beam on Laetin, with the aim of making it difficult for an enemy ship to get into Kavil / Moralo's rear arc while they circle the table.. but again since my tractor beam only just arrived, I haven't been able to test it out yet.

Oo, yeah. On Latts it would pretty awesome, though her PS5 kinda sucks for it though.

I think that 'control cannons' are the natural armament of the heavy scyk.

It's too fragile to put a heavy laser cannon on it - or even a mangler cannon, but ion, flechette and tractor weapons are about right.

Serissu is nice but you're making her a big bulls-eye; she doesn't improve her own evasiveness, and in a Z-95 swarm she's the most important target.

I'd probably go with Laetin A'Shera - his pilot ability makes him a distinctly unappealing target, and whilst his pilot skill is not great it's still higher than the generic fighters he's supporting.

Lats Razzi is a good ship, too; you can reduce agility without needing a dice roll. But if you take both, you're spending nearly half your points on support elements. I'd rather take one or the other and spend most of my points on actual combat units.

locarno24 wrote:
I think that 'control cannons' are the natural armament of the heavy scyk.

It's too fragile to put a heavy laser cannon on it - or even a mangler cannon, but ion, flechette and tractor weapons are about right.

Serissu is nice but you're making her a big bulls-eye; she doesn't improve her own evasiveness, and in a Z-95 swarm she's the most important target.

I'd probably go with Laetin A'Shera - his pilot ability makes him a distinctly unappealing target, and whilst his pilot skill is not great it's still higher than the generic fighters he's supporting.

Lats Razzi is a good ship, too; you can reduce agility without needing a dice roll. But if you take both, you're spending nearly half your points on support elements. I'd rather take one or the other and spend most of my points on actual combat units.

Yeah, Laetin is nice, but I like the idea of PTL on Serissu so she can Focus/Evade or TL/Evade.

 krodarklorr wrote:
So, with the addition of the Tractor Beam into the game, does this give the Scyk a bit more of a reason to be taken? Especially Serissu, who's PS 8, lead by a swarm of Z-95s. Would that be viable, or no? I'm just thinking of potential ships that could make use of it with high enough PS. What do you guys think?

Also, how do you guys plan on using the Tractor Beam?

I would actually put VI on Serissu to bump Tractor up to PS 10. Potentially rolling Poe onto an Asteroid before he gets to shoot is money. Reducing agility is icing on the cake.

I would not run Serissu with a swarm of Z95s however.

Talonbane Cobra would make a good wingman for Serissu. Preferred loadout being PTL, EU and Cloaking Device. The 5 Primary at R1 will make mincemeat of a target with reduced agility, especially with focus and target lock. With 2 base agility, plus 2 agility from cloak, plus 2 agility from R3 and possibly a 7th agility from an obstacle, plus a focus and a reroll from Serissu, Talonbane should be untouchable until late game.

It physically pains me to have the two working together considering what went down at Tansarii Point Station, but the mechanical strength is too good to pass up. Not to mention the two ships (Kihraxz and the Scyk) match aesthetically.

A Jumpmaster 5000 might be a good third ship to fill out the list, and there's room for a generic with the title and 2 pts of upgrades. I think Intel Agent and overclocked R4 would be my choice. With Barrel roll on the Contracted Scout and Serissu, and decloak/boost on Talonbane, it pays dividends to know just where your opponent's ace is going. R4 is budget action economy that can save the Jumpmaster in a pinch. If two or more enemy ships have a bead on him, the reroll from Serissu and a focus token should shrug off quite a bit of damage while still leaving a focus token to shoot back with. There might be a pile of stress next to the ship afterward, but if it lost no shields or hull, it's definitely worth one point as the Jumpmaster has a ton of green on its dial and has a fairly solid stat line (with the title) even without actions.


Personally I will be using the Tractor Beam on Zuckuss with the Mist Hunter title obviously, Fire Control Systems, Juke and either 4-LOM or Intel Agent crew. I'll have to test both, to see if being able to keep the enemy in arc with barrel roll and only using evade/juke occasionally and not self-ionizing is worth the power combo of Zuckuss's pilot ability adding a red die and a green die, then juking it, then cancelling a focus with 4-LOM.

