Which do you all think is more effective for keeping Biggs alive a few extra turns? R2D2 or R2F2. For more fun, consider R2D2 + Shield Upgrade vs. R2F2 + Stealth Device.

Lets assume that Biggs is in the tank role, so if you factor in that he loses his action to use R2F2 he is mostly only losing a defensive focus, as he wouldn't be using target locks and will rarely want to use his focus on an attack.

Originally, I was using R2D2 + Shield, but now I am thinking that if I am facing squads where I am taking multiple attacks per round, I am thinking R2F2 + Stealth might be better. I see it that R2D2 replaces at most one hit per turn (in the form of a shield) whereas an extra 2 dice (or 1 after the stealth wears off) has the potential to negate multiple hits if you are attacked 4-5 times per round.

Any experience or thoughts out there?

I think R2D2 is great on a pilot who may take a shot or 2 and still be able to live through the round to do a green maneuver. But Biggs is usually the focus of multiple guns, so he isn't going to make it through a round or 2 against an experienced player. If 4 or 5 ties line up shots on him, maybe at range 1 or with howlrunner re-rolls, Biggs is going down and you wasted 4 points for Artoo. So i would lean towards the extra agility, plus keep him in the back of the fighters he is trying to protect. If you can get Wedge and your rookie at range 1-2 and keep biggs at range 2-3 with R2F2 and stealth (at least on the initial pass), you are rolling 4-5 defense dice. Not too bad and gives him a chance to survive a couple rounds. Plus it puts the ships that can't be targeted at range 1-2 and able to really cause some damage.

Usually if I see my opponent is using Artoo, I don't bother shooing at him until I'm ready to focus all my guns on him, unless of course i don't have a shot on any other ship.

I don't have any personal experience playing as i mostly play IMP, but if you had Biggs /w F2 and Stealth on the board, with say Garvis in front of him constantly passing Focus tokens Biggs's way...i would get annoyed. Especially if you were at Range 3.

2 + F2 + Stealth + range = 5 defense dice against my meager 2 attack...yeah that would frustrate me.

R2-F2 all day long. The combo on Biggs is great. It is even better if he is getting a focus from somewhere or two wheres.

Ditto for R2F2, he can be frustrating.

the key is factor is... R2F2 requires an action. so as mentioned here already, so u dont get to use focus for defense unless u r getting a focus for free from somewhere else.

R2D2 with shield upgrade is perhaps the best way to make an x-wing more durable. im not sold on stealth device on biggs. ive tried it in combination with R2F2 and found it a little underwhelming (because u cant focus fire or focus defend) but i can see why others still use it.

Luke with R2D2 + shield upgrade is pretty beefy defense and ive had success with this.

Ive also tested Wedge+R2F2+Push The Limit as a way to get focus+R2F2 going together is the same turn... its decent but sadly it hobbles Wedge with stress, slowing him up alot and limiting his movement options alot to shred the stress.

the key is factor is... R2F2 requires an action.

You're right, that is a key factor. But Biggs is likely to be shot at multiple times in a round, and F2s action will work every time. A focus will only help biggs on 1 defensive role. So usually i would say leave F2 at home, but if the purpose of having Biggs in your list is to force multiple enemy ships to shoot at him (is there any other reason anybody takes Biggs?), that extra agility will help every defensive roll and therefore help Biggs to stay alive a little longer.

If you can deploy in a way that avoids having the entire enemy force shooting at biggs, than i agree that Artoo may be the better way to go. A split deployment with tempting targets on each end of the board so that your opponent has to choose which one to pursue or split their forces might work best. But it is hard to make 2 really tempting targets in 100 point list and stll have enough left over for Biggs.

R2F2 is better, but don't waste the points on a Stealth Device for him. He WILL be losing that stealth device in the first combat round, so you won't get your money's worth by having a Stealth Device go away very quickly. It's better to spend those points on something else. A 28 point Biggs is far easier to swallow when he dies than a 31 point Biggs, and he will die first, that's his job. Many people won't even spend the points for R2F2 and just run Biggs without any upgrades.

But for the topic of this thread, R2F2 is better because he mitigates damage from all attacks, not just a single damage from a single attack, like R2D2 does.