At some point, a shipyard worker moving containers asked "Hey, what happens if I flip this switch and reverse the polarity on this Tractor Beam?" *click!*

A second later a moon exploded and our Pioneer suits got a brand new toy. This is now official canon and will fight anyone who says otherwise with a rusty chain hook.

=========================

According to my calculations, the Tractor Beam is BADASS! Every sci-fi movie or book I know of uses them as benign tools for boring stuff, like holding things, or gently docking ships. Screw that! Us space-faring foxy anthropomorphic mecha-mercenary techno-scavengers don't know the meaning of the word "gentle", and neither will you after wrecking xeno-skullfaces with this weapon.

The Tractor Beam [TRACT] can be randomly looted from any Upgrade Station found in the alien hulks. It can be equipped for $20K by browsing the [CLOSE COMBAT] tab on the Loadout page.


Alternately, you can begin using it immediately by choosing the [ROOK] Pioneer Suit.

Having unlimited uses, along with both offensive and defensive capabilities, makes the Tractor Beam useful in any loadout.

Aim the cursor at an enemy and press [Button] to successively capture and reel them in with the beam. The enemy will hover in front of your mech, acting as a physical shield that can absorb or deflect all projectiles it hits, and push enemies and floating objects.


Moving the cursor moves the position of the enemy. Pressing [Button] again will instantly launch the enemy wherever the cursor is. The launched enemy will explode upon impact and cause damage in a small area, similar to a grenade.


There's a short 2 sec. recharging period every time an enemy is launched or captured so use this weapon tactically.

There are nuances to using the Tractor Beam, learning them will determine if you'll become a grav-slinging ace or a flacid space jellyfish in an alien's sushi platter. This is a non-exhaustive list of the quirks I've found so far.

• Aiming in the general direction of a larger enemy usually captures them, but Hornets and Spikedogs are noticeably harder to target because of their size (small hitbox) and mobility.
  
  
• Hornets die instantly when hit directly by the beam, however no other enemies seem to take damage from it.
  
  
• Launched enemies are damaged when smashed against a wall, other enemies, your cat, the mailman, anything. Their health and armorings affect how long you can bash them around like skeletal billiard balls.
  
  
• The Tractor Beam's range is huge, enemies can be captured even if they're not on the screen!
  
  
• Unlike with energy shields, you can fire through the captured enemy. An exception is if you capture a Heavy Sentinel while their purple shield is up, your bullets won't punch through. However, neither will enemy bullets, so it's like having an indestructible shield! Team up with a buddy and act as mobile wall for them.
  
  
• Heavy Sentinels are launched a very short distance. Heavy Sentinel shields will block the Tractor Beam, give 'em a back door surprise and capture them from behind.
  
  
• Launching Slimers causes them to burst on impact, splattering goo everywhere.
  
  
• The captured enemy can block the Brain System's purple energy waves. It might be useful to leave a burly enemy around as an emergency shield when fighting a Level 3 Brain.
  
  
• Systems are unaffected by the beam.
  
  
• Bombers' plasma projectiles are unaffected by the beam.
  
  
• Tanks are unaffected by the beam (even while unshielded).
  
  
• Juggernauts are unaffected by the beam.
  
  
• Enemy defenses that spawn on walls, like Pickets and Stasis Pods, are unaffected by the beam. Also, you can't cook eggs with the beam. Bummer.
  
  
• Rebound Hazards are unaffected by the Tractor Beam, it passes through them. The beam can still capture an enemy as usual, however.
  
  
• The addition of Environmental Hazards to the game makes the Tractor Beam an even more powerful weapon. Capture an enemy and hold them inside a Hazard for an easy kill. Roast those obnoxious Jackals in nuclear fire, like bony marshmallows.
  
  
• While trapped in an Electric Cage Hazard, launching an enemy at the cage wall will obliterate the enemy.
  
  
• If they don't collide with anything, launched enemies will slow and stop after a certain distance, without taking damage. It still makes them super pi$$ed though so they'll come back and try to scalp your sweet '90s action mullet. If you're bald...they'll find something to scalp, use your imagination.
  
  
• Because the launched enemy explodes on impact, it's possible to destroy several enemies with a single launch if they're clustered together.
  
  
• Being too close to the blast will damage you, don't launch enemies at point blank range of the target.
  
  
• Being too far from the blast makes you a bastich, launch enemies at point blank range for extra cool.

Get out there and experiment!

While the Tractor Beam is plenty tough enough already, it's also never enough. Moar, we always want moar ways to blow ♥♥♥♥ up. Cryptark's large selection of weapons are begging to be combined in interesting and devastating ways. This is a list of effects I'd like to see added to the Tractor Beam, feel free to suggest your own.

• Captured Sawblades still try to spin and can be used against other enemies.
  
  
• Ability to pluck Slime Canisters from the walls and launch them like a Slime Mortar.
  
  
• Once the Sentinel system is disabled, add the ability to pluck deactivated Turrets from the walls.
  
  
• Ability to capture/launch Mines.
  
  
• Ability to capture certain enemy projectiles, like the Bomber's plasma and Juggernaut's destructible missiles.
  
  
• Ability to retrieve Javelins.