With Zuckuss in the list, I'm going to give the Starviper another chance. I haven't decided on Xizor or Guri yet, but either one with upgrades leaves enough room for 2 Z95s so we'll see if that works. It's very thematic any way you spin it.

I think however, that Zuckuss might benefit more from one of the YV-666 pilots.

Either Bossk, with Calculation, Dengar crew, Boba Fett crew and Outlaw Tech + generic G1-a/two Z95s

or Moralo Eval with Ion Cannon, Gunner, Bossk crew, and Tactician. A nasty control ship that sets up even generic Kihraxz to eat ace pilots for breakfast.

Hmmm, okay. So I made a list that I'd like to try out.

Serissu
- Veteran Instincts
- Stealth Device
- "Heavy Scyk" Interceptor
- Tractor Beam

Talonbane Cobra
- Engine Upgrade
- Attanni Mindlink

Guri
- Autothrusters
- Fire Control Systems
- Virago
- Attanni Mindlink
- Cloaking Device

Comes out to 98 points

Control cannons are going to be very interesting once this is out:

http://xwing-miniatures.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D

 TheWaspinator wrote:
Control cannons are going to be very interesting once this is out:

http://xwing-miniatures.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D

Oh yeah, can't wait for that release.

Tractor Beams and B-Wings... You need to put all of the asteroids in as small of an area as possible. You need to have a knife-fighting dial, which is the B-Wing.

I'm not sure sticking a Tractor Beam on Serissu is really that great of idea, I'd rather use 2 base Scyks and a Z Swarm

The dull part about the B-wings is that their PS is relatively low (generics) if you want to pass on the lowered agility advantage in order for others to fire at them... it'll be wasted.

 Mathieu Raymond wrote:
The dull part about the B-wings is that their PS is relatively low (generics) if you want to pass on the lowered agility advantage in order for others to fire at them... it'll be wasted.

That is true, but I don't see the accuracy increase as the main reason to use them. I see them as position, action, and shooting denial. The downfall is that you need to rely on key asteroid placement, debris won't do.

Here's a list I see:
Biggs Walks the Dogs 2016
Biggs with R4-D6 and Integrated Astromech
Blue with Tractor Beam
Blue with Tractor Beam
Gold w/ TLT, R3-A2, and BTL-A4
98 points

Alternately I could see:
Blue with Tractor beam and FCS
Blue with Tractor beam and FCS
Gold w/ Ion Cannon Turret and R2
Gold w/Ion Cannon Turret and R2
98 points

Problem with Tractor beams on B's is you are giving up quite a bit of real damage, I'm not sure where the break point of extra damage due to the agility reduction would be, hopefully someone good at sums can work it out

Math(ieu) is hard!

 krodarklorr wrote:

 TheWaspinator wrote:
Control cannons are going to be very interesting once this is out:

http://xwing-miniatures.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D

Oh yeah, can't wait for that release.

'
Adding the Ruthlessness talent should make it REALLY fun.

 TheWaspinator wrote:

 krodarklorr wrote:

 TheWaspinator wrote:
Control cannons are going to be very interesting once this is out:

http://xwing-miniatures.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D

Oh yeah, can't wait for that release.

'
Adding the Ruthlessness talent should make it REALLY fun.

It might actually make me try Ruthlessness. Hmmmmm

The major downside of Ruthlessness (potentially needing to damage your own ships) can be managed with Tractor Beams by moving enemies closer to each other.

I tried the following recently with S&V to moderate effect:

Serrisu: Heavy Scyk, Tractor Beam, VI
Cartel Spacer: Heavy Scyk, Flechette Cannon
Palob: Ion Cannon Turret, Crack Shot, Cloaking Device
Binayre Pirate: Feedback Array, Thread Tracers, Guidance Chips
Binayre Pirate: Feedback Array

The idea was to have Palob steal a token from selected target, then have Serrisu tractor beam the target so the rest of the squad could pound on a weakened ship. Feedback array on aces that arc dodged in close.

I'm sure that it could use some revisions/optimization, but it worked better than expected and was very fun to fly. Like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects the Scyk.