EA has thrown up an informative blog post today for Star Wars: Squadrons that goes over the game’s available Starfighters, the classes each Starfighter belongs to, as well as a detailed breakdown of the game’s power management system.
To start, these will be the eight Starfighters available in the game:
● T-65B X-wing starfighter
● BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber
● RZ-1 A-wing interceptor
● UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft
● TIE/ln starfighter (“TIE fighter”)
● TIE/sa bomber (“TIE bomber”)
● TIE/in interceptor (“TIE interceptor”)
● TIE/rp reaper attack lander (“TIE reaper”)
Now each of these will have their own unique feel and functionalities, but in general each ship will share the following features: primary weapons, countermeasures, a hull outfitting, engines, and two auxiliary abilities. Some of the ships will also have shields.
In terms of power management each model of ship will allow players to manage three subsystems during battle to potentially give them an advantage. These systems will be Engines, Lasers, and Shields, and players can add or remove power from each system to make them more powerful at the expense of the other systems.
While players can max out a system like lasers through upgrades, they can still use power management to give more powers to their lasers, but since they’re already maxed, the added bump will give them overcharged lasers. It should be noted that players will be able to choose between a more basic power management system, or a more advanced one depending on their preference.
The article also broke down the four ship classes that each Starfighter will be a part of. The classes are: Fighters, Bombers, Interceptors, and Support.
From the article each class is defined below:
- Fighter-class ships are some of the most balanced ships. They’re good at dogfighting, quite agile, and can take a hit, making them exceptionally flexible starfighters that can adapt to any situation. Though they typically won’t excel in any one specific area like the other starfighters, they’re great as an all-purpose playstyle. The iconic X-wing and TIE fighter make up this class.
- Interceptor-class ships are uniquely tailored for dogfighting. These ships have very high speed and lasers to match, but they’re glass-cannons, too. They dish out a lot more damage than they can take, making them well-suited for hit-and-fade attacks or picking off enemy ships. The beloved A-wing and TIE interceptor make up this class.
- Bomber-class starfighters which live up to their name. These ships, though slower moving, can take a lot of damage and deal out even more. You’ll want these in your squadrons when it’s time to do bombing runs on enemy capital ships and their accompanying cruisers, but don’t underestimate them in a dogfight, either. While they aren’t as nimble or agile as other starfighters, they can reliably hold their own in a fight and can take down an enemy ship faster than most others, making them ideal frontline fighters. The hardy Y-wing and TIE bomber are part of this class.
- Support-class starfighters. These ships are dedicated to keeping their allies in the fight by resupplying and repairing them, but are also uniquely suited for building out defensive and offensive capabilities. They have the ability to use tractor beams to stop or slow enemies, drop mines to entrap and take out foes, and deploy turrets on the go to bring some additional firepower to a location, changing the way both squadrons fight and fly. Though they’re less agile than other starfighters and don’t usually deal as much damage, they’re great at disabling enemy ships while helping their squadron, making them excellent to have on your wings for any engagement. The reliable U-wing and TIE reaper are the two in this ship class.
The article goes on to describe the ship cockpit designs, so feel free to check out the rest of it over at EA.
