Lightsaber combat
Lightsaber combat
Your lightsaber will probably be the weapon you'll most use in the entire game, so you should learn how to use it, and then (maybe) develop your very own lightsaber fighting style. This section will cover essential moves and advanced tactics to improve your lightsaber fighting style
Note: The appreciations of the moves such as "quick" or "powerful" are all relative. It will all depend on the lightsaber combat style you are using.
Basic moves
Primary Attack button: Just press to swing your lightsaber.
Alternate Attack button: Press to throw your lightsaber. Remember that this move will drain some Force Power. For more information, check the Force Powers section.
Forward + Attack or Backwards + Attack: A powerful top-down hack which comes out pretty quickly and carries quite a punch. Good against crouching or jumping enemies.
Strafe Right / Left + Attack: A horizontal swing coming from right to left or from left to right. You'll only be able to hit upright enemies with it.
Forward + Strafe Left / Right + Attack: A top-down diagonal slash. Good to damage enemies you don't have the time to take care of. Since this move has a very limited range, you'll most likely miss unless your target doesn't move or you are fighting in close quarters.
Backwards + Strafe Left / Right + Attack: A down-top diagonal slash. Very useful to hit an enemy ramming at you.
Backwards + Attack: This attack can ONLY be used when there is someone behind you. It is hard to execute, and it will most often miss, leaving you open to counterattacks, but it is devastating when it hits. In blue stance, you will make a quick backstab. In other stances, you will make a 180° swing.
Special attacks:
Crouch (hold crouch) + Forward + Attack. A quick forward lunge followed by a short hack. Only available when using the blue stance, this attack has major chances to fail, and if it hits, it won't do a lot of damage. However, this attack is really fast and might take your opponents by surprise.
Jump + Forward + Attack: When using this attack, you will jump over your enemy's head, flip and attack in the middle of the air. This fancy move is really powerful, but can only be used when someone is in front of you, and when you are using the yellow lightsaber stance. some players find it hard to use it, but it comes all along with practice. A little hint: you'll notice that when you receive to the land, you are really vulnerable to counterattack. To avoid being killed while you recover (This hint is mostly for multiplayer games) turn while you are still in the air so your lightsaber (which points at your right when you recover) points directly at your enemy. This way, if he tries to kill you, he'll just get your lightsaber into his chest, which will really damage him.
Attack, then Forward + Attack + Jump: A really devastating attack. when used correctly, you'll jump forward and give an amazingly powerful top-down hack. This attack can only be used when using the red lightsaber stance and when in standing and ready position (your lightsaber must not be moving) This move is very slow, and has really few chances of hitting. however, if it hits, you can be 99% sure that it will kill your opponent. But don't do that move only. If you only focus on killing him with this attack, you'll be really predictable, and even the dumbest player of them all will simply counter this by sidestepping to avoid your attack then counterattacking while you recover from the attack.
Lightsaber combat styles (Most commonly called stances)
Blue stance
The fastest of them all, the blue stance is also the weakest. Its attacks are very limited in range and ,while it recovers quickly after attacking, this will wont be very useful, because you can't block any hit coming from other players using stronger lightsaber stances. The only ways I could find to use this stance in multiplayer are these: activate force speed or dark rage (you choose) and begin to spin your lightsaber like a madman while running towards your enemy, and you keep swinging your lightsaber like if there's no tomorrow; this tactic is best in narrow areas. Three important points are these: Don't let him go away! Don't stop attacking him for one second! If he gets against a wall or a corner, he's history. And next, there is a large array of ways to counter this, like using force push (you can't block push while attacking), throwing the lightsaber (same) or shooting with guns (same), so if you are countered by any of these tactics, GIVE UP the madman whirl attack, and switch to another stance. Yet, if the other player is using red stance, keep the blue stance and do this: PLAY IN DEFENSE. This may sound stupid, because you can't block anything with blue stance, but you don't have to block. When he attacks (or he uses DFA, red stance's special - which I noticed is used too much in MP games - ), quickly sidestep or roll, the give him about 3-4 hits, then back off.
The special move of the blue stance is really a good manner of surprising your opponent (but don't crouch for about 10 minutes waiting for a chance to hit someone with it or else everybody'll know) and is fairly powerful, but don't use it too much, because a good player will switch to yellow and use the finisher (yellow's stance special attack) to hit you in the middle of the lunge, and that hurts really bad.
As for the backstab, it is really devastating. you may get to kill a fully shielded enemy with two backstabs (I'll have to check that number, but I think it's correct). The problem is, it's hard to execute (all backstabs are), and it leaves you defendless for the duration of the backstab (with the latest patch, you can't move or turn while backstab). Besides, players who always go backwards trying to kill someone with a backstab are not very appreciated in multiplayer games.
The essentials of blue stance
*Pros
- Owns the fastest moves of all stances
- The faster recovering time of all stances
- A really powerful backstab
- You can chain attacks forever
*Cons
- The weakest moves of all stances
- You can't block attacks from heavier stances
- The range of the attacks is really short
*So, what to do?
- block gunfire ONLY. don't EVER try to block lightsaber attacks!
- Use a defensive/counterattack type of fight or try to use the madman whirl attack described above (it will most likely wont work against experienced players, but you might get to surprise someone with it).
- this stance is most effective when used against red stance (this is my personal opinion), but you must not fall into the trick of following a player who is running backwards to profit of the red stance's longer attack range. If anyone does this, use Speed or Dark rage ( I prefer Speed ) to catch up with him.
More coming soon...