Tips for XvT/BoP
Strategy & Tactics
by Scott
(A'Kula) Schimmels
A Tactical Officer's thoughts
on Star Wars Online Gaming
In addition to my column(s) about giving some new life to X-Wing vs TIE Fighter (XvT) and the Balance of Power (BoP) expansion CD (via the OPTs), I wanted to give some of my hard-won insight into playing either game intelligently. The only way to do this is to understand some strategy and tactics inherent to XvT and BoP. FourSpeed gave an excellent discussion on dogfighting tactics, so I won't discuss that information with much detail. Instead, I'd like to center on understanding XvT and BoP in a greater detail. There are several areas of these fun and exciting games to learn, and the best place to start is with fighters you'll be flying.
Starfighter Analysis:
Knowing the characteristics and value of individual starfighters can improve your performance in each training or combat mission, and eventually over battles and campaigns. This section analyzes each playable starfighter in depth. At the end of this section, I'll give my personal ranking of these starfighters, from those that are player killers to those that kill players.
Rebel Fighters:
X-Wing
Many players favor the X-Wing over all the other Rebel craft because of its featured role in the movies and because it was the best craft in the original Lucasarts game, X-Wing. In XvT, however, the X-Wing is only an above-average starfighter.
The most noticeable feature of the X-Wing is its firepower. Four lasers provide it with a good deal of punch, allowing it to take out the toughest Imperial fighters faster than its fellow interceptor, the A-Wing. One of the best matchups for the X-Wing is against an Assault Gunboat since it can frequently hit it with all four lasers at the same time, dispatching the imperial fighter quickly and efficiently. The X-Wing's firepower also makes it a decent matchup against TIE Advanced since the TIE Advanced has a target area large enough to be hit by four lasers.
The greatest advantage of the X-Wing is that its four turbo laser banks provide a large energy source to dump into shields. Its ability to recharge its shields quickly increases its survivability in combat. This is in contrast with the A-Wing, which struggles to recharge its shields in all combat situations.
The X-Wing is rather average in all other areas. It has good speed when it needs it, capable of going to 150 kps, which is adequate in rushing to time-critical situations. Its tough shields, combined with its fast shield recharge rates, are among the best for interceptors. The major problem with the X-wing, however, is in the area of maneuverability. The X-wing has slightly better than average maneuverability when judged against its fellow Rebel craft. Unfortunately, when compared to other interceptors, particularly the Imperial ones, the manuevarabilty of the X-Wing is poor. TIE Interceptors eat X-Wings alive in turning battles. Even TIE Fighters can get a kill off an X-wing in such situations. For this reason, it is a good idea for X-wing pilots to choose flares over chaff as their countermeasure of choice. Note: countermeasures are discussed in detail later in this article.
One surprising weakness of the X-Wing, which I feel puts the fighter squarely in the average category, is its small missile load. Strangely, an A-Wing can carry more missiles than an X-Wing can. If I were balancing these fighters, I would have given the X-Wing the capability of handling 8 torpedos and A-Wings 6. As it is, A-Wings carry as many torpedoes as a Y-Wing (10) and X-Wings are stuck with 6. This lack of warheads put X-Wings at a disadvantage in bombing missions. X-Wings typically have to depend on their lasers to finish off larger opponents, rather than warheads. Their miserly complement of concussion missiles puts them at a disadvantage in the interceptor role as well.
Overall, the X-Wing is a decent interceptor. Its four lasers make it great against large fighter craft like Assault Gunboats, and smaller capital ships like Corvettes. If you can work together as a team, keeping enemy fighters off each other's backs, you can minimize the X-Wing's maneuverability problems. If only the X-Wing had a larger missile load, it might have been the best fighter against medium sized craft like ATR's. As it is, X-Wings are above-average.
Z-95
It isn't fair to expect much from a relic of the Clone Wars. Z-95's are considered fighters of last resort for the Rebellion, used only in low-tech areas and in desparate situations. Obviously, Z-95's aren't gonna blow your socks off with their features, but if you give the craft a chance, there is a serviceable fighter to be found here.
