Geonosis: All About the Vehicles

By Alex McLain

Star Wars Battlefront™ is not your typical online shooter. It doesn't take place in confined maps with new weapon upgrades lying around. You won't be memorizing the location of the rocket launcher and its ammo when playing Battlefront. It's a war/battle simulator done Star Wars®-style, and as we all know, vehicles play a prime role in any big Star Wars battle. Each map offers up a unique experience. On one hand you have Mos Eisley, where vehicles play no part at all. On the other end of the spectrum is Geonosis. This map will be a favorite for vehicle lovers.

Geonosis is the planet that hosted the wildly kinetic and just flat-out awesome battle at the closing of Attack of the Clones. As you may recall, this battle took place in wide open spaces (except for the arena portion), and the Battlefront version is no different. This is a big map, and to be successful, you'll need to master vehicle strategy. Let's look at the different vehicles available.

No, you don't get to control that.

The Gunship: It's More than Firepower
The Republic Gunship is one of the more versatile vehicles in the game. You're offered two as the battle starts at the Assembly Area spawn (they'll respawn as they get destroyed, too). The first time you spawn in the battle on the Republic side, you'll hear a command telling you to destroy the droid control ships. This is where the Gunships come into play.

First, though, you'll need to know what this vehicle (vessel, really) is capable of. The pilot not only controls the movement of the ship, but also the front lasers and the missiles. There are also two side-mounted lasers that can be manned by other players or bots. Beyond that, the Gunship is a troop carrier. It's vital that you use this to your advantage. For example, have a few players on your team spawn as Arc Troopers (they're the ones with rocket launchers), and have them hitch a ride on a Gunship and land them (note: press and hold the A button while flying and you will automatically land your ship) near the droid control ships, so they can help destroy them. Once at the droid control ships, have the two players in the side-mounted lasers pick off enemy infantry while the pilot uses his front-mounted lasers and missiles to destroy the control ships. These control ships act as spawn locations for the droids, so it's a huge tactical advantage to take them out. Such destroyable spawns are a feature unique to Geonosis.

AT-TE: The Heaviest Artillery
The AT-TE is the biggest, baddest, and, unfortunately, slowest vehicle in the game. You've got one guy piloting the thing and dealing out big damage with the four front-mounted lasers. You've got someone else on the swiveling top-mounted cannon that does ridiculous amounts of damage, and yet another set of guns for someone else to operate. The AT-TE is a tank buster. It deals out more damage than any other vehicle, but the key is to have it fully manned. Beyond its damage capabilities, it also acts as a mobile spawn point, which allows soldiers to spawn around it and protect it. This is important since its lack of speed and bulk make it a very easy target. Also, from the beginning of the match you should be moving towards the droid control ships. If you can get within line-of-sight of the control ships, make sure to concentrate your heavy cannon fire on them, and let those manning the standard lasers worry about nearby enemies.

Slow, but powerful.

The Hailfire: Terror on Wheels
The Hailfire is the giant two-wheeled rocket-launching vehicle from Attack of the Clones. It only needs one person to operate, which is a nice change of pace from the Republic vehicles. It's also extremely fast, which makes it the perfect foil for the AT-TE. You should be able to roll circles around the Republic walker, firing missiles the entire time, so make sure that the AT-TE's destruction is the prime objective for the Hailfire. Bear in mind that it is very lightly armored and easy to blow up, though.

The Spider Walker: Anti-Infantry
The Spider Walker is an extremely tall gangly walker that dominates the enemy's infantry. Like the Hailfire, it only requires one person to operate, but, unlike the Hailfire, it is extremely slow. Its advantage, though, is its one weapon. It's a prolonged laser, meaning that once fired, it appears as one long beam and lasts for a couple seconds. While it doesn't do a good job of piercing the armor of the AT-TE, it does cut a swath through infantry. The biggest gift for a Spider Walker is to see enemy infantry grouped close together. Just fire off the laser and cut it across the line. You can net up to five kills in one shot with some careful aiming.

Bye-bye Spider Walker.

Geonosian Starfighter: Death to the Gunships
The Geonosian Starfigher is a speedy and agile snub-fighter. It's the perfect opposite of the Republic Gunship, which is powerful, but slow. It may actually be the fastest ship in the whole game, but it's lightly armored and only carries one gun. That said, just like the Hailfire, you should be able to run circles around the enemy, specifically the Gunships, and take them down. It can also be helpful in taking out the AT-TE, which has no way of defending itself against aerial attacks. The Gunships and AT-TE should, in fact, be your highest priority when piloting the Geonosian fighter. It can, if need be, lay down laser fire on infantry units, but that would be a waste of its talents.

Doing battle on Geonosis is an exercise in Battlefront vehicle warfare. It's a big, sprawling map that rewards good vehicle strategy, and should be a favorite for those that love the pilot class. Now, get online and show 'em what you've learned!