Printed circuit board assemblies having capabilities for operating under high ampacity conditions are sometimes difficult to fabricate and lack sufficient mechanical robustness for extreme operating environments. Accordingly, printed circuit board assemblies comprise: a non-conductive substrate having a plurality of planar conductive pathways disposed thereon; an electronic component that is in electrical communication with one or more of the planar conductive pathways and is configured to supply an electrical current thereto; a superficial metallic conductor overlaying one or more of the planar conductive pathways, at least in part, the superficial metallic conductor having an electrical connection to the electronic component and also being in electrical communication with the planar conductive pathways; and a conductive element in electrical communication with the superficial metallic conductor, the conductive element being configured to withdraw electrical current from the printed circuit board assembly.