Now that you’ve mastered basic combat and Force powers, you must learn how to put it all together into a solid fighting repertoire. This chapter details advanced combat tactics. After all, what good is knowing a combo if you’re using it at the wrong time or against the wrong enemy?
Jedi Skills
Whenever you encounter more than one enemy, you must first decide which enemy to attack first. While there are several different approaches for this, the answer will almost always change from encounter to encounter. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a good rule of thumb to follow when ambushed by large groups.
Whenever you approach a group of enemies, always take out the biggest threat first. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the biggest enemy is the biggest threat.
If you are in a large room with a war droid but several scout troopers have you pinned from afar, you will have a harder time defeating the war droid near you because of the scout troopers’ precision.
They are the bigger threat. By that same token, if you find yourself in a small room with a large enemy like a terror giant, then there will be nowhere to run from its attacks; therefore, take it out first, leaving other enemies like terror troopers for last.
Always Create Elbow Room
You will rarely face enemies one-on-one, so don’t allow yourself to get surrounded. If you do, you can easily find yourself on the ground with little chance of getting up. Your foes are fierce, so if they knock you down, you risk being knocked down again when trying to rise.
To keep from getting surrounded, use Force Repulse to create some breathing room or use Dash to bully through enemies. Once you’ve made some room, use wide-sweeping attacks or use Force Push to keep enemies at a distance.
Watch for Projectiles
Be mindful of scout troopers and AT-MPs; they can pick you off from afar and keep you grounded. These foes can often be your most dangerous enemies; not because they are extremely powerful or because they inflict major damage—though AT-MPs typically do—but because they can knock you off your feet and keep you on the floor.
Once you’re off your feet, other nearby enemies can pounce and capitalize on their comrade’s precision shooting. If possible, always eliminate enemies with projectiles first (they are often the biggest threat).
Match the Attack to the Enemy
Not all enemies are created equal. While some will go down with a simple saber combo, others require more persuasive means to dispatch. For example, riot troopers are resistant to saber combos but are weak against Force powers. Similarly, Sith acolytes are resistant to Force powers but are weak against saber combos.
If you don’t use the right attacks against enemies, you’ll merely tread water in combat. The trick to staying alive is to dispatch enemies as quickly as possible; the best way to do so is to always match the attack to the enemy.
Make Friends
There is safety in numbers. Whether you like it or not, you may sometimes need a helping hand in combat. Recruit your enemies with Mind Trick and turn them into allies. Whenever you encounter a group of mixed enemies—for example, riot troopers, guards, and stormtroopers—use Mind Trick to turn the more powerful enemies into allies.
Not only will you eliminate the strongest enemy in the group (by aligning them with you), but also you’ll turn them on their own comrades.
There Is Power in Power Crystals
There’s no use collecting all of the power crystals if you don’t use them. Each one has its own special effect that can make the difference in a fight...when equipped. Try mixing and matching power-crystal combinations to find a desired effect that suits your combat style.
If you prefer to rely mostly on lightsaber combat, then equip in your primary lightsaber a power crystal that augments lightsaber damage. If Force Lightning is your best weapon, then equip in your primary lightsaber a power crystal that increases Lightning damage. For more information on power-crystal effects, see the following table.
Wii Power Crystals
| Power Crystal | Effect | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Ilum | None | Replace this crystal as soon as you acquire a new one. |
| Rubat | Increases damage with the lightsaber | Equip this if you prefer to use lightsaber combat more than Force powers. |
| Lorrdian | Improves accuracy for Force-reflected projectiles | This crystal is great for defensive fighters. |
| Opila | Execute more powerful Saber Throws | If you like to attack enemies from afar, this crystal is for you. |
| Kaiburr | Force Push and Force Repulse will intensify, causing damage increase | Equip this crystal if you prefer to frequently use Force powers such as Force Repulse, Force Push, and other destructive Force powers. |
| Velmorite | Increases rate at which the Combo meter builds up | This is one of the most useful crystals in the game. Equip it to gain a hearty advantage by always having a Lightsaber Special in your pocket. |
| Sigil | Deal more damage with Force Lightning | Like the Opila crystal, this is best suited for fighters who like to keep enemies at a distance. It is also best for fighters who aren’t afraid of taking on multiple enemies at once. |
| Katak | Lightsaber attacks drain a portion of an enemy’s health and apply it to yours. | When equipped, this crystal is great for keeping you healthy and keeping enemies at a disadvantage. |
| Mephite | Increases the rate at which the user earns Force Rage | This is one of the most useful power crystals in the game. Equip it to give you an instant edge against nearly every enemy in the game. It will grant you more one-hit-kill opportunities. |
| Bondar | Deal more punishing blows, occasionally breaking an opponent’s block or knocking them down | Equip this crystal if you rely heavily on lightsaber combat. |
