Despite all the controversy surrounding its progression system, which you can read about somewhere else if you really want to be angry on the internet, it's easy to think Battlefront 2 is a total, irredeemable mess. It's not! Yes, loot boxes are annoying and the campaign tries very hard to convince you it matters when it really doesn't, but underneath the flaws is a solid game made by a ton of people that absolutely delivers on its toy box fantasy.

Battlefront 2 is a complicated game that expects players to figure out a lot of its details for themselves. With The Last Jedi finally out, I thought it was time for some good old fashioned Star Warsing and dove back into the game. I've emerged with a few secrets and tricks I managed to bash out of this big, weird, frustratingly beautiful love letter to the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

SPOILERS FOR THE LAST JEDI AND BATTLEFRONT 2'S CAMPAIGN. They're pretty clearly marked but watch out if you haven't seen the new movie. Which, c'mon, you're reading a tips article about a Star Wars game, you should go see that movie. Don't listen to the angry, entitled internet people: the whole point of the movie is to challenge what Star Wars means, it's the major theme of the film. Plus the campaign in Battlefront 2 isn't very good so don't sweat it if you haven't been able to finish it.

13 The Secret Art Of Deflecting Explosives & Grenades

via: wccftech

Battlefront 2 has the same chaotic feel of the Battlefield series and a big part of that is thanks to the physics engine that drives all the mayhem. It's easy to get dazzled by all the sparks, fog, smoke, and lasers but you can actually use this chaos to your advantage.

If you're in a heavy firefight, like at the beginning of a match on Kamino, it can be worthwhile to just hurl your grenade into the fray. You may not hit anyone but it's possible the force of your explosion will push someone else's grenade away from your team. If you're very lucky, you may even push a friendly grenade deeper behind the lines. You can also use some of the hero characters' Force abilities for the same effect.

12 You Can Be A Healer! (Kinda)

via: battlefront.wikia.com

If you're anything like me, you appreciate the finer things in life. Even in a high-stakes, all-or-nothing space battle to the death, sometimes it's nice to hang back and just play a support class for a few rounds. While Battlefront 2 doesn't have a healing beam ala Mercy in Overwatch, it is possible to help out your team without hurling yourself into laser fire.

The Officer's Battle Tactics ability gives you and everyone within a small area in front of you a boost to their health. You can use this similarly to a healing beam as well as rack up plenty of battle points yourself as every new player you support in this way earns you 25 points, but you'll also get credited with assists for every target someone you're supporting takes down. Pro Tip: Pop this at the beginning of the match when your team is clustered together for an easy boost of battle points.

11 Mess With Your Sensitivity (Quick!)

via: EA/DICE

This is a common tip if you play shooters on the PC but I've never had to do it on consoles. I find Battlefront 2's shooting to be 'floaty' and unsatisfying, especially compared to Destiny 2. I think this is due to the game allowing you to play in first or third person but, regardless, the imprecise controls and mobility of the players you're trying to shoot makes actually getting kills trickier in this one than the first Battlefront.

Go into your control settings and bump up your sensitivity (I've got mine at 50%) but also make sure you lower your 'deadzone.' The deadzone isn't just an underrated Christopher Walken movie, it's a space you have to move your analog stick past before your character starts to move. Lowering this can take some getting used to, but once you adjust you'll find acquiring targets MUCH easier.

10 Don't Aim, Dummy!

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I know this sounds like terrible advice and, I swear, I'm not trying to infect the Battlefront 2 player base with bad tips to get my score up. This is actually a hold-over tip from the last Battlefront and, while it's not as essential in the sequel, it's still surprisingly effective. Years of Call of Duty has trained most shooter players to 'ADS' (Aim Down Sights) immediately upon seeing an enemy to focus their aim. In Battlefront 2, for whatever reason, the benefits of ADS are much less and, in some cases, can be a liability.

When using the Heavy class, try shooting from the hip at close range. You'll be surprised how much easier it is to get hits, especially if you lowered your deadzone like in the previous tip.

9 The Secret To Flying Like An Ace

via: EA/DICE

Speaking of controls, the default flight controls for starfighters are designed to mitigate confusion and, presumably, nausea the first few times you launch. Starfighter Assault is a MAJOR improvement in Battlefront 2 (Honestly, it's the reason I bought the game) and diving into its specifics is a lot of fun.

Once you've got a few missions under your belt, go into your control settings and change two things. First, invert your flight controls. This will make you climb when you push the thumbstick down and dive when you push it up, just like a real flightstick. It's weird at first, but it makes a lot more sense once you get used to it. Next, turn on Advanced Flight. This will stop your fighter from leveling out to the horizon when you stop maneuvering which seems handy at first, but actually results in you fighting your ship for control in tight turns.

8 There's More To Grenades Than Explosions

via: EA/DICE

Building on the last item, it's easy to pick one grenade and stick to it, especially if you're just looking to do damage. It can be comforting, with all the special abilities and levels and modifiers put into play by your star cards, to have a nice, reliable thermal detonator at your fingertips.

