Many science fiction settings include “tractors”: beams of energy that are somehow able to push or pull objects. Typically, tractor beams are used for non-combat purposes, such as moving cargo, guiding shuttlecraft to safe landings, and occasionally towing incapacitated starships. However, they have a limited tactical function as well.

For the purposes of this rule, it is assumed that tractor beams in Starmada are too weak to have a significant effect on the movement of enemy starships: however, they can be useful in disrupting the operations of opposing fighter flights.
During the End Phase of each turn, starships may attempt to “hold” enemy fighters with their tractor beams. To do so, a fighter flight must be selected as the target for each tractor--all targets must be chosen before any dice are rolled. If desired, have each player secretly record targets and reveal them all at once. Otherwise, players may alternate resolving tractor attempts in a manner similar to that used for combat resolution.

Once targets have been chosen, roll a die for each tractor: if the result is greater than the range to the selected target, the target has been “tractored”. Place an appropriate marker next to the target.

Multiple tractors may be directed at a single target; however, double- or triple-tractoring a target has no further effect.
A fighter flight that has been tractored is unable to move or attack during the upcoming Fighter Phase. All “tractored” markers are removed at the end of the Fighter Phase.

(Note that any fighter flight is considered a valid target for a tractor beam, regardless of its size, speed, or other characteristics. For this reason, care must be taken in deciding whether to use tractors: this rule is based on the assumption that opposing fighters will be “standard” flights as described in rule 5.0: Fighters. However, players in a setting with a wide variety of powerful fighter types may find this rule to be unbalancing.)