| Qixoni | Enables the user to regenerate Force Energy at a faster rate | Equip this crystal if you rely on Force powers more than lightsaber combat. |
| Ruusan | Allows wielder to better focus the Force; all Force powers cost less Force Energy. | Equip this crystal if you rely on Force powers more than lightsaber combat. |
Xbox 360/PS3 Power Crystals
| Power Crystal | Effect | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson | None | Replace this crystal as soon as you acquire a new one. |
| Chaos | Gain extra Force points for destroying your environment | Equip this crystal if you prefer to frequently use Force Repulse, Force Push, and other destructive Force powers. |
| Meditation | Replenishes your Force Energy with each strike | This crystal is best if you rely on Force power attacks before launching into lightsaber combos. |
| Fury | Increases your Force Fury meter with each enemy defeated | This is one of the most useful power crystals in the game. Equip it to give instant edge against nearly every enemy in the game. It wiill grant you more one-hit-kill oppertunities. |
| Protection | Increases your defensive skills | If you're a reckless fighter who likes to rush into combat, equip this crystal to give you a defensive edge. |
| Healing | Gain extra health when defeating your enemies | This crystal is extremely useful. It complements nearly every other crystal combination. |
| Corrosion | Grants a chance to do corrosive damage to your enemies | This crystal is useful when you know you're going to face large enemies with lots of health |
| Life Drain | Grants a chance to drain your enemies' health | When equiped with the Healing cryatal, this is a powerful life-sustaining crystal combination |
| Focus | Your Force powers consume less energy | If you rely heavily on Force powers, this is a great crystal to keep you from running on empty. |
| Regeneration | Improves your health regeneration | Like the other two crystal that affect health, this one is best used to keep your health replenished at a better rate. This is especially useful when playing at a higher difficulty setting. |
| Wisdom | Gain extra Force points when defeating your enemies | This crystal is helpful in maximizing your Force power upgrades. Equip it to gain extra Force points, then apply those points toward upgrades. |
| Incineration | Grants a chance to set your enemies on fire | Liek the corrosion crystal, this helps cause damage over time. |
| Shock | Grants a chance to deal additional Lightning damage | This crystal is hekpful in stunning enemies such as riot troopers, acolytes, and AT-MPs with lightsaber strikes. |
| Disintergration | Grnats a chance to disintergrate your enemies | Equipping this crystal grants you the oppertunity to dish out one-hit-kill attacks. |
Retreat and Recover
There is no shame in backing off to regain health. You will not always have the upper hand in battle and will often find yourself on the wrong end of an ambush. When you do, back away from the battle to allow your health to regenerate.
The key to this is finding a safe place to retreat to. When you see that your health is about to deplete, Force Dash to an area with no enemies and wait for your health to replenish before returning to combat.
Be Mindful of the Force
This bit of Jedi wisdom is as old as Master Yoda himself, probably older. Always be mindful of your Force Energy. Even if you don’t rely heavily on your Force powers, your Force Energy will still deplete. Keep an eye on it as you fight to make sure that you always have enough Force Energy to dash away or use Force Repulse in a last-ditch effort to escape. The last thing you want in battle is to run out of Force Energy when you need it most.
Safety over Style
When it comes to your safety, there’s no room for style. So if you find yourself in a predicament, rather than go for extra experience points by stringing together a creative combo, go straight for the easy way out with something simple and quick.
Use Force Push or Force Repulse to quickly eliminate enemies to get yourself out of danger quickly instead of going for the extra Force points. Flourish has its place, but not in a life-or-death situation.
Be Mindful of Your Environment
Just as you must be mindful of the Force, you must also be mindful of the area around you. Use the space as a defensive measure: for example, utilize walls, obstacles, and other things in the environment as barriers between you and your opponent, or use them as safe havens to escape into and recover health.
The environment can also be a weapon or provide weapons. Look around whenever you enter a new area; you can frequently find objects to use as projectiles or can find environmental hazards to throw enemies into.
Let Force Vision Guide You (Wii Only)
Force Vision isn’t just useful for picking door locks and spotting cloaked terror troopers. You can also use it to locate hidden items such as holocrons, bacta tanks, and saber crystals through walls and other barriers!
Aside from items, you can also spot other enemies through walls and barriers. This is especially handy when you’re traversing a new area, exploring winding hallways, and keeping an eye out for ambushes.
Upgrade Your Powers
Just like you must make use of your power crystals, you must also make use of your experience points. As you defeat enemies and gain experience points, you can upgrade your Force powers. While you don’t have to upgrade all Force powers, always upgrade the ones you rely on the most.
They’re as integral a part of your fighting repertoire as your lightsabers. If you make heavy use of Force Lightning, upgrade that Force power to make you a more efficient wielder of it.