The friend of the Z-95 pilot is the fighter's maneuverability which is slightly better than that of an X-Wing. It also has descent speed, matching the speed of an X-Wing. This fighter might not be the ultimate in agility, but you take what you can get in the Z-95. The reason you need this agility so desparately is that the craft's shields are so pathetic. It's a wonder they even bothered to add shields to the craft considering how little it adds to its defenses. Nevertheless, it does have shields, and that's more than you can say for a TIE Fighter, its main prey.
Z-95's aren't big on firepower either. With a measly two lasers, it will take a while killing an Assault Gunboat. Considering it goes up against mostly unshielded craft, however, it's not that big of a problem. An annoying thing about the Z-95 is its laser placement. Its lasers are placed too wide to hit TIE Fighters with both of them. With two lasers banks, Z-95's find it difficult to recharge their shields. Of course, you might dispute the need to recharge them at all when they give so little protection. Z-95's carry few warheads, particularly of the concussion variety. Their warhead capacity improves, however, when dealing with rockets and space bombs. This contributes to their use as crude bombers since they have the speed to make quick bombing strikes and maneuverability to avoid getting completely pounded by enemy fighters.
Overall, most Rebel pilots wouldn't be caught dead in a Z-95. X-Wings outclass these starships. There are worse craft to be in, however. Just think, you could be stuck in a Y-Wing!
Y-Wing
Now we know why only one Y-Wing survived the Battle of Yavin. The A-Wing does a better job of bombing than this pathetic excuse for a bomber (which tells me that Totally Games and LucasArts might have made a mistake in designing the Y-Wing). A word of warning to Y-Wing pilots: keep your finger on the eject button!
The Y-Wing is a starfighter with few positives. Probably the best thing you can say about it is that it has nice laser placement so you can kill a TIE Fighter in one hit. Other nicities include shields about 1.5 times the power of an X-Wing, ion cannons and a large missile payload. Of course, this is where the positives end.
Y-Wings are the biggest sitting ducks in XvT. They are the least maneuverable starfighter in the game, which is why they can only survive with either X-Wing or A-Wing escorts. They are so unmaneuverable that they are often too slow to turn and shoot down a missile. You can forget about any kind of turning war in this ship. Its molasses-like speed, and its tendency to "stay on target", make it the easiest Rebel kill in the game. The Y-Wing's large size doesn't help matters: Y-Wings are difficult targets to miss. In short, if there was ever a starfighter the pitiful TIE Fighter could feel comftorable in engaging with a reasonable survival rate, it is the Y-Wing.
Y-Wing strategy is really rather simple. Fly in a straight line as fast as you can. Get to your target and unleash your warheads. Shoot your lasers and ion cannons at the target until you die. Attempting to avoid capital ship fire, by the way, is a useless gesture in a Y-Wing. Your ship is so easy to hit that no amount of juking will save you from being pounded. Get in less than 1 click of a frigate and you can kiss yourself goodbye. Same rule applies for enemy starfighters. If you have a fighter on your back, just hope your shields hold out until you can release your ordnance load. Don't put to much faith in your shields either; they may be strong but they won't save you from the incessant pounding you will receive in this fighter. "Divine Wind" is usually the most effective strategy with Y-Wings.
Sometimes I wonder which crappy Rebel fighter I would rather be in, a Y-Wing or a Z-95. Then I come to my senses and choose the Z-95.
A-Wing
A-Wings are the best interceptors in the Rebel fleet. They are the only Rebel fighters in which you can engage in a turning war with an Imperial interceptor and hope to win. If you want to survive in a battle, choosing an A-Wing is probably your best bet.
A-Wings have a number of qualities that separate these craft from the rest of the Rebel fleet. First of all, they possess blinding speed. Their speed, combined with their maneuverability and small profile, makes them the most difficult Rebel craft to hit. The only negative that the A-Wing has in the interceptor role is that the TIE Interceptor can out turn it in a dogfight, but having shields balances this disadvantage.
Special mention needs to be given to the A-Wings missile load, which is exceptionally large for such a small craft. The A-Wing carries the same amount of missiles as a Y-Wing. Combining speed and agility with a huge missile load, the A-Wing is the craft of choice when employing dumbfire missile tactics. It also makes the craft a surprisingly good bomber. With its speed, it can outrun starfighter defenses and deliver a large load of rockets and torpedoes on capital ships. Its speed usually ensures that it can approach close to capital ships and survive. The A-Wing becomes a weak bomber, however, when its bombs run out because its low firepower and slow recharge rate makes it an ineffective strafer. Considering the weaknesses of the Y-Wing and the small ordnance load of the X-Wing, it's not surprising that many players use the A-Wing as their bomber of choice.
