Star Wars: Empire at War/Rebel units

The Rebel Alliance forces have a wide variety of specialized and versatile units. Unlike the Empire, the Rebels have to employ effective strategy, since they are almost always outnumbered. Even when the Rebels match the Imperials in numbers, they will still lose, so you must capitalize on your strength and exploit their weaknesses. To accomplish this end, the Rebels have a few tricks up their sleeves...

An added bonus to the Rebel cause is that, due to the harsh nature of the Empire, most indigenous forces will fight for you. Take advantage of them in battle, you'll need the extra manpower.

Infantry
Rebel Infantry are poorly armed and poorly trained troops. They are more ragtag, as opposed to highly disciplined and trained stormtroopers. Unlike stormtroopers, the Rebels are highly motivated with unshakeable resolve and employ camoflauge and guerilla tactics. They are highly diverse, using personnel from both genders of every race, creed and walk of life.

Unlike the Empire, the Alliance will have to make good use of their soldiers, due to the lack of vehicular power. You will rely on Rebel infantry more than Rebel vehicles.

Rebel Soldier
Unlike mass-produced stormtroopers, Rebel soldiers are recruited from the brave and adventurous. They aren't as well armed or trained as Imperial Stormtroopers, but they work well together and have iron determination to accomplish anything thrown at them.


 * Special Ability: "Take Cover"
 * Makes the selected unit take significantly less damage at the cost of slower movement.


 * Size:
 * 1 Rebel Infantry Platoon is composed of 15 men. 3 Groups of 5 troops each.

Use these as garrison troops for your planets. In war, use them to battle stormtroopers. These soldiers can hold the line and stall an Imperial invasion; so if you need to buy time, form a defensive line along with PLEX Soldiers and use them against anything the Empire will throw at you. You might be surprised by how much damage you can cause. Use the "Take Cover" special ability while on Defense to give yourself plenty of time to evacuate your forces.

Rebel Plex Trooper
The Rebel "Vanguard", along with Infantry platoons, form the backbone of the Alliance military. They can also take cover, as to reduce damage and manuveurability. They are called 'Plex Troops' for their Plex Missile Systems.


 * Special Ability: "Take Cover"
 * Makes the selected unit take significantly less damage at the cost of slower movement.


 * Size:
 * 1 PLEX Missile trooper squad consists of 6 Rebels. 2 groups of 3 troops each.

Use these to punch holes in the Empire's war machines, but watch out for Stormtroopers. They are actually more effective to use against the Empire's vehicles than your own vehicles. These, along with Rebel Soldiers can hold the line and devastate Imperial forces long enough to organize a retreat... or a counter-offensive.

Rebel Infiltrator
Rebel Infiltrators, sometimes called "Special Agents", are specially trained to destroy bases without blowing their disguise. Armed with sniper rifles and detonators, these troops are capable of leveling entire bases without ever being found.


 * Special Ability: "Thermal Detonator"
 * Causes the selected unit to throw a timed explosive charge on a building or vehicle, inflicting heavy damage if not destroying it outright.


 * Size:
 * 1 Infiltrator Team is made up of 2 Infiltrators. Both can be operated independently of each other.

Use them in a "Raid Fleet" to dismantle enemy bases. Their Thermal Detonators can destroy most vehicles and buildings in one swoop, and their Sniper Rifles will make short work of stormtroopers. TIE Maulers are the only things to fear with these operatives.

A choice strategy for them is to sneak onto a planet and destroy the land-based space defenses, such as the Hypervelocity Gun, so that the Space Battle will be made easier. Shield Generators and Command Centers are ripe targets as well.

Rebel Vehicles
Although Alliance Vehicles are outclassed by their Imperial counterparts, they are still essential to any Rebel strategy. All Rebel Land vehicles are Tanks-- they have no walkers. Use their special abilities wisely, and they will be victorious against superior firepower and numbers.

