My calculations see it costing an arm and 2 legs.

I've made my peace with it. He's literally the training piece of the expansion, helping newer players learn about force conservation yet being too expensive to be worth it for most people who've learned how to do it.

You are reading that correctly, because FFG's rate of including an oh-so needed fully keyword is about, eh, 40%.

R2D2 is an R2 with an extra charge. I'm sure that's better than the inevitably super-pricey Republic R2-D2 (which has more versatility but less usage) or Resistance R2-D2 (same story). Most of the time, between regen and utility, you'll choose regen. Yes, sometimes I'll use Deuterium Power Cells to yeet an Ion or a Tractor, but it's taken and used almost exclusively for regen. The only reason why we'll see more R2-D2 than R2 in Republic as opposed to the norm of the budget R2 more than R2-D2 is because the modless Eta 2 has 0 shields. R2-D2 can fix cards (which incidentally makes him a worse choice for Delta 7B if you're into running Republic point fortresses).

Against most chassis, the system-phase reposition is effectively Supernatural Reflexes. But against something that can reposition and turn its turret for only the cost of -1 agility, that doesn't seem too terrifying. Blocking is made slightly harder, but with 6 ships to block with, it's not that difficult. Especially if the cost for failing to block is getting a dandy turret shot off.

Shaak Ti seems a healthy way of introducing Advanced Optics (1st edition) into the game. You need to range control and spend force for it (and with the ability queue, you are hard-capped at 2, regardless how much Yoda you have in your squad). But it still offers some flexibility in alpha-striking with munitions or just freeing up your Jedi Generals' actions. It's like an alternate Delta-7 Obi, and I like that. Now for a hot take: Eta-2 Obi > Eta-2 Anakin.

OK, so 2 force generics are awesome, but I don't think that extra mods on a flimsy chassis beats 6 flimsy but hard-hitting chassis' with turrets. Maybe after the re-costing.

F. Also throws the Luke idea out as it is his config that has boost on one side. No native boost.

Extreme Maneuvers don't specify how the boost happened.... Extreme Afterburner Vader? Extreme Kylo on a red boost? An Extreme Luke dramatically changing trajectory off a coordinate?

So 1 agi is where it is most useful but most expensive. I don't know where to put it for 1 agi at all. Maybe Sinker? But why bother with Sinker anymore when there is the LAAT? It seems decent on Malarus, especially in the 3 Silencer build. Make those rerolls stay and trigger Fanatical sooner! My only problem with that is Terrex is the best crew with them and accidentally jamming your possible reinforce away isn't fun. Sure, opening lock fixes that, but what about the 2nd self-jam? Maybe I'm not leveraging it fully. I've unironically considered it with a shield upgraded Kyle Katarn, but since Kyle has only 2 turns of purely passive support (unlike Malarus' completely passive Howlrunner effect), I couldn't bring myself to do it.

@Chumbalaya I still love X-Wing. Though I've become far more zen about it considering how all the big events are proxies and FFG ****** costing up so hard that it is comically predictable as to a certain faction's cut rate and which list will win. Here's to hoping that that one time where they had to drop by and tell us to stop the collective dumpster fire they took a look as to what the dumpster fire was about. That being said, I'll take part in Ryloth if not for the lack of events available/I can make. Was Grinching about X-Wing really a form of expressing love for its original concept, such that when X-Wing was allowed to perish to the most unprecedented costing cock-up that said inner love for what X-Wing was supposed to be expressed itself in an embrace of the wholesomeness that is Squadrons? I wouldn't know, haven't played it myself.

Well, the Hangar 19 Store Championship was canceled, all for the best, given the growing concerns of COVID-19. Watch me flail about like a noob in a casual tourney to play with some physical ships this weekend. https://hoarderofgarlicbread.wordpress.com/2020/03/15/jump-to-hyperspace-wrong-coordinates/