Some point to the A-Wing's shields as its main weakness. I disagree with this because it is not survivability that is the A-Wing's problem. Its main disadvantage is its low firepower and small power source. With only two laser banks, it is difficult to recharge the A-Wing's shield in combat situations. Typically, A-Wing pilots have to deal with slowly degenerating shields and frequent episodes where they are forced to use low powered lasers. With just two lasers, being forced to use low powered lasers simply makes the firepower problem worse. X-wings work well with A-Wings because they can account for the A-wing's lack of firepower while the A-Wing engages the more maneuverable Imperial interceptors. This is my favorite co-op duo, one player flies an X-Wing, the other the A-Wing. We can decimate a squadron of TIE Interceptors and TIE Bombers in a matter of minutes with this tandem.
The A-Wing is a truly exceptional package of speed, agility and a large warhead payload. Combine these features with a high survivability rate and you have what I feel is the best fighter in the Rebel fleet.
B-Wing
Ahhhh...now this is a bomber! The B-Wings are the bane of all Imperial capital ships. This starfighter, loaded with 8 rockets, could terrorize a Star Destroyer or annhilate a Frigate, and has on several occasions. If ever an Imperial capital ship's starfighter defenses are eliminated, woe to it when the B-Wings start their bombing run.
B-Wings are easily the best bombing starfighters in the game. They are fast enough to avoid some capital ship fire. They are tough enough to take fire while delivering their own punishment. They have the missile load to take down the shields of capital ships. B-Wings also have an incredible amount of firepower to bring to bear on capital ships. Some people think that by only being allowed to shoot 3 lasers at a time, the B-Wing has less firepower than the X-Wing, but this assumption couldn't be more wrong. By rapidly pressing the W key, switching between ion cannons and lasers, you can nearly double the B-Wing's fire rate, making it as if it were firing 6 lasers at a time (this trick only works when you have expended your ordnance and also note that it works with Y-Wings and Gunboats as well). Their ion cannons allow them to disable capital ships faster than starfighters with just lasers. One of the greatest advantages of the B-Wing is its massive power plant which allow it to dump a full six banks of energy into its shields. Of course, the B-Wing has a lot of shield to recharge, so you won't see a huge percentage gain when dumping laser energy.
The major problem with the B-Wing is that it is simply a pig when it comes to turning. Its speed and maneuverability are an improvement over the Y-Wing, but you aren't going to see a B-Wing winning any turning wars or outrunning starfighters. This is why you never want to send a flight of B-Wings out on their own. One TIE Interceptor could destroy them before they even closed with their target (usually and ISD, FRG, STKC or DREAD). At least the B-Wing isn't completely crippled by the problem unlike the Y-Wing. B-Wings are agile enough to shoot down enemy missiles and they have enough speed and shield strength to make killing them a long term project for any Imperial interceptor. B-Wings can be quite devastating against starfighters if ignored by the enemy. Using the weapon switching trick described above, B-Wing can make mince-meat out of a fighter with shocking speed.
For you Imperials out there, never ever front a B-Wing. B-Wings are the best starfighter at head on closing situations in the game. One of the strange negatives of the B-Wing is that its lasers are placed in a weird positioning scheme that makes it impossible to hit the smaller starfighters. The trick is to use the B-Wing's ion cannons when you are still carrying ordnance and are performing anti-starfighter tasks. The ion canons are positioned fine, and in an ironic twist, are actually more efficient than lasers in taking out unshielded craft like TIE Interceptors and TIE Bombers.
The B-Wing is the better overall starfighter than the X-Wing. The difference between it and a Y-wing is more significant than the difference between a X-Wing and a Z-95. It excels in its bombing role while being mediocre in the interceptor role. The X-Wing, on the other hand, is only above average in the interceptor role while being mediocre in the bomber role. The B-Wing and the A-Wing are the best starfighters the Rebellion has to offer.
