A-Wings are pretty much the Alliance equivalent to the RGI: shielded, super fast, maneuverable, and a tiny hit box that makes them very hard to hit. I find myself constantly getting in turning contests with A-Wings, and am willing to sacrifice some speed for the ability to keep them at a distance. I do this by keeping lasers and shields at either increased or maximum rate. I also prefer to choose my shots carefully with fire-linked lasers that probably won't hit anything rather than single-fire spreads that probably won't hit anything, if only to avoid running out of laser power.