SWTOR: A Guide to Warzones

So you hit level 10 and you feel like you could take on the whole Empire (or Republic) yourself? Star Wars: The Old Republic allows you to take the fight to the opposite faction via PvP battlegrounds called warzones. There are currently three warzones in the game, all with varying objectives required for victory.

Not only are warzones a fun experience, they also provide good rewards in the form of commendations which can be used to purchase equipment, weapons and consumables. Of course, if you want to get your hands on these goodies you’ll need to get amongst some blaster fire and earn your keep!

Here to assist you on your path to galactic domination and help you and your team to victory is a brief guide to each warzone and some basic strategies.

First up is The Voidstar.

The Voidstar is a derelict Imperial starship containing data that could be used in the war effort by either faction. Attacking players must gain access to the ships data core and download the information before time runs out.

The map is made up of three sections, each requiring one of two sealed doors to be destroyed with explosives before progress is possible. In addition to this, attackers must also activate various control panels to deactivate energy barriers or extend bridges along the way. The map is played over two rounds with players each taking a turn at attacking and defending.

Basic strategies for any defensive team include calling out incoming threats to either door, and using AoE abilities to interrupt players planting explosives. Games can be won and lost on people calling out enemies so keep your team aware of what is happening at all times. Inform incoming allies if the area has been cleared of threat for example, allowing them to apply pressure in other areas instead. A fluid team that balances players between objectives with good communication is a hard team to beat, even with a premade group.

AoE abilities are also very useful for the attacking team. Spreading damage out amongst as many enemies as possible gives the defending healers too much to handle, allowing attackers to thin out the crowd. The classic “bait and switch” tactic can also work to great effect in Voidstar and is often the only way past a good defensive team. Applying constant heavy pressure to only one door can sometimes draw all the defenders to one side to help teammates, leaving the second door unguarded for someone to stealthily take without drawing attention. Be ready for a large surge of enemy players once they realise what has happened however and defend the explosive, or use the opportunity to plant explosives on the other door if possible.

There are also plenty of terrain obstacles around the map that can be used by both teams to break line of sight and health pickups in various locations that can help turn the tables in a tricky fight.

Next up is Huttball. If you play Empire, be prepared to see a lot of this warzone depending on your server population.

Huttball is a capture the flag game mode with a twist. The ball carrier can pass the ball to any team mate within range, and the enemy team can intercept passes or kill the ball carrier to take possession. The team in possession of the ball has to make their way to the enemy goal line to score. Along the way are various environmental hazards such as acid pools and flame vents that can be used to hinder the enemy, or be used as an advantage in some situations.

The ball is obtained from the center of the map and is reset if a pass misses or a team scores a goal. The map features raised areas and walkways that need to be crossed in order to score a goal, but the walkways sport timed flame vents preventing progress for a short amount of time. Underneath the walkways is a pit area that players can be dragged or thrown in to that is time consuming to exit.

Passing is one of the most important things to remember here. The second is to pass wisely. Passing works via targeting an area to throw the ball, the player being passed to must be standing inside the marked area on the ground to receive it. When passing, try to be aware that moving players may not see the pass and run by it, so try to anticipate where a moving player is going and throw the ball in their path.

Using the terrain to your advantage is also of high priority. Punting/dragging players into the acid pools or flame vents is a quick way of dispatching them with minimum effort, and applying crowd control to players navigating flame vents can also be used to force players to take environmental damage. If you have any grapple abilities these can be used to drag the ball carrier into the pit area, forcing a pass or a lengthy exit from the area.

If all else fails, name calling is encouraged…

Lastly we have the Alderaan warzone.

A battle is taking place above Alderaan, yet the key to victory lies on the planet. Secure and hold ground-to-air laser turrets to provide offensive support to your faction and blast the enemy out of the sky!

Alderaan is a control point map that requires at least two of three laser turrets to be captured and held to win. Teams are flown into opposite sides of the map (north & south) via speeder bike and can immediately access two of three turrets from the start location. The northern start point can access the west and center nodes, while the southern start point can access east and center. Connecting the east and west nodes is an underground tunnel, located within are speed boost pickups enabling quick access to either side of the map.

As with The Voidstar warzone, calling out incoming threats is the key to a good defense and should be done at every opportunity. A successful strategy is to send a few players to the east or west (depending on your start point) control point, while the rest of the team assault the middle node. Once this has been achieved, split the team between the two nodes and call for support whenever needed, however always try and keep at least one person at a node to inform the team of capture attempts.

Once again AoE abilities can be used to create a large amount of work for healers, and also to interrupt players attempting to capture a node. With this in mind, be aware of your positioning when capturing nodes as you can often use line of sight to achieve a successful capture. Once again, the ‘bait and switch’ tactic can be used to great effect here. Providing heavy pressure to a node will often draw more enemy players in to defend it, leaving other nodes less guarded and available for capture.

Have fun, and stay tuned for my follow up guide dealing with some basic strategies for tanking warzones and effectively providing valuable support to teammates.