Playing with the ARC

By Lysus, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Braylen Stramm (25)
Gunner (5)
R3-A2 (2)
Alliance Overhaul (0)
Norra Wexley (29)
Push the Limit (3)
BB-8 (2)
Engine Upgrade (4)
Alliance Overhaul (0)
Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)
Total: 96
I've been looking at this list. Braylen acts as a stressbot carrier while Norra has a solid chance of getting off four-hit attacks at range three or five at range one. By using BB-8 to PTL off of, she can end her turn without stress and still have her full dial available to her.
I'm trying to figure out how to fill the last four points of the list. Here's some of my ideas.
Jan Ors - This gives Biggs a bit more survivability and effectively adds evade as a defensive option to Norra's bar after Biggs goes down.
Chewbacca - Essentially gives Norra 2-3 extra health.
Seismic Torpedoes - You could drop these on two ships and have a greater chance to hurt swarms or tokened aces.
Luke Skywalker - Upgrade Braylen's Gunner to Luke and have a better chance to push damage through.
C-3P0 - Once again, gives Norra more survivability.
Flechette Torpedoes - Adds more stress to the build, can be placed on both Norra and Braylen.
Any thoughts on the list in general, those options, or others that I might have missed?

Have regen or R3-Astromech on Norra

oh god don't use r3 on anything, it's garbage

do have regen on Norra

you simply cannot trade with anything in the game without regen on your ARC, unless Biggs is up. BB-8 is a hell of a lot of fun, but the unfortunate 1-agility profile means you ARC just won't last against any enemy. R2-d2 keeps you in the game, and in the late game it's a complete life-saver that will win you engagements (because mod wins don't exist anymore)

also, if you're not r3-a2 gunnner braylen, Tailgunner is autoinclude

unless you adore the idea of not doing any damage ever

the ARC is almost exclusively an aux arc ship (after the first joust, the guns become basically ornamental), so you're going to be firing those 2 dice + calculation mod more often than not. Tailgunner is a more than worthwhile investment if you expect to do any damage at all with your ARC

so Tailgunner

+2 points for r2-d2 over bb-8 and +2 points for tailgunner = +4 points for an 100 point list. Done and done

not certain if EU is the way to go over VTs on both ARCs, because it's surprisingly clutch on Braylen (esp during the opening turns when you get to use it to jockey for positioning), but EU is pretty sweet

Edited by ficklegreendice

FGD, please add your "Arcs, arcs, arcs, arcs... Arcs!" thread to your signature and just say, "See sig" lol Great read, informative, and would save you a lot of typing ;)

FGD, please add your "Arcs, arcs, arcs, arcs... Arcs!" thread to your signature and just say, "See sig" lol Great read, informative, and would save you a lot of typing ;)

I like the way you think :P

but yeah, the above is basically my findings after quite a few games with them

they're great (and even greater looking!) ships, but the demands on the game do seem to shoe-horn them into certain builds

basically, the OP's list with the changes to Norra (PTL, r2-d2, tailgunner and either VT or EU) is the build for most flexibly running them in the current meta

hopefully, Hotr's new mech + Fin/Rey crews will introduce more variety

Edited by ficklegreendice

Tail Gunner on Braylen means not running the actual Gunner, which means no double stress ever.

In that case, I really wish I had a second ARC.

Question: Can you run 1-2 ARCs without Biggs if you have a bigger target? I.e. a spiritual Biggs? Pilots that come to mind are Corran, Dash, Lothal, um.. ****.

That's the problem with Rebels.

But the question stands.. Is Biggs a requisite? I'm trying to work out a list with Miranda (Bombs, bombs, bombs) and Nora (your build).

Tail Gunner on Braylen means not running the actual Gunner, which means no double stress ever.

Perhaps FGD was referencing the ability to shed the stress from R3-A2 and still take actions (without being limited to Greens)..?

Tail Gunner on Braylen means not running the actual Gunner, which means no double stress ever.

oh god don't use r3 on anything, it's garbage

do have regen on Norra

you simply cannot trade with anything in the game without regen on your ARC, unless Biggs is up. BB-8 is a hell of a lot of fun, but the unfortunate 1-agility profile means you ARC just won't last against any enemy. R2-d2 keeps you in the game, and in the late game it's a complete life-saver that will win you engagements (because mod wins don't exist anymore)

also, if you're not r3-a2 gunnner braylen, Tailgunner is autoinclude

unless you adore the idea of not doing any damage ever

the ARC is almost exclusively an aux arc ship (after the first joust, the guns become basically ornamental), so you're going to be firing those 2 dice + calculation mod more often than not. Tailgunner is a more than worthwhile investment if you expect to do any damage at all with your ARC

so Tailgunner

+2 points for r2-d2 over bb-8 and +2 points for tailgunner = +4 points for an 100 point list. Done and done

not certain if EU is the way to go over VTs on both ARCs, because it's surprisingly clutch on Braylen (esp during the opening turns when you get to use it to jockey for positioning), but EU is pretty sweet

normal gunner is pretty amazing on Braylen

not only does it give you double-stress potential at every range, but it also gets you past one of the ARC's greatest enemies: the evade token :o

seriously, even with tailgunner an evade token is going to stonewall an ARC at any range but 1 (sometimes even 1). Only Norra's ability adding an additional damage over the max really gets around it

Braylen pulls double duty with stress denying non-x7 evades AND gunner helping you work around that kind of mitigation

not as good on other ARCs, though, because it's impossible to get consistent modifiers at a reasonable cost (such as predator, which is 3 points on Shara never used on Norra due to PTL and 4 points on Thane)

Edited by ficklegreendice

couple more games today only cemented my opinion (esp r2-d2, literally every game would've seen Norra dead without the little guy)

EU is nice, though I miss VTs greatly it really helps Norra in the late game

couple more games today only cemented my opinion (esp r2-d2, literally every game would've seen Norra dead without the little guy)

EU is nice, though I miss VTs greatly it really helps Norra in the late game

Awesome sig, sir

Despite me wanting and preferring EU, VT seems mechanically superior...

Need more testing

I sorely missed VT shenanigans on braylen and Norra but EU is clutch v large ships (esp when fleeing from the party bus) and keeping norra in the fight

Late game it definitely makes her more useful