T-47 Snowspeeder
The Rebel Speeder is a flying unit used for scouting and combat purposes. They were pivotal in the Battle of Hoth, being the only effective weapon against the mighty AT-AT walkers. They have the honor of being the only Flying ground unit in the game.


 * Special Ability: "Tow Cable"
 * Causes selected unit to fire a tow cable at an AT-AT in an attempt to trip it. Can only be used against AT-ATs. Take note that if the AT-AT is not moving, it cannot be tripped, however, it will be unable to move for a long period of time afterwords if it was.


 * Size:
 * 1 Snowspeeder group is made up of 3 Snowspeeders.

Use these as spotters for your artillery and bombing runs, as well as your #1 defense against AT-ATs. These can strafe other targets, Artillery being the best target. Just watch out, the Empire can deploy AT-AA Walkers and Anti-Air turrets to swat these craft out of the sky, so if you see them, have them flee from the combat zone or they will be either heavily damaged or destroyed.

As stated above, these are best used as raiders. Chief targets are Shield Generators, Artillery, AT-ATs, ground turrets (NOT Anti-Air) and other ground structures. If you find the enemy has an unguarded structure on the corner of the map, raid it. Just don't fly directly into an enemy base, they are likely to have at least 1 Anti-Air turret. (As the Empire, the best place to put an Anti-Air turret is right next to the Shield Generator or Command Center) This could, however, be used to your advantage. By flying around your opponent's base, you will make him panic and build AA Turrets. That means there will be less guns on the ground to fire on your soldiers and tanks. However, AA Turrets can fire on ground forces and inflict significant damage if the player manually targets your units.

MPTL Artillery
MPTL (Multiple Proton Torpedo Launcher) are Rebel artillery units. Unlike the Empire, who use energy bolts in their artillery, MPTLs use proton torpedoes. They come packaged with spotter drones.


 * Special Ability: "Deploy"
 * Deploys the unit so it can fire. Cannot move while in this mode. Using this ability again undeploys it, allowing it to be moved to a different location.


 * Size:
 * 1 MPTL group comes with 2 Artillery Units and 2 Spotter drones.

These are best used on defense, and are highly effective against anything the Empire can throw at you. Your only fears are bombing runs, Scout troopers that are still on bikes, 2-M Repulsor Tanks, and an AT-AT.

Spotter Drones Special ability: "Sensor Ping"
 * disperses an area in the Clouds of war allowing the player and the units to see what is going on in an area of the battlefield. This allows Bombing Runs to attack areas without a unit being in danger of being damaged or destroyed.

T2-B Rebel Tank
The T2-B Tank is the main tank used by the Rebels, and is the Rebel counterpart to the AT-ST. They are equipped with repulsorlift engines (making them "hover tanks") and shields.


 * Special Ability: "Hunt"
 * Makes the selected unit go off on its own to scout the map, searching for enemies. If it finds an enemy, it will alert you and do its best to destroy it, not stopping until the unit is defeated or until the T2-B itself is destroyed.


 * Size:
 * 1 T2-B group is made up of 5 tanks.

Use these early on as main battle vehicles. Because of their regenerating shields, these tanks have excellent survivability. Because of their repulsors, they have very high mobility and can cross over water. Later in the game, their role shifts to being that of a scout/spotter; used to aid in bombing runs and artillery strikes. They are still useful for raids at any point of the game.

One particularly effective, but costly strategy is to make three or four groups of T2-Bs and use their special "Hunt" ability. All tanks will scatter and scour the map for enemies. This is useful on Defense because it stalls invasions while the enemy is still trying to organize their troops to attack. On Offense, it keeps the Defender off-balance and you can move in with your troops and take the ground that the tanks cleared.

T4-B Heavy Tank
The T4-B is a main battle tank used by the Rebel Alliance and is the heaviest land unit they have available. It is much more heavily armed and armored than the T2-B, but it is also slower and more expensive. The missile launcher and twin heavy laser cannons it equips give it a multi-role capability.


 * Special Ability: "Rockets"
 * Toggles the use of Rockets on or off. If they are on, the laser cannons will not fire, and vice versa. The two weapons cannot be used at the same time.