Imperial Fighters:
TIE Fighter
(Eyeball)
Imperial pilots must be extremely brave or very "compelled" to get in a TIE Fighter (Eyeball), because that's what it takes to pilot the "flying coffin." Flying a TIE Fighter isn't exactly the thing to do if you want to live a long and fruitful life.
In a craft that can take a grand total of two laser hits before being destroyed, there must be something a would be TIE Fighter (Eyeball) pilot can do to survive. TIE Fighters are not without some positive characteristics which pilots who aren't ready to die yet can take advantage of. They are good in turning battles and their fire rate seems to be faster than any other starfighter. The profile of the TIE Fighter is also very difficult to hit with lasers. The desperate TIE Fighter pilot should be a master at juking, rolling, and weaving. You must take advantage of the craft's agility and small profile for any chance of surviving the mission. Pilots should also be skilled at avoiding the initial pass of starfighters so that they can engage them in a turning battle. As a TIE Fighter, your only hope for survival lies in engaging craft from behind that are otherwise distracted (being a TIE Fighter tends to get you ignored anyway) or to get the enemy craft in a turning war. The other popular technique for survival is to engage only Y-Wings and Z-95's, the dregs of the Rebel fleet.
In addition to its spectacular fragility, Eyeballs have a host of other ills to add to the unfortunate pilots' problems. For a pure interceptor, the TIE Fighter isn't particularly speedy. With only two lasers, TIE Fighters will take a while to kill Y-Wings. When they even bother to give you missiles, the amount you receive is paltry. Another annoying problem of the TIE Fighter is that its laser recharge rate can't keep up with its fire rate, frequently leaving you with low charged lasers.
Eyeballs are strictly limited to their primary role as an anti-starfighter, a role which they aren't particularly good at. Any craft that have independently aiming turrets are strictly off limits to TIE Fighters, which really hurts when you consider that many medium craft like shuttles possess such turrets. The small missile load of the TIE Fighter insures that you won't be seeing them launching any missile attacks against non-starfighters.
An assignment to a Eyeball probably means your commanding officer doesn't like you very much. If you want to experience the thrill of being in a TIE starfighter, constantly under threat for your very life, choose a TIE Interceptor; a craft with strengths that a pilot can really take advantage of. TIE Fighters are only good for interception duties against Y-Wings and Z-95's.
TIE Bomber
(Dupe)
The TIE Bomber (Dupe) continues the XvT tradition of pathetic bombers. Never has there been a craft with more bizarrely mismatched strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, the TIE Bomber is really nothing more than an ordnance carrier. It is intended to make up for the inability of TIE Fighters and TIE Interceptors to carry significant ordnance loads.
The TIE Bomber is a hard craft to figure out. First of all, one wonders what you do with a bomber without shields. Sure, it's tougher than your average TIE, but the ability to take six laser hits isn't gonna keep you alive for long. Apparently on bombing missions, you are supposed to release your ordnance and that's it. Strafing runs are out of the question.
Now we come to the weirdest thing about Dupes. These craft are surprisingly maneuvarable and can do quite well in a turning battle. Strangely, Imperial designers decided to match this agility with the most pitiful speed of any starfighter. So, we have a cow that can turn pretty quick. I guess at least now you can face your own killer before getting shot down! With only two laser cannons, the TIE Bomber does little to take advantage of its agility. Even so, the TIE Bomber does possess an advantage over Y-Wings and X-Wings in turning situations.
The best thing you can say about Dupes is that they finally give you the ability to carry a sizable load of concussion missiles. Missiles are what give a TIE Bomber meaning, and here they show their worth by having a turning rate that allows them to lock on to most enemy starfighters (something which Y-Wings are incapable of doing). Unfortunately, they lack the ordnance load to do much damage to capital ships individually. Apparently, the Empire has limits on putting too many missiles on a starfighter with limited life span.
Most of the time, Dupes are stuck with flying "stay on target" missions. In these missions, your main defense is in numbers and your ability to bob and weave to make it more time consuming for Rebels to shoot you down. Of course, with the amazing speed of the TIE Bomber, there will be no shortage of Rebel fighters on your tail. With no speed and no shields, TIE Bombers pilots will die, and die often. Only the pilots capable of using the Bomber's agility effectively have a chance at survival.
