Land Combat | Imperial Training Star Wars EAW Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Welcome once more. We start the second day of our training. First of all, I'd like to say how sorry I am for those, who took part in unfortunate Yavin's moon trip. Let it be a lesson to remember, that the rebels never sleep - and that we should always be prepared for their treacherous attacks. Officer responsible for security has been executed at Moff Tarkin's order. Unfortunately, it won't compensate the loss of six excellent officers, who died yesterday.

Today we will talk about land combat. Rebel forces have a big army and are supported by local populations of many planets, so you fighting them on planet surface won't be easy. Let's start with a few words about imperial land unit's.

Stormtrooper Platoon

In spite of the rebel propaganda, stormtroopers are very good soldiers. They never retreat, are expert shooters and - thanks to good armor - they are able to survive under fire for a long time. Of course you must give them order to take cover first. Stormtroopers never crouch without an direct order.

Stormtroopers are the most important unit in many battles - especially when opponent has no artillery. You should move them in groups of at least three squads and keep some vehicle backup behind them. Rebel commanders usually don't run them down with their vehicles, but stormtroopers can be easily killed by artillery or turrets. This is why you should always take some AT-ST or TIE Maulers with them. Also remember that Stormtroopers don't have any anti-tank weapons, and are not capable of destroying heavy rebel tanks.

Stormtroopers are very cheap to train and equip, so you should have at least 10 squads of them in any army. The history proves that many battles were won by the huge stormtroopers reserve.

Speederbikes

This is a fast, but not very tough unit. There are only two of them in a squad, so you'd rather not use them in combat. They are much more effective in guerrilla warfare - just get close to your enemy and throw out some thermodetonators. The explosion may kill whole infantry squad!

You should also use speeders to locate targets for other units. They can easily find the enemy generator or get into his base to bring down an orbital attack.

TIE Mauler

This fast, but poorly armored vehicle isn't very good in combat. It can fire at enemy infantry, but usually the opponent has soldiers with PLEX launchers, which immediately destroy TIE maulers. Instead of using their cannons, it is better to run down enemies. You may also detonate damaged mauler if it is surrounded by rebel units.

Due to the lack of shields, TIE maulers shouldn't engage larger groups of enemy vehicles. The only exception is a rebel artillery. It can be quickly destroyed by group of maulers, because artillery can't fire at a close target.

AT-ST

This is quite good unit in many situations. It's tougher than TIE mauler, but unfortunately doesn't have the shield either. AT-STs are able to concentrate fire on small area and cause a lot of damage. You can use them to exterminate small enemy vehicles and infantry. They can also destroy turrets, so you may use them to support stormtroopers in case you have no heavier vehicles.

It's worth remembering that AT-STs are also able to crush enemy infantry.

2-M Repulsor Tank

A very good unit with a nice firepower. It's quite tough in comparison to others. Moreover, it has a shield.

Those tanks may be the main part of your strike force. They are also excellent support for the groups of infantry. They have possibility to boost their cannons, which helps them to destroy enemy units and buildings very fast. Remember that when you use this ability, their shields won't regenerate.

If you want to reduce your casualties, you can withdraw tanks that lost their shields. You also shouldn't engage PLEX launcher groups.

SPMA-T Artillery Unit

The mobile SPMA-T artillery in many cases is most important unit on the battlefield. Once set up, they can almost immediately destroy any incoming infantry or vehicle. They are perfect in defense, so place them in important parts of the map and surround with some stormtroopers or tanks. Remember that SPMA-Ts can't attack nearby targets, so it's important to keep distance between your artillery units, so that they may cover each other.

SPMA-T artillery units have great range and can easily exterminate enemy turrets. You can also use them to attack the base, from the safe distance. You should always have at least two groups of SPMA-Ts in your army.

AT-AA

The rebels have their T-47 air speeder, but imperial strategists decided, that we don't need similar unit. Instead we use AT-AA to shoot down enemy planes. Those mobile anti-air units are not really useful for anything else, although they may also stop disturb enemy rockets because of their special ability.

AT-AT

A huge and really tough transporter. It can drop some stormtroopers, so it may take over construction and support points. It has also good firepower.

AT-ATs are very expensive, but using them in battle pays off. A couple of them may cause a real problem for the opponent. They have one main enemy - the air speeder, so better give them support of an anti-air turret or an AT-AA.

Land Combat

There are two tactics - one for cheaper, not so advanced armies and second for more developed offensive groups. Both of them have something in common. It's always worth to capture support points as quick as it possible and to have more of them than the opponent. Also, you should only land on planet if you have destroyer with a group of TIE bombers at the orbit. Properly placed airstrike may turn tide of the battle in your favor.

It's also good to build turrets and repair stations whenever possible.. Remember to always hit your unit limit and to drop reinforcements if one of your unit dies. Also, leave 1 or 2 infantry squads near captured support points.

Let's move to special tactics. First, a few words about less advancer armies - you should simply attack with a couple of stormtrooper platoons supported by AT-ST or TIE mauler. Weaken your enemy with mauler suicide missions and/or some airstrikes. In case the opponent has a lot of PLEX soldiers, it's better to avoid the close combat with vehicles.

If you have access to the advanced technologies, main part of your army should be made of heavy tanks and AT-ATs. To make it cheaper, you can also use some stormtroopers, but most of them will quickly die under the fire of enemy artillery. SPMA-T should proceed close behind and prepare to fire very time you meet large group of enemy units.

Heroes of the Empire

Sometimes one of the most important imperial heroes is interested in some particular mission. Be prepared that Lord Vader or even the Emperor himself may join you at the battlefield. They have a great power, so they can face many opponents at the same time. However, you must remember, that even lords of the Dark Side may be defeated - if surrounded by enemies and under the heavy fire. When that happens, they won't be available for some time - the time you might need them.