 * Size:
 * 1 T4-B group is made up of 3 tanks.

These are highly effective against any target except multiple anti-tank turrets, more than one AT-AT and Bombing Runs. They are heavily armored and can withstand enormous punishment. Their laser cannons are effective against vehicles and their rockets bypass shields. Rockets are highly effective against buildings, (including turrets) infantry and light vehicles. Use these machines on the frontlines. If infantry are dug-in and are withstanding the rockets, crush them with your tank treads.

Alliance Starships
Rebel ships are very different than Imperial ships. First off, not a single Rebel ship in the fleet has a hangar bay, this means you must supply your own fighter and bomber groups. Secondly, none of your ships have shield generators on the outside, which means you will survive longer in a clash. Third, your ships tend to have a smaller variety of weaponry, so Rebel space firepower won't be able to match Imperial space power. And finally, to counter the above, Rebel ships are faster than Imperial ships, as well as having better armor and shields. You still can't win one-on-one, but your Mon Calamari Star Cruisers can.

As the Rebels, you will have to rely on your wits and your strategic use of fighter/bomber groups, as opposed to the Imperial strategy of just throwing capital ships at each other. Using surgical fighter/bomber strikes and effective use of your outgunned cruisers, you can defeat the Empire. As a good note, all of your aircraft can be built on your accord, and come equipped with shields and hyperdrives. This means they are long-range and are more durable, and can be deployed and operated independently of bases or cruisers. Rebel fighters and bombers also have more firepower at their disposal. Fighters and Bombers are the only areas in which you are superior, so use that to your advantage.

Z-95 Headhunter
These are the predecessors of the X-Wing. They are equipped with shields, a hyperdrive and two laser cannons.


 * Special Ability: "Hunt"
 * Makes the selected squadron go off on their own to scout the map, searching for enemies. If they find an enemy, they will alert you and do their best to destroy it, not stopping until the unit is defeated or until the Z-95 squadron itself is destroyed.


 * Size:
 * 1 Z-95 squadron is made up of 5 fighters.

Not as useful as X-Wings, these are used to screen the fleet for bombers and to engage enemy fighters. Used as a light, long range fighter.

X-wing
"The Incom T-65 X-wing is the fighter that killed the Death Star. An almost perfect balance of speed, maneuverability, and defensive shielding make it the fighter of choice for Rogue Squadron, except when the mission profile disallows it."

- General Rieekan describing the X-Wing

X-Wings are versatile multirole starfighters, and are the main space combatants of the Rebel Alliance. Equipped with shields, four laser cannons, an astromech droid and a hyperdrive, they are more than a match for Imperial TIE Fighter squadrons.


 * Special Ability: "Lock S-Foils"
 * Causes the X-Wing squadron to lock their S-Foils in either defense or attack position. Defense position (closed wings) offers you better speed and maneuverability with reduced firepower (approximately 50% less, as only 2 lasers are fired as opposed to 4), and attack position (the default open wings) offers you increased attack, with average speed and maneuverability. Shields and armor are unaffected.


 * Size:
 * 1 X-Wing squadron consists of 5 X-Wings.

These can be used to screen your ships from bombers, to engage enemy fighters, draw fire away from the cruisers, raiding, escort, scouting, etc. They are good for any task and are strong against everything except for Tartan Patrol Cruisers. You will be using these frequently.

Y-Wing
Y-Wings are outdated bombers used by the Rebel Alliance. With their shields, hyperdrive, astromech droid, twin laser cannons, an Ion Cannon, and a small bay for bombs and torpedos, these are bombers of choice when confronted with Imperial Cruisers.


 * Special Ability: "Ion Cannon"
 * Causes the selected Y-Wing group to fire their Ion Cannons on a target of your choosing. When fired, the Ion shots significantly weaken the shields, and depending on how many squadrons participate in the strike, the whole starship may be disabled with diminished shields and limited weapon defenses. Ion Cannon shots do no physical damage, only shields are affected. Cannot target TIEs with this ability.


