Star Wars the Old Republic: The Classes

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

As promised I will be taking a closer look to the classes that have been announced for Star Wars The Old Republic. Personally I have played a few of these classes and I must say I like each of them. They all have their abilities that make them better for different occasions; they match everyone’s style of play. I personally lean more towards Lightsabers and other fancy weapons and force abilities so my favorite class quickly became the Sith Warrior. I have already made my choice of joining the Sith because I really am enamored by this faction’s storytelling in the main quest lines, as well as the difficult decisions they have to make. Currently there are 8 classes announced divided between The Galactic Republic and The Sith Empire. Though not identical mirrors, the classes each have a similar counterpart on the opposing side to make balancing the game easier.

 

Let’s start with The Galactic Republic:

 

Trooper

The Trooper is a very popular class due to its famous role in the Star Wars movies. When seeing the first cinematic trailer once you have chosen the Light side it completely changes the view you have on the Trooper; it shows you a very heroic and powerful class with extensive utility. These brave souls are ready for combat when needed and are equipped with heavy guns to blast their foes to shreds. The Trooper represents the most talented and disciplined soldier among a new breed of elite Republic Troops. They are the Republic military’s highest aspiration and the most advanced fighting force in the galaxy.

 

 

Smuggler

The smuggler brings to life the famous Han Solo and his Wookie companion, Chewbacca, in MMO form. Together with their ship named the Millennium Falcon they smuggled crazy amounts of contraband and helped Obi-Wan and Luke in one of the most important battles of the universe. The smuggler is one of the most entertaining classes I tested out in beta. The life of a Smuggler is always a gamble but these sneaky, smart brave men have been an important asset to every war and are often the ticket to turning around a deteriorating situation. They are equipped with one handed guns or rifles and are true sharp shooters with a wide arsenal of firearms.

 

 

Jedi Knight

The Jedi Knight is no doubt the most known class and most likely the number one played class in Star Wars The Old Republic. Every fan of the Star Wars series is most likely going to try out this class because of their lightsaber and the use of the Force. The Jedi Knight body and mind is in perfect harmony and nothing can break them; they are skilled hand to hand fighters and are deadly once equipped with a sword or lightsaber. Because of the power of the Force and their reflexed and physical precision the Jedi Knight is the ultimate fighting machine available in battle. This class can easily face roll a lackadaisical opponent and is sure to be considered a pub stomper in PvP.

 

Jedi Consular

The Jedi Consular is the second class in The Galactic Empire arsenal that is equipped with the Lightsaber. They are slightly different than Jedi Knights, focusing on the wisdom of the force to fight their battles through diplomacy rather than brute “force”. Years of arduous training and meditation have sharpened Consulars’ minds to cut to the truth as cleanly as their Lightsabers cut through their foes. When negotiations turn aggressive, a consular can demonstrate their gift of foresight by anticipating an enemy attack and cleanly deflecting it from any angle with their dual Lightsaber. The Jedi Consular is one of the support classes in Star Wars The Old Republic but can also become a deadly mid ranged fighter in the right hands.

 

 

The Galactic Republic classes all look really impressive in beta and I look forward to facing them in combat in their fully release form later this year. Now let’s take a closer look to the arsenal the Sith has.

 

Bounty Hunter

Everyone knows not to mess with a Bounty Hunter because they are deadly serious about their business and will kill anyone who gets in the way. As you might expect, these fighters specialize at assassinating their targets quickly and with great precision, at range if possible. These skilled fighters do anything for money and they will search the whole universe just to find their target and eliminate it. Although they prefer to use firearms, they have a few additional tricks up their sleeves to stave off an over aggressive target.

 

 

Sith Warrior

The Sith Warrior is the perfect opponent of the Jedi Knight. Both utilize various aspects of the force to enhance their melee fighting while disabling foes from range. The Sith Warrior seeks to rule the galaxy through power and intimidation and is unafraid of using his power on innocents to achieve his goals. In a team, you can expect to be looked at as an initiator and leader, running into your enemies to disrupt and confuse them while your backline safely reinforces you. As expected, their weapon of choice is the light saber.

 

 

Imperial Agent

The Imperial Agent is the Sith’s secret weapon. The cunning Agents of Imperial intelligence track down and eliminate the Empire’s enemies. They master the art of infiltration, seduction and assassination to advance the Empire’s causes. They have a lot of disguises and stealth enhanced battle-gear to make them untraceable and a constant threat to their enemy’s backline in combat. To counter them you have to keep ever vigilant, track where they disappear from, and predict their next move before they are able to put their plans into action. They are equipped with deadly firearms to deal massive burst damage to unsuspecting foes.

 

 

Sith Inquisitor

The Sith Inquisitor is the other support class that is available in Star Wars The Old Republic. This class represents the true ferocity Dark Force is able to unleash on a weak willed foe. The Inquisitor experiments with forbidden powers to not only survive in this cutthroat environment, but to excel and seize authority. These skillful fighters can be very deadly once they have come up with a plan and their arsenal of abilities can leave some of the bravest members of the Galactic Republic unable to proceed in combat. While most will play them as support healers, it is possible to play as a dark magic assassin so long as you can rely on your teammates to support you properly. Like the Jedi Consular, these manipulative geniuses use the dual-bladed Lightsaber as their main weapon.

 

 

With rumors of public betas swirling in the near future, I can’t wait to join the rest of our viewers in sharing the unique experience this game brings to the market. Feel free to message me on our forums to tell me what classes you are most excited for and why!