Don't ignore the other grenade types though! I'm a big fan of the dioxis grenade, which releases a poison cloud that hangs around in the air for a few seconds, doing damage over time and obscuring vision. As a bonus, the cloud will penetrate those pesky squad shields and choke the people taking refuge inside, one of the most effective ways of breaking a choke point. Once the enemy squad breaks from cover, you can use the shield yourself until the person who dropped it gets wise and shuts it down.

7 Missiles Are More Useful Than You Think

via: EA/DICE

At long and medium range missiles can be effective at doing damage but, even right up close, they can just as easily be the distraction you need to get a kill. Since the 'cone' for locking on with a missile is wider than for your guns, you can get a lock while trying to maneuver into place. Firing a missile may cause your opponent to panic or turn into the missile to dodge it (Another good tactic.)

You can use the confusion to break off, get some distance, and nail those cannon shots you were going for in the first place. Don't forget to use the Interceptor's Hard Lock ability to make this even easier. (And to maximise the damage should the missile hit or once you get your guns on him.)

6 Fight Smart On Crait

via: usgmaer.com, starwars.com

The spectacular final battle on the salt world Crait has been recreated in Battlefront 2 with all the care and detail shown to the set pieces from the other films. While the initial phase may seem to be heavily stacked in the favour of the First Order, with the Resistance forced to expose themselves above the trench line to do damage, the Ski Speeders racing around the battle actually provide a handy tactical bonus.

While you're buzzing around blasting AT-STs and picking off troops, you're kicking up huge clouds of red dust that work like smoke grenades to obscure the battlefield. If you ditch the speeder to fight on the ground, you can use this dust as cover to move from position to position. Careful though: the enemy will still see an icon over your head if you try to fire an ion disruptor.

5 Slow Down!

This is probably the most effective tip I can give and the hardest to put into practice. With all the blasting, sprinting, explosions, and heroes it's easy to get over excited and rush into the fray, only to get mowed down as soon as you arrive. This is actually a general tip I try to force on myself whenever I play an online multiplayer game: Don't sprint into combat. Ever. This may seem counter to sticking with your squad but, most of the time, slowing down and approaching the battle slowly will be of more use that charging into combat. You'll kill more, die less, and generally help your team more than hurling yourself into the meat grinder.

This is especially true when you're playing a hero. The Jedi characters are so cool, but they are actually pretty vulnerable. The best Hero players hang back, pick the right moment, then strike.

4 Stick With Your Squad

via: EA/DICE

Battlefront 2 doesn't do a great job of explaining its squad system but there's more to seeing the portraits of the people you spawn into the game with than getting a cool shot of everyone about to do battle. It can give you an idea of the makeup of troops in the battle in general: if your squad has three Heavies, chances are good most of the squads will too.

Your squad also appears in battle and on the minimap in yellow and sticking with them will give you a multiplier to your battle point gains, and sticking close to an officer who knows what their doing with Battle Command can drastically increase your survivability. You'll get Teamplay bonuses as well for being close to players playing objectives, like a squaddie who fires an ion disruptor at an AT-AT, for example.

3 Spot Snipers Every Time

via: battlefront.wikia.com

The wide open areas of many maps in Battlefront 2, especially in Galactic Assault, are a blessing and a curse. In the one hand, the scale of these battles is what makes the game so much fun and epic but some maps, like Crait and Kashyyyk, are havens for snipers.

Look for the gleam. Sniper scopes give off a big, silvery flash of light when they're being aimed at you. Start watching for these in the distance to know when you're being targeted and roll out of the way as soon as you spot one. They make handy things to aim at, too. Since your shots don't drop, you can hit a sniper with any weapon at range and doing so a few times might spook the shooter into breaking for cover.

2 Be Flexible!

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Battlefront 2's Star Card system is complicated and confusing at first but actually gives you a ton of flexibility once you've unlocked a few options. Since each class levels up separately and you can't predict what you'll get from loot boxes, the game can encourage you to experiment rather than allowing you to mainline towards the same playstyle you use in every online shooter.

To that end, don't be afraid to change your star card loadouts mid-mission. For example, when playing as the Republic on Kashyyyk, you'll find ion torpedoes and anti-vehicle weapons very handy in the first few stages, but you should swap them out for anti-infantry gear once the Separatists get inside the hangar. Especially since both teams will probably be flush with battle points by this stage, you want to have your best tools to deal with Darth Maul and Captain Phasma.

1 Be A Tourist

via: starwars.wikia.com, gameranx.com

This almost certainly won't help you win matches but is so much fun. The Battlefront games are painstakingly faithful recreations of locations from the movies and are as much fun to explore as they are to blast around in. There are so many cool little secrets and references to find, but here are some of my favorites.

  • On Takodana, there's a painting of Maz wielding a blaster and wearing a jetpack, just like in her cameo in Last Jedi
  • You can find Kylo Ren's torture chair on Starkiller Base, the briefing rooms from New Hope and Rogue One on Yavin 4, and many other famous locations.
  • And the reverse: in the campaign, we help Luke Skywalker find a compass in the Emperor's treasure vault. This same compass is on a shelf of his belongings in the movie, The Last Jedi.