I bought the ARC-170 because the model looks awesome but didn't think it would be that great. But I just kicked some serious ass with it.

Norra Wexleys

-PTL

-R2D2

-Vectored Thrusters

-C3P0

-Alliance Overhaul

Since she can shoot backwards she never needs to turn around so she can do greens every turn to regain a shield and she sheds the stress from PTL. C3P0 helps keep her alive a lot longer too. Norra's ability with PTL is just the icing on the cake to give her some serious firepower.

Anyways, love the model and love the flexibility of having an astromech and crew on a ship. Great addition to the family

It looks a bit expensive

I have to say I have become a huge fan of the tail gunner, and actually rate it higher than 3po for the arc.

Although that build does have some crazy damage mitigation on there;

guess zero with c-3po, spend target lock on defense for a focus result, guarantee 2 evade with an option on 3, then regen a shield next turn if you even lost one.

That Norra build is a tank.

I run that exact same Nora save for one small change:

Norra Wexleys
-PTL
-R2D2
-Vectored Thrusters
-Ezra
-Alliance Overhaul

More violent, less tanky.

Ficklegreendice will speak highly of tailgunner for good reason - hitting an interceptor or evading defender, without messing with green dice is hard.

C3PO does make Norra silly hard to hurt, though.

The other one I've been wanting to try based of recommendations on the forum is bb8 and nien numb for maximum hooning potential.

that is the funny thing about ARCs, though

I also bought two literally because the model was so hypothetically beautiful; their on-table effectiveness was a welcome and incredible surprise

but yes, tailgunner is best crew if you want to do any damage with your 40+ point ship

It looks a bit expensive

Yeah, it is for sure. I had a credit at my LGS though so I was able to pick up a second one for 5 bucks! Winning.

2 dice out the rear arc without tailgunner is not considered serious firepower. With c3po and r2d2 the ship has some staying power but with 1 AGI will just melt against any focus fire.

Nora

-PTL
-R2 unit
-Vectored Thrusters
-Nien Numb
-Alliance Overhaul

Very fast, not too pricey. Sub Tail Gunner for Numb for more damage.

2 dice out the rear arc without tailgunner is not considered serious firepower. With c3po and r2d2 the ship has some staying power but with 1 AGI will just melt against any focus fire.

All of this is true

Hence, Biggs

I run that exact same Nora save for one small change:

Norra Wexleys

-PTL

-R2D2

-Vectored Thrusters

-Ezra

-Alliance Overhaul

More violent, less tanky.

As much as I like Ezra, you spend most of your time firing from the rear arc where you get eye-to-crit for free. Sure, you might always roll 2 eyes but what are the chances with 2 dice? About 6%? And you have focus much of the time anyway. Tail gunner is not only cheaper but it actually lets you hit defenders and stuff with that 2 dice attack.

It looks a bit expensive

Yeah, it is for sure. I had a credit at my LGS though so I was able to pick up a second one for 5 bucks! Winning.

I think he was meaning the cost for the ship in terms of squad building not monitarly.

40 points for a small ship is pricy. It can work, but will need a strong squad build with the remaining points. Blockers and/or Biggs....

40 is actually about cheap/average for Regen

Between 38 poe r2d2 thruster poe or c3po fly Miranda, and 42 point vi r2d2 fcs horn

Lowest ps but easiest time of using r2d2 with six greens and an aux arc to keep firing. Also does more damage than all of them outside the one turn horn doubletaps

In our group we fly 40-point furballs a lot, so it works pretty well for us.

I flew Nora with Tail Gunner, R2-D2, Alliance Overhaul, PtL and Vectored Thrusters yesterday, and took down a trailing Keyan Farlander fairly easily. I was able to barrel roll out of his arc a couple times, and the tail gun gun took him apart piece by piece.

Of course, he shouldn't have kep trying to follow me, but I can't help that, right?

I came second in a local tournament with Biggs, Miranda and Nora yesterday. The Arc was an absolute star, and the list only came up short against the UK National champs running double K-wings.

If they're played well, Slamming Ks can make a bit of a joke of the Arc, as I found out. Nora wants to engage, drift on by, and dominate the engagement with her rear arc. Bu of course the Ks can simply refuse the engagement if they choose, leaving lovely explody presents as they do so. I suspect that as people get used to facing small-base rear arcs, the ship might not be quite as punchy as it is now...

But boy, Nora is a great pilot. I ran her R2, Tail gunner, PTL, but skimped on VT to give Miranda HM, LRS & EM.

I've said this a couple of times but I'l say it again. Switch R2-D2 and VT for BB-8 and EU. Surprisingly good arc dodger. May not be as good as the OP combo but still pretty fun.

"May not be as good" is a bit of a misnomer

"Is not as good" is more accurate

Simple fact is you can arcdodge all day, but there are some ships you simply can't dodge and dice will never care how good you are at this game (since they're dice)

R2d2 makes norra viable

I have played the vt bb8 ptl Nora and it's fun, but at ps 7 she is not a full arc dodger, so she has problems vs anything with initiative or a higher ps (old teroch murders her) unfortunately she needs r2 d2 to keep her alive

Having said that I plan to use shara bey with m9 p8, weapon engineer because messing with my opponents dice while having other ships able to use those target locks as needed seems fun (not the most competitive though)

Those sexy sexy wingspans...

http://s1152.photobucket.com/user/Tbot2/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20161002_160328_zps5bdeuerl.jpg.html

don't cross the spans!

Ugh why is posting pictures so hard from a phone