 * Size:
 * 1 Y-Wing squadron is made up of 3 Y-Wings.

These are absolutely critical. These bombers are more important to the rebels than TIE Bombers are to the Empire. These are used for bombing runs on planets as well as engaging Imperial Capital ships. In most space scenarios, these are the only things capable of stopping an Imperial Star Destroyer or Space Station. They have Ion Cannons as their special ability, and can be used to disable ships to allow others to destroy them. Remember, their torpedoes bypass shields, so use them to destroy enemy shield generators and hangar bays to aid in the battle. Protect them at all costs, and sacrifice Fighter Squadrons if necessary.

A-Wing
""Anyone who volunteers to fly an A-Wing better be brave or crazy, probably helps to be a little bit of both""

- Han Solo

A state-of-the-art fast interceptor, A-Wings were developed shortly after the Battle of Yavin. They fared well against Imperial TIEs and only met their match with the TIE Interceptor. Using speed, shields, a hyperdrive and double laser cannons, these are deadly when chasing after TIEs.


 * Special Ability: "Lure"
 * Causes the selected A-Wing group to turn on a siren that causes all nearby enemy fighters to engage them. While this ability is in effect, ALL enemy fighters will be solely focused on this group. The A-Wing squadron who used the ability will be awarded increased defenses to compensate for the increased attack against them.


 * Size
 * 1 A-Wing squadron is made up of 5 A-Wings.

These are excellent escorts and interceptors. They aren't as versatile as X-Wings, but they are the best dogfighting unit in the game, even compared to TIE Defenders in the Forces of Corruption expansion. Use them to completely wipe out TIE Fighter and Bomber squadrons. Just be wary of Tartan-Class Patrol Cruisers. Their special ability is "Lure" which is highly effective as it automatically makes all fighter squadrons chase after the A-Wing squadron who used the ability. This protects bomber groups and allows other fighters to engage the TIEs from behind.

Corellian Corvette
The Corellian Corvettes are perfect anti fighter and anti bomber patrol cruisers, but have a bad habit of getting caught in the tractor beams of Imperial Star Destroyers.


 * Special Ability: "Power to Engines"
 * Causes the selected Corvette to experience a drastic increase in speed coupled with a decrease in firepower. Shields are not affected.


 * Weapons
 * 8 laser cannons

Highly effective against all fighter craft and transports. Use them against TIE Fighters, Bombers, Scouts, Tartans, Imperial Shuttles, and Transports. These corvettes are also good raiders for when you need to secure mining facilities and other space infastructure. Just keep them away from Imperial Cruisers and you will do just fine.

Corellian Gunship
A different version of the Corellian Corvette, these are armed with missiles to complement their laser batteries.


 * Special Ability: "Power to Engines"
 * Causes the selected Gunship a drastic increase in speed with a decrease in firepower. Shields are not effected. As a special note, the Gunship's engines don't need to recharge, meaning you can use this ability anytime you like as long as you wish.


 * Weapons
 * 2 laser cannons
 * 4 Concussion missile launchers.

Versatile, these are best used against Tartan Patrol Cruisers and Broadside missile cruisers in an anti-corvette role, but can also engage Imperial Cruisers in groups of 4 or more, or screen Rebel frigates and cruisers from TIE Bombers. Keep in mind that their missiles bypass enemy shields.

Marauder Cruiser
Marauder Cruisers can be considered to be space artillery ships with good firepower.


 * Special Ability: "Barrage"
 * Causes the selected Marauder to fire a large number of missiles in a concentrated area of your choosing. Causes significant damage.


 * Weapons:
 * Missile launcher

These are to be used the same way as artillery on the surface. Use them to pound on the larger enemy Star Cruisers and space stations.

Nebulon B Frigate
"For once, I would like to destroy a ship we didn't pay for!"

- Imperial Commander

A notable ship that fills many roles. Used as combat ships, command ships, and medical ships.


