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Combat Guide: Part 1 – Skills Overview

by Andvari

 

Ground combat is a major aspect of LOTJ gameplay. Whether we like it or not, war is the primary story driver in LOTJ – and half of war is fought on the ground.

 

A screenshot of a ‘HELP CLASS’ snippet, including the Combat section.
A screenshot of a ‘HELP CLASS’ snippet, including the Combat section.

The Combat Class

Combat mains are designed to be the bread and butter of clan military/security/law enforcement. This class is recommended for newer players and those new to PVP. Combat mains specialize in close quarters combat with energy weapons, they also excel at ranged combat with rifles. Despite having access to forcepike mastery, utilization in PVP by conventional combat mains is not recommended except in certain circumstances described below. Most combat abilities are also accessible to bounty hunter mains.

 

A screenshot of 'SLIST COMBAT', displaying combat skills and their required levels.
A screenshot of ‘SLIST COMBAT’, displaying combat skills and their required levels.

Combat Skills Overview

See individual help files for basic descriptions, or click on the skill’s name to open the LotJ website helpfile in a new tab/window.

 

Flurry – Difficult to adept, flurry basically gives the user an additional combat round on use. Most effective when used with blasters. Costs movement points, moderate lag on use. Despite being commonly referred to as the “end all”, many combatants perform well without access to this ability.

 

Hitall – Hits everyone in the room NOT grouped with you. Best with ranged weapon. Dangerous to use in crowded areas, safe in a 1 on 1 engagement with no bystanders. Quick pursuit ability with no combat round bonus. Use with caution.

 

Aim – The usefulness of this ability is frequently debated amongst veteran PVPers. Basic functionality allows the attacked to wound a body part, potentially disarming/slowing/stunning opponent. Easily blocked by shoving an individual when they begin aiming (or fleeing, for that matter). To use this ability, you AIM at a body part, wait for the ability to “take aim”, then it will begin shooting at that target. Upon impact, that body part is wounded. Individuals then need to either sit in a bacta tank or be tended to by a medical main.

 

Berserk – Berserk gives the user an extra attack per combat round, but also removes their ability to flee. Use with caution, as you don’t want to be placed into a situation where you are unable to escape. Ways to break berserk include shoving your opponent and rescue.

 

Rescue – Changes the “tank”, or the person currently being targeted. In group PVP (or PVE), teammates can change who is currently taking damage by rescuing the target. The rescuer then becomes the tank. This ability has many uses, and these should definitely be explored and practiced. Can trivialize PVE content as well as PVP.

 

Disarm – Forces opponent to drop weapon. Countered by passive ability “grip”. Forcers with grip are immune to this ability. Best used against targets with single weapon (repeater, forcepike, bowcaster).

 

Gouge / Bash – These are abilities that cause “beats” of lag to both the user and the target. Gouge has a shorter duration, but is significantly more accurate. Use these abilities, especially bash, with caution. Bashing an opponent when you are at a numbers disadvantage can be a death sentence.

 

SnipeLong range ability with the capability to inflict tons of damage. Best weapon for sniping is a rifle, though it can be done with pistols and bowcasters as well. Rifle snipes consume ammunition quickly, so ensure you carry a bunch. Support snipers are a great way to neutralize a dangerous face-to-face threat.

 

A screenshot of 'SLIST FEATS COMBAT', displaying combat feats and their required levels.
A screenshot of ‘SLIST FEATS COMBAT’, displaying combat feats and their required levels.

Combat Feats Overview

Duelist – Increased damage dealt with pistols. A good choice if you plan on running a pistol-centered build. Can keep up with repeater setups, though not nearly as bursty.

 

Quick Healer – Needs some work before it’s a viable feat choice. Best left alone for competitive pvp builds.

 

Deadeye – Great choice for players wanting to focus on long range (snipe) combat. Increases sniper damage.

 

Toughness – Decreased damage taken. It works, despite common belief to the contrary. A fair selection if you’re limited on better choices.

 

Iron WallThe best combat feat by a long shot. If you can hit 135 combat you need to select iron wall. This ability frequently procs in clusters and prevents a great deal of damage.

 

Advanced Disarm – A neat ability with limited uses. Allows you to disarm an opponent without wielding a weapon yourself. Fancy for prison escapes and whatnot, but not something I’d choose on a conventional combatant.

 

Quick Recovery – Quick regen from being stunned (not very quick). Not a commonly selected feat, nor something that is recommended for a conventional combatant.

 

A screenshot of 'SHOWRACE CORELLIAN' - a recommended combat race.
A screenshot of ‘SHOWRACE CORELLIAN’ – a recommended combat race.

