After months and months of trying to find a third/forth A-wing to compliment Jake and Tycho, I gave up. Jake has the usual PTL, VI, Prockets, AT, and Tycho, has the usual PTL, EI, DD, Prockets, totaling 71 points. That leaves 29 points for what?

I have tried every version of A-wing left and although a Green Squadron pilot is OK, not quite what I am looking for.

I have tried 3 versions of Y-wings, modified Hawks, base E-wings, slightly improved B-wings, Airen Cracken, 3 versions of mediocre X-wings. I have Landed on the following:

Outer rim Smuggler with Anti-pursuit lasers.

The biggest blocker I can find with a turret, good dial, decent damage mitigation, and the added bonus of damage potential when it gets in everybody's way. I have tested a lot over the past week or 10 days with much success. I even blocked Chirpy into a corner and finally took him down with him stuck for 4 rounds taking one crit and two hits from the anti pursuit lasers.

So I guess I am flying a pancake now. I did by best to avoid it. I give up.

I like Gemmer with my triple As, but that's just personal preference.

Us turret haters don't mind the ORS. I kind of like it actually. Interesting use of one.

I haven't really flown triple a-wings yet, but I would think a Greenie with PTL, autothrusters + concussion missiles would work rather well to compliment Jake and Tycho (who tend to be ahead and in close). It leaves you at 99 which is better than 100 in terms of initiative bid.

For fun, I have considered Arvel w/ Intimidation & either proton rockets or hull upgrade (28 as well). It may or may not be easy to get him to bump an enemy, but if you do it would be amusing...

I actually made a list to try casually with: ORS + tactical jammer/ Biggs/ Wedge

Pretty much make the ORS a blocker with Biggs behind. Based on the opposing squad, either have Wedge flank or fly with Biggs.

I have found that ORS serves as a distraction. Most of my opponents see a YT-1300 on the board and their attention is drawn to it immediately. After all, the other two ships are just A-wings. Experienced players get confused when the ORS makes a direct dash to engage and the A-wings move to flank, but by then, it is too late. The ORS is in their way, pecking away damage while the other two pick the juiciest targets to drop their prokects.

How about a naked Miranda when that comes out?

If you looking for A-Wings...you have your choices laid out for you. If you don't like them, you are looking at a choice between the theme, and the competitive potential, of your list. You're locked in to Arvel/proto/green if you want it to be all A's, otherwise, you probably hit the nail on the head with a certain large ship that has "a few more surprises" in store.

Or YT-2400 if you want a fast list.

There are many ways to fly tons of As (hey, rhymes)

been personally running VI + PTL + procket Jake w/thrusters with either a PTL greenie and 3 protos or 3 PTL greenies w/thrusters

they work surprisingly well in the 2-ship meta, especially since prockets end the annoying small ships and the incredible maneuverability (and solid defenses) of the As really piss the hell out of action-dependent ships as you buzz around them, presenting only poor targets; slowly plinking them to death

it's not easy, so you really have to like flying with them. If you like them, stick with them. Otherwise, there's the PWT route:

(not that the ORS is an egregious PWT, 2-dice primary nips it right in the bud)

Nah man the ors is fine, that seems like a fun and challenging list to run.

ORS + APL is great, but I would spend the extra 4 points to get it a Navigator and an Intelligence Agent.

I don't have 4 points to give when I load up Jake and Tycho the way I like them. I made a list called 29 with about 18-20 different ships at 29 points. I have tried about half of them, and this one seems to work the best for reasons noted; it basically is a giant blocker that draws attention away from the more fragile A wings. I honestly fly the ORS pretty recklessly, trying to get in my aponnent's way. The turret is nice because I really am not worried what direction the ship is pointed. The more bumping, the more red dice that are rolled.

Tried Tycho and Jake with Vet+PTL+AutoT+Prockets and multiple variants with B's. Poor results. Maybe with better tactics and playing. Thinking of trying WSF.

However I prefer Gemmer or Avril.