 * Special Ability: "Power to Shields"
 * Causes the selected unit a dramatic increase in shield protection, greatly increasing the rate of shield regeneration and strength of the shield itself. Causes a decrease in speed and firepower.


 * Weapons
 * 2 Laser cannon batteries
 * 2 Turbolaser batteries

More of a support ship, these are the Rebel counterpart of the Imperial Acclamator Assault Ship. Unlike the Acclamator, these have neither shield penetrating weapons nor fighter/bomber squadrons. These are best used against enemy Broadside-Class Cruisers, Tartan-class Patrol Cruisers and Inderdictor Star Destroyers. If properly supported, these can take on Acclamator Assault ships and Victory Star Destroyers. Can also be used to raid small enemy space stations.

These will comprise the bulk of your capital ship fleet. This is the most lightly armed capital ship in the game, but it still has more armor and shields than the Acclamator. Using it's special ability, "Power to Shields," these can withstand the volleys from even Imperial Star Destroyers. These should be used to back up the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, as it performs it's support role well.

Alliance Assault Frigate Mk. II
This ship fills many roles and has the ability to transfer all power to shields. It was made with an emphasis on firepower at the cost of durability.


 * Special Ability: "Power to Shields"
 * Causes the selected unit a dramatic increase in shield protection, greatly increasing the rate of shield regeneration and strength of the shield itself. Causes a decrease in speed and firepower.


 * Weapons
 * 2 Enhanced Turbolaser Batteries
 * 2 Laser cannon batteries

Being a heavy assault frigate, these were meant to go toe-to-toe against all Imperial Cruisers. These are best used against anything bigger than a corvette. It will take several in order to combat an Imperial Star Destroyer. Keep the bombers away, support it, and attack. Though these are heavy combat ships, these work best in a support role for the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser as it doesn't have enough durability to be the main ship of the fleet. "Power to Shields" will help it in a toe-to-toe brawl with enemy ships.

Mon Calamari Star Cruiser
""Make no mistake, the Mon Calamari saved the galaxy. Their cruisers protected our fleet at the Battle of Endor, allowing the starfighters to penetrate the second Death Star's core. Without Admiral Ackbar and his people, we would all be the Emperor's slaves.""

- Mon Mothma

Mon Calamari Cruisers are the flagships of the Rebel Fleet and the worst enemies Star Destroyers will meet in battle (2 Imperial Star Destroyers are needed to destroy 1 Mon Calamari Star Cruiser). TIE Bombers being their one weakness, these are used to even the odds against the Empire's dreaded fleet.


 * Special Ability: "Power to Shields"
 * Causes the selected unit a dramatic increase in shield protection, greatly increasing the rate of shield regeneration and strength of the shield itself. Causes a decrease in speed and firepower.


 * Weapons
 * 4 Enhanced Turbolaser batteries
 * 2 Ion Cannon batteries

The shields on this ship are so high that it take two concentrated Imperial Star Destroyers in order to bring down. With "Power to Shields," this ship is near invincible to attack using standard weaponry. These should be the center of every fleet, and should be closely guarded. Use these against any target you can open fire at, with the exception of TIE Bombers. The toughest space unit in the game.

Hero Units
'''The Rebellion is in possession of a couple Heroes to support its fleets and armies. However, it has no Hero ground vehicle, and it only has one Force-powered unit. On the other hand, the Rebel Heroes do more to support their team than the Imperial Heroes.'''

In Space, the Rebellion has more Heroes than the Imperial forces. This makes their presence in the battlefield a much needed boost that could make a once-insufficient fleet one that can take on things would have demolished it.


