Squadrons is a surprisingly tactical experience. Given the universe it hails from (where flying at slow moving single direction walkers from the front is deemed a good idea…come on Skywalker) You’d be forgiven for thinking everything can be solved by one or 2 ships doing things right. Well buckle up pilots because I’m here to drop some truth on you.
Bombers and Support can ROCK Dogfights
I make no bones about my love of a tank unit, from Overwatch to my brief time on MMORPGs, I always play the biggest hardiest characters. Like to soak up damage like a sponge, a bulletproof sponge. So, when it came to taking the fight online, of course I choose the chonkiest of bois, the Y-Wing & the TIE Bomber, which seems to have immediately put me into a minority as Dogfight mode is almost entirely dominated by the X-Wing or TIE Interceptor. No surprises since they are beloved vehicles and powerful, but don’t let that discourage using the bigger slower craft. The Bombers bring the hurt and as I say can soak up a ludicrous amount of laser fire before falling, while the support class can make or break a team. A group with a Support fighter who’s attentive to shields and resupplies can make a match Childs play as you are basically immortal with limitless weaponry! As an added bonus, the New Republic support ship is the U-Wing, which as anyone who has seen Rogue One can say, looks rad.
If you must be an Interceptor on Fleet Battles, Guard your team!
I’ve honestly lost count of the number of times during a Fleet Battle where I have begun my bombing run toward the enemy Flagship and found myself under fire from 3 different player ships. As I watch my hull integrity plummet like a The Last Jedi’s reviews. The Interceptors role is made clear by its name, they aren’t meant to be charging the capital ships and pulling some amazing hit and run tactics, there are meant to INTERCEPT enemy starfighters, leave the heavy lifting up to the big fellas and watch they slow, ambling backs as they make their way to the target. I’ve been in some games with amazing pilots who guarded my approach carefully and meant I could wipe a Flagships subsystems in no time at all as all I had to worry about where the big boys turrets which have poor tracking at the best of times!
Support Class main? DO YOUR DAMN JOB
I cannot fathom the mindset of a Squadrons player who chooses to play support, then does nothing support like the entire game. It happens far more often than you think, and it boggles my fragile little mind. Supports entire mission should be to resupply and cover your allies, getting a kill or 2 would be great of course but your main goal each round needs to be the welfare and defence of your teammates. That’s why all the available loadout options for support are centred around just that, buffing, healing or hiding your fellow pilots from danger. On the Empire side of things, I can just about understand why some players pick the TIE Reaper, it’s the only Imperial vessel with built in shielding and provides a nice safety net if you have learned to master the TIE’s naturally higher mobility or weapon strength. Honestly though, even if you picked her just for the shield, use that extra protection to line up a few resupply droids for your team mates once and a while.
If you see a seeker mine, Shoot a seeker mine
Of all the assorted load out weapons none are quite as broken as the Seeker mine. A nearly one hit kill weapon that plops out from the back of your ship and waits patiently for anyone to enter its radius, once they do it immediately homes in and deals MASSIVE DAMAGE with hardly anytime for your to react or use counter measures. The one advantage you have over this deadly little package waiting in space, if the large read aura that appears around them. This area is the trigger zone, enter it and you’re suddenly at the mercy of someone waiting explosives. This means at a decent range you should be able to avoid them, or if you want to be a helpful team mate, you can use that viability to blast a few laser bolts towards the centre and destroy the mine before it gets a chance to get anywhere near harming your allies! It’s not hard to do and as I say the aura makes the mines visible from any range at all, plus your ships targeting can lock onto the mine in the centre meaning you don’t even need to guess your shots. No muss, no fuss, no pissed of pilots on chat.
Finally… Have fun!
This should be a simple tip that everyone knows naturally but no, we live in a world where a child can yell at your incompetence and how they will molest your family just because you’re not as good as they are at a video game. I think really, Squadrons is a fantastically fun and satisfying game whether you win or lose, so just have fun with it. No one likes a game that causes them undo stress or frustration, its why I gave up on the Call of Duty series and I really don’t want it to be the reason I give up on a fantastic Star Wars game too!
There we have it, a few tips and tricks to hopefully get you through a few rounds of Squadrons! If you haven’t already, then I highly recommend picking this up, as a fan of the franchise it’s a must own!
Thanks for reading and May the Force be with You!