The TIE Bomber is defined by its ordnance. If it is lucky and survives long enough to get all of its missiles off, its job is done. Of course, then the craft become quite useless in combat. Perhaps the TIE Bomber should be renamed "disposable ordnance carrier." The Empire loses a lot of these craft, but they never seem to run out of them.
TIE Interceptor
(Squint)
The TIE Interceptor (Squint) is a study in contrasts. It has spectacular strengths and spectacular weaknesses. As a interceptor it is nearly unmatched. Too bad the Imperial designers forgot a little something called a shield.
The Squint is the undisputed king of the turning war. Its agility is unmatched and it has enough speed to take advantage of this agility. Combine these features with a small profile, and you have an extremely difficult starfighters to hit. Unlike some other interceptors, TIE Interceptors don't skimp on firepower. With four lasers, they make quick work of any Rebel craft. Also, without shields to worry about, TIE Interceptor lasers will always be high charged.
All this is balanced by the fact that Squints lack shields. Because of this disadvantage, TIE Interceptor pilots should be wary of two situations. First, they must avoid the initial attack of Rebel starfighters. Second, they should be wary of other craft getting behind them while they are concentrating on other starfighters. The second situation illustrates why the TIE Interceptor is not quite the interceptor it is made out to be. They may be excellent in one on one confrontations, but in a group battle they will lose because ultimately, they are just more fragile than the opposing craft. An example of this is the TIE Interceptor vs. X-Wing battle. Even though a TIE Interceptor can always win the turning battle against an X-Wing, that X-Wing's wingman will shoot the Interceptor in the back, killing it with three laser hits. Meanwhile, the X-Wing the Interceptor was concentrating on simply takesthe pounding, and flies off to recharge its shields once the Squint is destroyed.
Like the TIE Fighter, Squints have little adaptability. They are interceptors and nothing else. Without shields, they won't be able to attack any craft with independantly firing guns. Their missile load is the same as that of a TIE Fighter, which is to say non-existant.
If you want to experience what it is like to be an Imperial pilot, the Squint is the craft of choice. It is the only unshielded TIE capable of taking on the Rebel A-Wings and X-Wings. It is a starfighter where the quality of the pilot will make a real difference. A good TIE Interceptor pilot will maximize the TIE Interceptor's many strengths and minimize the Squints achilles heal of not having shields.
TIE Advanced
(Bright)
This is the Ferrari, the F-15, and the F117A, of the Star Wars universe. It isn't hard to imagine Darth Vader kicking ass with his custom Advanced (Bright) during the Battle of Yavin. Combine the agility of the TIE Interceptor, the powerplant of the X-Wing and the speed of the A-Wing and you get the best fighter in the game. Nothing touches this badboy.
This starfighter is loaded with features. It can match the TIE Interceptor in a turning war. With four lasers, it has the firepower and powerplant of an X-Wing. Truly exceptional is the Bright's speed, outpacing any fighter in the game. Add the ability to carry a significant number of missiles and you have a true space superiority fighter.
Trying to pick out negatives in this craft is an excercise in nit picking. It does have a bigger profile than a TIE Interceptor, making it slightly easier to hit and it's possible for an X-Wing to hit it with all four lasers. Its shields could be stronger, but than again, it isn't hit very often and its ability to regenerate shields quickly makes it a meaningless point. The only major negative I can think of is that its ordnance load could be larger so it could be even more effective as a dumbfirer or bomber.
The Bright is capable of terrorizing larger craft with just its lasers. Because it has the speed to avoid fire from larger ships and doesn't have the regeneration problem of the A-Wing, it is the best starfighter for making repeated strafing runs on capital ships.
When you pick a Bright you feel kind of guilty because you know it gives you an edge over all other fighters. It just goes to show you that the TIE Advanced is the best starfighter in the game.
Assault Gunboat
In the original XvT, the only true bomber that was worth anything was the Assault Gunboat. With the introduction of the B-Wing, this bomber now takes second place, but it continues to be a versatile starfighter which in addition to being a good bomber, can also help out in the interception role. Along with the TIE Advanced, the Gunboat forms the core of the Empire's elite starfighters.
