Star Wars Battlefront: How to Play Emperor Palpatine

Come, see for yourself. From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant rebellion — with our training. Emperor Palpatine may look like a fragile old man, but if you’re familiar with the Star Wars movies (yes, all six) you know that he’s anything but. Although rare to see on the battlefield, once he is, Palpatine can easily shift the momentum in the Empire’s favor.

When you first try your hand at the Dark Lord, you’ll notice that he’s the only hero character in Battlefront that isn’t armed. In Star Wars Battlefront, Palpatine doesn’t even carry his Lightsaber with him.

His main method of attacking in the game is his Force Lightning blasts. While holding down the mouse or trigger, the player will notice that there’s an action bar that’s constantly draining. Don’t worry, after a couple of seconds, it will fully recharge. It has a short range, but with Palpatine’s abilities to move in quick, you need not worry.

Since his main attack has a limited duration, you have to think about your battles before rushing into them. Palpatine isn’t the best hero to go head-to-head with. If he gets surrounded, he’s most likely doomed. He’s best played as a support character, especially since he can heal himself and offer buffs to nearby teammates.

If Palpatine finds himself surrounded, he can use his Force Dash ability to quickly leap out of a firefight. This ability is an extremely useful tool, both offensively and defensively. If you see a foe that’s just out of reach, Force Dash towards them and if the initial hit doesn’t kill them — blast them with your Force Lightning.

Probably the most crucial aspect of playing the Emperor is supporting your teammates. Using his Imperial Resources, Lord Sidious will drop down a buff that an ally can pick up. Make sure to always use this ability if you’re not engaged in a battle, since it takes a few precious seconds to cast. If you find yourself weakened after an engagement with the enemy, use Imperial Resources and pick it up to restore some of your health.

Also, make sure you notify nearby teammates to spawn directly on you. If they do, a select number of them will be allowed to play as Shock Troopers. These elite Storm Troopers are armed with heavy weaponry such as missile launchers and anti-infantry rockets. More firepower is always welcome on the battlefield.

Since he’s a hero character, the Emperor can also dish out the pain. You’ll notice he has another ability called Chain Lightning. This is the beefed up version of his Force Lightning attack. It takes a second to cast but once it leaves his withered hands, Chain Lightning does a ridiculous amount of damage. As the name implies, it also forks to other enemies giving Palpatine much needed AOE damage.

If you choose to be on the offensive, the best way to open up an engagement is to Force Dash into an enemy, then use Chain Lightning to eliminate the threat. If there are still troops remaining, pick off as many as you can with your regular Force Lightning attack. If you run low on health, Force Dash should be off cooldown to allow you to make a safe retreat. After you’re safe, use his Imperial Resources ability to get some of your health back.

That about does it for the Dark Lord of the Sith. He’s extremely versatile and if played correctly, can easily survive an entire match. Are you pumped to play as the Emperor? Or would you rather play as one of the other hero characters in Star Wars Battlefront? Let us know in the comments below!