Combat Race Suggestions

Good free combat races – Human, Twi’lek, Iktotchi, Rodian, Zabrak (as of 4/2017)

Good top-end combat races – Corellian, Mandalorian, Abyssin, Whiphid, Gamorrean, Wookiee (as of 4/2017)

 

A screenshot of a ‘HELP CLASS’ snippet, including the Bounty Hunting section.
A screenshot of a ‘HELP CLASS’ snippet, including the Bounty Hunting section.

The Bounty Hunter Class

Bounty hunters are designed to capture and/or disintegrate targets for monetary rewards. Because of this, they possess a particular set of skills that make them an effective PVP class. They specialize in melee combat with a plethora of abilities to facilitate the pursuit of prey as well as escape from would-be aggressors. BHers perform best when catching an opponent off-guard, and when quickly closing the distance to initiate melee combat.

BHers should carry 2 vibroblades and 2 pistols/repeater at the least. As the timeline progresses, cortosis should be obtained if/when it is available. Cortosis allows weaponry to be lightsaber resistant. (Warning: Cortosis does not place the BHer on equal melee footing with Jedi/Sith)

BHers are not recommended for new players.  This class is in-depth with a large box of tools available to them, making them fairly tedious to play effectively. Additionally, choosing to be a bounty hunter means you cannot join a clan.

 

A screenshot of 'SLIST 'BOUNTY HUNTING'', displaying bounty hunting skills and their required levels.
A screenshot of ‘SLIST ‘BOUNTY HUNTING”, displaying bounty hunting skills and their required levels.

Bounty Hunter Skills Overview

See individual help files for basic descriptions, or click on the skill’s name to open the LotJ website helpfile in a new tab/window.

 

Ambush – Good ability for an initial combat opener. Can be performed with blasters or blades, depending on situation and preferred build. Must be hidden (will fail if your target is wearing goggles), so a good tactic is to stack commands (hide;ambush target;block <direction>). Target must be unaware, so after one shot you’re back to conventional combat openers.

 

Backstab – Ability for initial combat opener. Must be performed with blades, must be approached, and target must be at full health/unaware. People tend to get uneasy when approached, so be mindful of this when attempting a backstab. BH mains with sneak are extremely rare, so approach may be difficult to pull off.

 

Circle – Bread and butter damage dealer. Must be performed with blades, must be approached. Very effective ability for PVE content, good damage dealer for PVP, but gouge may be preferred based on situation.

 

Lunge – Conventional combat opening ability that costs movement points. Lunge immediately puts the BHer in melee range. Good pursuit ability, but be mindful of movement points.

 

Retreat – This ability works much like the flee command, except you can choose a direction. Very useful for setting traps, or escaping along a chosen route. This is a great ability that may take some practice to get the hang of.

 

Track – Provides you with the direction of your opponent. Great if they’re sitting still, can get you in a loop quickly if they’re moving/hailing around. Don’t be too reliant on this. I tend to track once, then head in that general direction.

 

Sprint – Pursuit/escape ability that strips lag from room to room movement. Allows the BHer to move a long distance very quickly. Uses movement points. Great for putting distance between yourself and an attacker, especially on no-hail planets (Dac, Bespin etc).

 

A screenshot of 'SLIST FEATS 'BOUNTY HUNTING'', displaying bounty hunting feats and their required levels.
A screenshot of ‘SLIST FEATS ‘BOUNTY HUNTING”, displaying bounty hunting feats and their required levels.

Bounty Hunter Feats Overview

Increased Resistance – Not recommended for selection.

 

Endurance – Adds 500 hp on a refreshable timer. Recommended for all bounty hunter mains/any character on which it is accessible. It is advisable to set up a timer in your mud client to refresh endurance before it expires. This will prevent needless medpac usage.

 

A screenshot of 'SHOWRACE GAND' - a recommended bounty hunter race.
A screenshot of ‘SHOWRACE GAND’ – a recommended bounty hunter race.

Bounty Hunter Race Suggestions

Good free BH races – Twi’lek, Rodian, Zabrak, Iktotchi (as of 4/2017)

Good top-end BH races – Ubese, Dashade, Gand, Noghri, Mandalorian (as of 4/2017)

 

Other Useful PvP Feats

ReflexesAs vital as iron wall. If you have enough smug levels to get reflexes, take it. Reduces incoming damage significantly and works in clusters. Characters with both Iron wall and reflexes are rare, but are well-off defensively.

 

Fortify – Great defensive ability, only works when grouped (including NPCs). Reduces incoming damage. A good selection if you can’t get reflexes and/or iron wall. Must be reapplied if you move rooms.

 

Navigator – Doesn’t do anything for direct combat, but is a common choice for combatants looking to fill their third feat slot. Navigator reduces fuel cost and jump distances, improving your ability to pursue targets across the galaxy (or escape!).

 

(There are other feat choices that may work for you. This guide is not the ultimate authority on what you should choose. Adjust your feat selections to enhance your playstyle!)

 

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Author Xerakon
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