Every Imperial pilot appreciates the Gunboat for one thing: shields! After flying starfighters with the durability of a mosquito, the Gunboat must be a refreshing change from TIE fighters for Imperial pilots. This ship is quite tough with shields the equivelant of a B-Wing. Included with the Gunboat is a truly fearsome ordnance load. Loaded with 8 rockets, the Gunboat has no trouble taking out capital ships. With 16 concussion missiles, the Gunboat is a terror for Rebel starfighters. Ion cannons are an appreciated addition for any bomber.
The most noticeable strength of the Gunboat is its versatility. In addition to being a good bomber, it can be effective as an interceptor. With tough shields, lots of missiles and decent firepower (using the switching weapon trick detailed in the B-Wing description), it is excellent in a distance closing situation against ememy starfighters. For a dedicated bomber, the Gunboat is quite agile, about equal to that of an X-Wing. This helps in locking starfighters to fire all of those concussion missiles. Despite its maneuverability, the Gunboat should still avoid turning battles for reasons to be explained later. It should be pointed out, however, that the Gunboat's versatility only extends to what missiles the Gunboat is carrying. It can be a good bomber in one mission and a decent interceptor in another, but never both at the same time.
Balancing out the gunboat's advantages are some serious problems that keep it from the ranks of the truly elite stafighters. Particularly noticeable is the rediculous mismatch of the Gunboat's powerplant to its shields. Fully charged, dumping all of the Gunboat's laser energy into its shields yields a pitiful 21% increase to one shield side. This pretty much insures that Gunboats are about as durable as whatever shield strength they initially enter the battle at. Another major problem is that the Gunboat has the profile of a flying house. Not only are they easy to hit, Rebel craft have little difficulty in getting ALL of their fire linked lasers to hit the Gunboat at a time. This is the reason that, despite their maneuverability, Gunboats should try to avoid turning engagements. With its low shield recharge rate and its propensity to get hit by a lot of lasers, the Gunboat is generally not as durable as its shield strength might indicate.
If you want a starfighter capable of taking on capital ships, the only place to go for an Imperial pilot is the Gunboat. It alone among Imperial ships has the shields and the ordnance load to take out capital ships efficiently. When loaded with missiles, the Gunboat makes a good shock interceptor in closing situations, but its usefulness declines when the battle turns to a close in situation. The Gunboat is an average starfighter with significant strengths and significant weaknesses.
Star Fighter Assessment:
The Best:
TIE Advanced (Bright) - The best interceptor
with no real weaknesses. Thank the Force the Empire only
has a limited number of these bad boys.
A-Wing - A great choice for dumbfiring in a furball (melee), the A-Wing combines
speed and agility with a large missile payload.
Above Average:
B-Wing - It is the best pure bomber, but is still has
an incredibly poor turning rate. Do not use this for anything but killing Imperial capital
ships.
X-Wing - It has good firepower and a big power plant, but it carries a
disappointing warhead load (only 6 #@$#@$ torps!) and its manuverability is very poor
(when compared to Squints, Brights or even Eyeballs) for the role of
an interceptor.
TIE Interceptor (Squint) - King of the turning war, but not good at anything
else because of its lack of shields. Only a smart Imp will survive long battles or
campaigns in this mainline Imperial starfighter.
Average:
Assault Gunboat - This ship has good shields and carries a lot of warheads, but its powerplant is very weak and it is exceptionally easy to hit.
Below Average:
Z-95 - Decent maneuverability, shields, and a few
missiles keep this craft from being a complete loss.
TIE Bomber (Dupe) - Good agility and the ability to carry missiles are the
few redeeming characteristics that keep this starfighter from being scrapped as space
junk.
Death Wishes:
TIE Fighter (Eyeball) - Some may point to the
TIE Fighter's agility as to why it shouldn't be in this category. I just point to the
countless grave stones marked TIE Fighter Pilot.
Y-Wing - If I were a Rebel, and I wanted to reach an early death, I'd hop into my
trusty Y-Wing to go on a bombing run. It always delivers.
After discussing the various Rebel and Imperial starfighters, and their relative strengths and weaknesses, I will discuss offensive and defensive weaponry.