Star Wars Battlefront Beta: How to Play as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader

EA revealed new Missions and Multiplayer Modes for Star Wars: Battlefront! GONK!

This feature will tell you how to play as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in EA’s Star Wars: Battlefront beta. Additionally, we will provide each character’s special attacks so you can make the most of your time destroying the opposition, specifically with Skywalker’s Force Push and Vader’s Force Choke. These attacks operate on a cool down timer, so you can’t use them at will.

Keep in mind not everyone gets to control these characters during a match. First there’s a bit of luck involved, and second (if you know nothing about Star Wars), Luke Skywalker is available for the Rebel Alliance, while Darth Vader leads the Empire. But you already knew that, right? 

Play as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker

If you want to control either Vader or Luke, start off by searching for power-ups. You’ll see these semi-transparent pick-ups scattered throughout a map, and while there are different kinds, the one you should take the most interest in is the Hero Pickup. Grab this and then control your favorite hero or villain.

When you acquire the Hero Pickup, you have a limited amount of time to use it, otherwise it’s lost. On top of that, the Hero Pickup appears at random by design. The developers at DICE did it this way to prevent players from camping spawn locations to gain an unfair advantage. Finally, the Star Wars: Battlefront beta only lets you play as Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader on Hoth, specifically during Walker Assault mode. Based on video’s we’ve seen, they will most likely appear in other locations in the final version of the game. For instance, one of the original cut scenes shows Vader on Endor. 

How to Use Luke Skywalker 

Training with Yoda imbued Luke Skywalker with outstanding agility, letting him quickly zip across the battlefield much quicker than his adversaries. When you gain control of the Jedi master, jump and sprint to dodge attacks while at the same time closing the gap between you and the opposition. Get within striking distance and then call upon one of three abilities. 

• Force Push
• Heavy Attack
• Saber Rush 

Force Push sends enemies flying. It’s good for striking from close range, but you won’t be able to use Luke’s lightsaber. The Heavy Attack, meanwhile, allows you to smash through multiple bad guys at once. Finally, the Saber Rush long-range attack gives you the chance to quickly reach an enemy from afar. 

How to Use Darth Vader 

The Dark Lord of the Sith is fast, but feels noticeably different from his son, Luke. Jumping is key to dodging enemy fire; walk across the battlefield and you won’t control Vader for long. Yes, even Darth Vader is susceptible to blaster fire, but on the positive side, whoever you get close to won’t be alive for long.

• Force Choke
• Heavy Attack
• Saber Throw 

Star Wars fans will be familiar with the Force Choke. Vader will raise an arm and his targeted opponent will rise into the air and die without being physically touched. In fact, you can use Force Choke on multiple enemies at once. Meanwhile, the Heavy Attack is similar to Luke Skywalker’s, and if he and Vader use these at the same time, both characters lock lightsabers in an epic duel. Finally, Vader’s Saber Throw is a powerful long-range attack few will be able to avoid. 

When it comes to special attacks, look for these on the bottom right corner of the screen. You will see each attack’s cool down, which allows you to use them multiple times as Luke or Vader. 

Of course, the Star Wars: Battlefront beta is a small piece of what we can expect when the full game debuts on November 17, 2015.

We’ll have plenty more on Battlefront next month, including character strategies and tips for mastering each map. In the meantime, give your skills a boost with these Battlefront multiplayer tips and strategies to survive on Tatooine against the Imperial horde.