I have 41 points to play with and I'm currently flying this version of Norra; PTL, R2D2, Kyle Kartan, Title, VT.

I have been considering these two versions;

1) PTL, R2D2, Ezra, Title, VT.

2) Expertise, R2D2, C3PO, Title.

Which would be the better ship.

Why not using Tail Gunner Crew on your ARC 170, Norra, to reduce 1 agility on enemy ships in your rear firing arc, when you can have 3,4 attack dice for your rear firing arc attack?

Also I would combine your 2 versions into 1 version with:

Wired 1, R2 D2, Title, Experimental Interface with Either Jyn, Lando, or no EI, and instead VT, Lonewolf or PTL with either Rey, or Recon Specialist, or Jan Ors, or C3PO.

Don't like Expertise, Ezra, as too much offense glass cannon, on a fragile 1 agility ship.

Need either Wired for both offense, defense rerolls, and EI to trigger Jyn, Lando for stress to trigger Wired, OR need Lonewolf for offensive, defensive rerolls, OR need PTL, so that can take a focus action that can get 2 focus, if Recon, and turned into a evade if have Jan Ors on Arc, or on another friendly ship, and then after focus action PTL for a TL.

Also if have the SYSTEMS icon, can, should take FCS, fire control systems, giving you a TL, target lock, for free, if attack, giving you good action economy, so that can take a focus action, and then either EI action, or PTL action bar icon action

If I had to pick 1 of the 2 options you listed, I would pick option 2 with PTL instead of Expertise.

If had to take one of the 2 options AS IS, no changes at all, I would flip a coin, because option 1 has PTL action economy to get a TL, and a focus, but has the non defensive Finn, and option 2 has the defensive C3PO, but has the offensive non defensive Expertise. Either way with either option, would have to have Finn, or Expertise which can be not as good on 1 agility semi fragile, semi glass cannon ships, like the Arc 170

Also I like offensive upgrade cards on ships that have good agility, hull, shields, that could use some upgrade on offense.

I like defensive upgrades on ships that are weak defensively, have bad agility.

In other words I like to shore up a ship's weaknesses whether they be offensive or defensive, thru offensive, defensive pilots, upgrade cards, crew upgrade cards, etc, in order to have offensive, defensive balance, so that can both dish out hits, damage, while being able to take, negate hits, damage, so that can survive longer to do more hits, damage.

I have tried out Nora and I am really fond of her. I think she works best with Tailgunner crew if you are flying Biggs or C-3PO if you are not and PTL as the EPT.

You can try out other combos but I find they always come unstuck against certain opponents. Stress spoils Expertise and there is likely to be a lot of that around in the meta to deal with Attanni lists and /x7 Defenders. Ezra and KK look nice on paper but often end up being redundant compared to simply taking a Focus action. KK is OK if you have VTs to grant you an extra action but the problem remains that with Agility 1, Nora is only going to be able to use a second Focus token on 1 in every 4 incoming attacks.

Also another consideration is having too many points, offense on a low agility, semi glass cannon ship.

If put on too many points, too much offense, your opponent will focus fire with 3 ships ganging up on it with 1.5 attacks per ship, with 3,4,5 attack dice per attack, with 1,2,3 ways to reroll, modify to hits, damage, causing your glass cannon to be destroyed in about 1.5,2,2.5 turns unless you find a way to both make your glass cannon more defensive to go with offense.

So lets say you have Expertise 4, R2 D2 4, Ezra 3,4, Title 0,1, VT 2. Thats 12, 13, 14 points added to your glass cannon ship, is about 39 to 43 plus points.

So if can shave points off to use on other ships, then its good to do so.

The way to shave points off is find cheaper ways to do similar, better things.

So lets start with EPT. PTL is better then Expertise, and saves 1 point. But if PTL combined with a 3,4 point Ezra, and 4 point R2 D2, then scrap PTL, Expertise both for Either Lonewolf or Wired, unless go with R5 P9 at 3, then could either keep PTL, or go with LW, Wired.

Next is R2 D2 at 4, if go with R5 P9 at 3, then save another point.

Next is Ezra at 3,4. If go with C3PO at 1,2, that saves another 1,2 points.

So lets say that with LW at 2, R5 P9 at 3, C3PO at 1,2 and VT at 1,2. Thats about 7,8 points, and about 4,5 points cheaper bringing your glass cannon from about 39 to 44 points to about 34,35 to 39,40 points, with 4,5 points going to another ship to make another ship better.

Not only is 4,5 points cheaper but is more defensive with LW, R5 P9, C3PO, and more offensive with LW, VT, thus striking a good, better balance between offense, defense, at cheaper points, and allowing another 1,2 ships to be made better by the 4,5 saved points.

Or could go with Wired 1, R5 P9 3, Jyn 2, VT 2, Experimental Interface(EI), 3

At 1 point cheaper then the original 12 points its now way better, at 1 point cheaper, so that can now go initiative, or maybe now make anothet ship better

Or could go with PTL at 3, R5 P9, at 3, C3PO at 1,2, VT, at 1,2

That would be 8,9 points, better then the original upgrade cards listed, equipped to ship, at a savings of 3,4 points.

I would use your current build but with Tail Gunner instead of Katarn.

3 hours ago, Karhedron said:

I think she works best with Tailgunner crew if you are flying Biggs or C-3PO if you are not and PTL as the EPT.

1 hour ago, John Rainbow said:

I would use your current build but with Tail Gunner instead of Katarn.

What these guys said.

PTL, R2D2, C3PO, Vectored Thrusters is what I landed on. Super-annoying in the endgame.