The Clone Wars: Xbox Live Tactics

The interstellar battle between the forces of good and evil explodes onto Xbox Live with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. If you thought the offline multiplayer battles were intense, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

The item we hear the most questions about is the Conquest mode—the learning curve presents a steeper climb than the other modes, but that doesn't make it any less fun. With a total of eight combatants on the battlefield at once, chances are good that you'll get some experienced pros mixed in with rookies like you. And as you probably already know, this is the primary ingredient for a blowout. So if you're one of those players that can't figure out the difference between a fighter tank and an AT-XT, or are just wondering where the hell those missiles are coming from, read on for some much needed help!

Your Outpost and You
It should come as no surprise that the key to Conquestvictory is understanding the use of outposts. You may already know that there are new options available online that aren't found in the offline multiplayer mode, such as guided missiles and disruptor cannons. You can dock with an outpost and use the advanced features once four turrets have been erected.

But what many players don't realize is that your outpost produces AI bots while you're docked. You don't have to see the text "Building Unit #1" to actually produce them. Maximize your time at the outpost. As soon as that fourth turret is up, dock to launch a guided missile or two at enemy positions while AI units are being built.

If your strategy is dependent on speed, travel in groups of teammates. Every outpost has a zone around it, and the more people in a single zone the faster an outpost develops. AI bots can make or break any strategy so get them in play ASAP.

If enemy AI bots are causing stress headaches, just remember that just one destroyed turret stops bot production. A single player can cause a lot of havoc jumping from enemy outpost to enemy outpost taking out only one or two turrets without capturing it.

Your Headset Won't Bite
We feel like a broken record saying this, but it's true. The best teammates are those that talk to each other. Achieving success versus experienced teams requires coordination and timing. Talk to your teammates. Use the map (by pressing the right thumbstick) to coordinate efforts, and be as descriptive as possible. In the heat of battle it's easy to say, "the generator is back up." But do you mean OUR generator is repaired, or is the enemy generator repaired?

It's helpful to keep a running commentary on the state of your rivals' shield generator. It can't be repaired until it's destroyed, so if it's on the verge of collapse, don't give the enemy a chance to repair it until teammates are in a position to attack headquarters (HQ). Otherwise you'll just be wasting precious moments of HQ vulnerability.

I Spy
Keeping track of enemies is a vital ingredient to success. You don't want to leave your HQ unattended, for example, when your opponent has just launched an all out attack. To get a bird's eye view of the entire battlefield, use the sentinel droid option at your HQ. While docked, you can issue commands to individual outposts and give teammates the battlefield 411.

But how can you monitor your enemies when you're in the thick of battle? It involves some guesswork, but you can get a vague idea of where those suckers are hiding. Pull up the overhead map and look for activity at the outposts. If you see four outposts suddenly come under enemy control then you know the position of all four opponents. Are turrets appearing faster than usual at any one spot? It's likely that multiple adversaries are busy at that location. Don't see any activity at all? They might be making a rush for your base. And of course you can always pinpoint enemies by amassing a scouting network. If you see an enemy, give a shout to notify teammates so that they can either lend assistance or hightail it out of there, depending on your strategy.

The Tortoise and the Hare
Why in the world would you want to use the painfully slow AT-XT or the AAT instead of the wildly popular and extremely speedy Fighter Tanks and GATs? Well, consider: the plodding AT-XT walkers have stronger armor, a shield for deflecting attacks, and high-power weaponry. Offensively they are perfect for taking out heavily fortified enemy outposts and getting involved in other situations that are not for the faint of heart. When things get crazy, just turn on the defensive shield. If you need someone to play some defense, this may be the vehicle to choose.

The AATs are extremely powerful killing machines, capable of vaporizing even the best players with only one hit. But pick your fights carefully when going toe-to-toe with other players—both secondary vehicles move in slo-mo compared to faster ships that can run circles around them.

Strength in Numbers
How often do your AI bots sitting idle after being produced? These units are waiting for a command! You'll need to dock at your home base to issue commands to bots, and these commands remain until another has been issued. In the beginning phases of a match, you'll have only a few outposts creating bots; and if that initial command is to attack the enemy's HQ, they'll be lambs to the slaughter. There is both power and safety in numbers. If you're confident in your team's skills, try the following strategy.

Recall all your AI bots to defend your home base. Then, when the time is right, command all of them at once to attack the enemy home base while teammates simultaneously bombard their shield generator with guided missiles. You can hide among the swarm of AI bots for safety, letting them absorb some of the enemy fire while you blast anything that stands in your way. Ride the wave of destruction all the way to the enemy base and take it down.

The Blitzkrieg
This strategy works well with teams of four players. In the opening stages of the game, most players make an immediate dash for the nearest outpost, anticipating a long, fierce battle. So mix things up. Have one player fortify the outpost nearest your home base, and then set AI units to defend HQ. Once docked with the outpost, begin launching guided missiles at the enemy's generator.

Meanwhile, send the other three teammates on a direct route to the opposing team's base. Hopefully by the time they arrive, the other guys' shield generator will be ready to give, leaving an open—and usually undefended—enemy HQ as a juicy target. Speed-based tactics like these usually work against a team once or twice before they catch on, so employ them wisely.

We've Got New Neighbors, and They Ain't Friendly!
This strategy is risky (and difficult), but will leave opponents mystified if performed correctly. Send two players deep into unfriendly territory to fortify an outpost within sight of the enemy HQ, and dock as soon as possible to set up a disruptor cannon.

Little known fact: the disruptor cannon is the only weapon that can damage HQ without having to destroy the shield generator first. Get one player to blast the HQ with the disruptor while the other juggles defense and a simultaneous attack on other targets. Opponents will know the base is under attack but they will never have received warning that the shield generator was destroyed. Of course, that's because your team never touched it!

Don't Get Cocky, Kid
Use your head when you see a group of AI bots. Generally they'll dispose of you rather easily in a full frontal attack; and if they don't, they'll sap you of all your precious missiles. It makes more sense to take out these units with a disruptor cannon or guided missile while docked at an outpost, but if there's no way to avoid a direct confrontation, use your mobility to position your vehicle behind the bots before attacking.

When confronting human opponents, make sure the fight is on your terms. Lure foes near heavily fortified outposts to get some help from turrets, or use tag team warfare when a friend is nearby.

Had enough? Then get out there and blast away!