So, this list sort of popped into my head, while trying to think of ways to make use of Nera aside from loading her up like crazy with APTs and abilities and crew to try to make use of them, and I came up with this.

Dutch Vander

- Ion Turret

- R5-K6

Nera Dantels

- Predator

- Advanced Sensors

- Flechette Torpedoes x2

- HLC

Hobbie

- R3-A2

So, Nera is the obvious target with all the upgrades, but I wanted to make sure she'd be functional/dangerous even after the torps are gone and her card text becomes pointless. Though opponents shouldn't ignore Hobbie and Dutch either. There's synergy all over the place here, especially with PS order. You can...

- Have hobbie pull a K-turn, Dutch acts after to pass him a target lock, clearing his stress, then Hobbie uses R3-A2, gaining a stress then immediately spending his TL to clear that stress.

- Nera and Dutch's combined 360 arcs allow you to apply the dreaded Stress + Ion pretty much at will.

...well, maybe not all over the place. But the utility of Dutch's support ability is already known, just putting it to some use here in what I hope is an interesting way. Thoughts? Any combos here that I'm missing? It's probably not super competitive but it'll at least be interesting to try.

I don't really like the idea of having just flechettes on nera, I know there's a good chance that she'll be able to use them but I think proton torps are the way to go, and if your going to use Dutch then deadeye will actually combo the best out of it. Since you'll have 2 4 dice range 2-3 attacks anyway I feel hlc is a bit redundant, so those 7 points could be put into hull and shield upgrades or recon spec on nera so she can have a focus for her attacks as well

I don't really like the idea of having just flechettes on nera, I know there's a good chance that she'll be able to use them but I think proton torps are the way to go, and if your going to use Dutch then deadeye will actually combo the best out of it. Since you'll have 2 4 dice range 2-3 attacks anyway I feel hlc is a bit redundant, so those 7 points could be put into hull and shield upgrades or recon spec on nera so she can have a focus for her attacks as well

Dropping the HLC and going to 2x proton torps only saves 3 points. If you drop R5-K6 from Dutch as well(which is something I'd consider anyway to just give him an R2 astromech) that gives me 5 to work with. Which is of course enough to have Nera go full on Recon Spec + Deadeye with those two torps, sure. And it is pretty solid damage output.

What I don't like about it is once the torps are gone both Recon Spec and Deadeye become largely dead weight. Deadeye obviously doesn't do anything anymore, but it seems to sting twice to me given Nera's card text also becomes pointless without torps to fire. Recon Spec does still help, having focus for attack and defense is obviously nice...but you're only boosting one die on defense, so you're maybe dodging one damage. While it's certainly a build I want to try(with another ship carrying Jan Ors so that spare focus can turn into an evade), the idea here is that Flechettes are a cheap way to make use of her card ability that doesn't leave her, essentially, a 39(42 with advanced sensors) point PS5 B-wing after the torps are gone...

That said, dropping the HLC is definitely something I've considered. It opens up a lot of options. Stuff like upgrading Dutch to R7-T1, so he he can both trigger his ability and possibly arc dodge. Or, post Wave 5, load him up with an Ion Torpedo.

Dead eye and recon spec work well if taking more than one torp.

Personally I'd go with Vet Ins on Nera with munitions fail safe at least then you can stress phantoms with fletchette before they recloak (obviously not whisper)

So, this list sort of popped into my head, while trying to think of ways to make use of Nera aside from loading her up like crazy with APTs and abilities and crew to try to make use of them, and I came up with this.

Dutch Vander

- Ion Turret

- R5-K6

Nera Dantels

- Predator

- Advanced Sensors

- Flechette Torpedoes x2

- HLC

Hobbie

- R3-A2

So, Nera is the obvious target with all the upgrades, but I wanted to make sure she'd be functional/dangerous even after the torps are gone and her card text becomes pointless. Though opponents shouldn't ignore Hobbie and Dutch either. There's synergy all over the place here, especially with PS order. You can...

- Have hobbie pull a K-turn, Dutch acts after to pass him a target lock, clearing his stress, then Hobbie uses R3-A2, gaining a stress then immediately spending his TL to clear that stress.

- Nera and Dutch's combined 360 arcs allow you to apply the dreaded Stress + Ion pretty much at will.

...well, maybe not all over the place. But the utility of Dutch's support ability is already known, just putting it to some use here in what I hope is an interesting way. Thoughts? Any combos here that I'm missing? It's probably not super competitive but it'll at least be interesting to try.

Got a link to Nera?

Dead eye and recon spec work well if taking more than one torp.

Personally I'd go with Vet Ins on Nera with munitions fail safe at least then you can stress phantoms with fletchette before they recloak (obviously not whisper)

Neither, if they have VI, Nera is only PS5, either of them with VI still shoots first.

Got a link to Nera?

I thought you'd shave a point going from predator to deadeye, don't remember if it was 2 or 3. It's hard to make a nera using her build that doesn't get ridiculously expensive though given you have to have something to enable decent shots when you fire the torps, you could switch to cracken but then the hobbie synergy would be gone.

if you don't mind losing that though nera + cracken and a pair of reds or daggers should fit

I thought you'd shave a point going from predator to deadeye, don't remember if it was 2 or 3. It's hard to make a nera using her build that doesn't get ridiculously expensive though given you have to have something to enable decent shots when you fire the torps, you could switch to cracken but then the hobbie synergy would be gone.

if you don't mind losing that though nera + cracken and a pair of reds or daggers should fit

Predator to deadeye does shave 2, in fact, but after swapping to recon spec the point difference between the build I put above, and the recon spec/deadeye/proton torps you suggest(with advanced sensors tossed in) is only only 1 point in favor of yours.

Dutch helps her get extra hits out of her torps; She can focus, he can pass her a TL. Thinking about it even if I just swapped the HLC for protons she still ends up fairly solid on her torpedo shots with Dutch. Something to experiment with. It is of course not as flexible as being able to spend a focus to launch at torp at anyone who happens to be within range 3, but it strikes a decent balance, I think. Hmmm....

What are the odds of Nera spending all of her ammunition and using the heavy laser cannon (hopefully more than once) before being destroyed?

It would, but there's also the fact that you want to be feeding hobbie those target locks too, deadeye would let you have pseudo ptl on hobbie. Part of me feels like Dutch is over synergized and won't be able to perform as optimally as he would with just hobbie or nera.

but if you dumped hobbie that would lose the stress aspect you wanted in it

(and since mine was a point short munitions failsafe would fit, could prove useful)