 * Admiral Ackbar, in his MC80 Mon Calamari Star Cruiser called the Home One, provides serious firepower and support against anything bigger than a fighter. The cruiser has 4 turbolaser batteries and four ion cannons equally positioned on the ship. This is a benefit, as the Home One has a large firing radius. However, the ship, after sustaining damage that destroys hardpoints, will angle itself to point more guns towards the target. This could ram it into asteroids, if positioned poorly, and cost it additional damage to shields and hardpoints. Its special abilities are Power to the Shields, just as other Rebel frigates and cruisers, and the ability Concentrate Firepower, which boosts the Home One's own damage, and tells all units in the vicinity to engage the chosen target. The Home One is quite weak against TIE Bombers, and has a dorsal shield generator that can be destroyed, thus removing its shield and (obviously) its shield boost ability. The Home One will receive the Fleet Commander if there is one in the fleet, so secluding him from the battlefield to prevent destruction will be hard to maintain.
 * Captain Raymus Antilles controls the corvette Sundered Heart. This corvette is a much faster and more powerful variant of the CR90 Corvette that the Rebels have on hand. Equipped with two turbolasers and four laser cannons, it cuts through fighters and bombers much faster than the standard Corvettes. Its special abilities include Power to the Engines, just as a normal Corvette, and an Energy Flux that decreases the damage of all opposing ships in its area of effect. The engine boost can easily break a tractor lock on the craft, and does not reduce the damage of the Sundered Heart too much, though it cuts down fire rate. This trade off makes the Sundered Heart the fastest ship in the game. The energy flux significantly weakens all fire against targets, and it can be used to reduce the damage of TIE bombers or Tartan Patrol Cruisers that could get through to craft that are weak against them. The Sundered Heart has a knack for being on the receiving end of Captain Piett's Avenger's Proton Beam, so be wary of him.
 * The Millenium Falcon, a heavily modified YT-1300 transport, is the most versatile craft in the game. Its guns are powerful enough to hack through a fully shielded Imperial cruiser and do significant, constant damage to the hardpoints underneath, and accurate enough to hit fast moving TIE fighters that pursue it from any and all angles. Though not being the fastest ship in the fleet, as Han Solo so commonly boasts, it is the most maneuverable craft, since it can avoid laser tower and Tartan Patrol Cruiser fire through player-controlled course corrections that throw off the pursuing lasers. The Millenium Falcon also has an Invincibility, one that can quite easily protect it from even Piett's Proton Beam and keep the Falcon alive and fighting. If it engages Boba Fett by itself, though, it will lose in the long run, since Boba has more powerful cannons and can deal more damage. The Millenium Falcon really outdoes itself in space combat, and can easily change the face of the battlefield.
 * Red Squadron is the elite fighter group that defeated the Death Star. Crewed by Garven Dreis, Wedge Antilles, Biggs Darklighter, John D. Brannon, Luke Skywalker, and Jek Tono Porkins, the squadron rips through TIE fighters and can easily outpace pursuing craft by closing the S-foils, as any other X-wing can do. The squadron's craft has a significant boost to laser and shield power, and their armor can (barely) withstand even Boba Fett's very deadly Seismic Charge, assuming the squadron was unharmed previously. Luke Skywalker's presence in the squadron gives him an undeniable advantage against other squadrons, as he is both invincible and extremely powerful, with laser blasts that are much more deadly than any other X-wing. His invincibility only lasts as long as the one other pilot of the squadron is alive, but both solo and in formation, with S-foils closed or open, he has the Lucky Shot ability. This ability delivers the most powerful blow in the game in a sudden burst, unstoppable by shields or armor. It has a guaranteed kill against any target selected, but it can not kill Darth Vader unless his squadron has been destroyed. Through that ability, Red Squadron can be used to speed in, snipe the shields, proton torpedo banks, and hangar of Imperial ships and stations, and get out without significant damage to the squadron. It also can destroy Boba Fett and Tartan Patrol Cruisers instantly, saving much damage to both Red Squadron and other fighter squadrons of the Rebellion. There are two major glitches with the ability. One can completely destroy the opposing station, but is a special tactic known to few. The other is a much more common, unavoidable one that has Luke flying about, unable to "take the shot" as he often claims. This leaves him vulnerable and has that target still intact. Several tries may be needed to make the target be hit by the Lucky Shot.