4 A'S

100 points

PILOTS

Tycho Celchu (39)
A-Wing (26), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Homing Missiles (5), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2), Outmaneuver (3)

Jake Farrell (31)
A-Wing (24), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Proton Rockets (3), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2), Calculation (1)

Prototype Pilot (15) x 2
A-Wing (17), Chardaan Refit (-2)

Did you try a version of this? (this is just a theory craft build btw, I usually run an AABB list.)

What about EH and a stock YT-2400? it'll give an extra shield, green dice, and barrel roll. It also just as well as an ORS without IA and Navigator, plus APL is a dice roll and only does 1 damage.

Ar-vel Cry-nyd!!! *clap clap clapclapclap*

Ar-vel Cry-nyd!!! *clap clap clapclapclap*

Seriously, I so want to make him work. I think the key is...

Intimidation: if you bring Intel Agents to help you boost into the way!

Daredevil: if you bring VI Lando or Cracken or SL who can allow him to get in close and Daredevil into the safety of a crash.

Those are the two ways to really go with it, and his middling PS means he really needs some help to shine. You can then refit/procket/auto thruster to taste. Prockets are tempting simy because being in R1 is his destiny, but it's also a lot of points for a pretty mediocre pilot. Would still be amusing to slap someone with an Intimidation/Rocket combo. My current idea is...

Arvel Crynyd: A-Wing Test Pilot, Chardaan Refit, Intimidation, Autothrusters

Green Squadron Pilot: A-Wing Test Pilot, Outmaneuver, Push The Limit

Dagger Squadron Pilot x2: B-Wing/E2, Intelligence Agent

I have been experimenting with Arvel and a stresshoh. Bring them both in behind a fatty with the stresshog ion/stress, and Arvel butt bumping and dishing out three dice each round. I have even added Biggs to fly as wingman for the stresshog to give the turrets something to shoot at. With large based ships, you only get the ion effect every other turn, but R3 allows you to pile on the stress such that they are forced to green moves if they want an action. If I can keep Tycho handy, he will mitigate for Rebel Captive.

the key to making Arvel "work" is intelligence agent

doesn't do **** about his weird PS for his ability, his lack of attack modification if he's ramming someone, and his too expensive cost, but it does let you trigger his ability reliably against non-sensor enemies

the key to making Arvel "work" is intelligence agent

doesn't do **** about his weird PS for his ability, his lack of attack modification if he's ramming someone, and his too expensive cost, but it does let you trigger his ability reliably against non-sensor enemies

Which is part of why I'm also leaning towards Daredevil+Higher PS to throw him a second action. Fly with VI Cracken nearby, and Arvel gets to Daredevil right at the start of combat. The problems being, of course, that Cracken is in a fragile Z with a target on his back due to his ability, and trying to keep Arvel super close to Cracken AND having him go all bump-happy is a rather tall order.

Better option might be something like Squad Leader Han (with an EI?) or a VI Lando as the Falcon's big base will give you much more room for shenanigans. And with SL on Han you go all the way up to range two for it, which is a substantial chunk of the play area. Of course that means either a Falcon predictably using greens a lot (Lando or stress shedding) or not getting a lot of actions which it'll need to stay alive.

Realistically though, if you want A-Wing Intimidation shenanigans, you're probably better off with a Green Squad Pilot. I still think Arvel isn't completely hopeless, and I can imagine situations where his ability will shine (namely when he throws blocks against higher PS pilots and hits them with a modified R1 attack against their unmodified defense dice!). Must continue to experiment and theory-craft.

for my part, I'll just continue having the fantasy where Arvel was given a B-wing to pilot instead

B/e int agent, sensor slot; 4-dice at range 1 *drool*

the key to making Arvel "work" is intelligence agent

Stay on Target also works well. You loose PTL and the ability to focus/TL, but if it is lower PS ship, you loose it with the bump anyway. You need Craken or a Hawk around to hand out cookies to really let him sink his teeth into the target he bumps.