Petroglyph shipped Empire at War on 16 February 2006 and the Forces of Corruption expansion the following October, and the Gold Pack on Steam bundles both. You run a galactic map of planets, income and fleets, then drop into real time battles in space and on the ground across more than 80 locations. Two decades later Steam sits at 97 percent positive over roughly 26,600 reviews, and the mod scene is most of the reason.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Shoot hardpoints, not hulls
Shoot hardpoints, not hulls. Every capital ship carries separate shield generators, engines, turbolasers and hangars, and taking out the shield generator first turns a twenty minute slog into a short fight.
2. Kill engines when you want a kill rather than a retreat
Kill engines when you want a kill rather than a retreat. An enemy commander who is losing will pull ships out of the battle, and a Star Destroyer with dead engines cannot leave the map with its hull intact.
3. Corvettes and Gunships in pairs are the correct answer to an unescorted Broadside Cruiser
Corvettes and Gunships in pairs are the correct answer to an unescorted Broadside Cruiser. They arrive faster than the Broadside can reposition and put out more damage than its shields absorb.
4. Tartan Patrol Cruisers exist for one job
Tartan Patrol Cruisers exist for one job. If your fleet is losing hardpoints to fighter swarms, you did not bring enough anti fighter escort, and no number of extra Star Destroyers fixes that.
5. The Nebulon-B is a support ship, not a warship
The Nebulon-B is a support ship, not a warship. It repairs and screens, and sending it to the front line as a second line of hull is one of the most common Rebel mistakes.
6. On the ground, reinforcement points decide the battle
On the ground, reinforcement points decide the battle. Units land where you hold ground, so capturing points near the enemy base is worth more than a favourable trade in the open field.
7. Build pads are free strength
Build pads are free strength. Turrets, anti air and bacta stations all come from pads scattered around the map, and a player who claims them fights every subsequent engagement with healing and covering fire the enemy lacks.
8. AT-ATs need anti air cover
AT-ATs need anti air cover. Airspeeder tow cables bring them down in a way blaster infantry never will, so an Imperial column without AT-AA is one Snowspeeder squadron from losing its heaviest units.
9. Playing as the Consortium, corruption is the whole strategy
Playing as the Consortium, corruption is the whole strategy. Defilers spread corruption to planets you do not own, Intimidation strips the owner's bonus, and Black Market upgrades give you equipment your economy alone would never support.
10. The mod scene is the main reason the game still holds 97 percent positive reviews after twenty years
The mod scene is the main reason the game still holds 97 percent positive reviews after twenty years. Thrawn's Revenge, Awakening of the Rebellion and Empire at War Remake all rebuild the unit rosters and the galactic map, and they install through the Steam Workshop.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Galactic Empire (A-Tier):
- Focus on Galactic map into tactical battles combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Imperial Star Destroyer
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Rebel Alliance (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Mon Calamari Cruiser
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Galactic map into tactical battles + Capital ship hardpoints: The galactic layer handles planets, credits, build slots and fleet movement, and any contested move drops you into a real time battle. Combined with Capital ship hardpoints, capital ships carry separate targetable hardpoints for shield generators, engines, turbolasers and hangars.
Land battle reinforcement points + Zann Consortium corruption: Ground fights are decided by reinforcement points, which is where new units land once you hold the ground. When paired with Zann Consortium corruption, the consortium corrupts planets it does not own by sending a defiler, then runs missions including racketeering, piracy, kidnapping, intimidation, bribery, corrupt militia, black market and slavery.
Planet specific bonuses scaling: Planets carry hard mechanical effects rather than flavour. Holding Kuat cuts Imperial Star Destroyer cost by 25 percent, the Vergesso Asteroids give fighters and bombers a 25 percent damage boost, and capital ship construction is restricted to Kuat, Fondor, Mon Calamari and Sullust.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial Star Destroyer | Holding the centre of a space battle while the hangars supply fighter cover for the whole fleet. | The Empire's line capital ship, carrying heavy turbolasers, a shield generator and hangars that launch TIE Fighters and Bombers continuously. |
| Mon Calamari Cruiser | Standing toe to toe with Star Destroyers when the Rebels cannot avoid a straight fleet fight. | The Rebel heavy attack cruiser, armed with turbolaser and ion cannon batteries. |
| AT-AT | Leading a ground advance down an open approach where infantry cannot reach anything vital. | The Imperial heavy walker, effectively immune to standard blaster infantry and slow enough that it never surprises anyone. |
| Tartan Patrol Cruiser | Screening capital ships from the fighter swarms that would otherwise strip their hardpoints. | A light Imperial cruiser with four laser cannons built to shred fighters and bombers. |
| Broadside Cruiser | Long range area damage from behind a Star Destroyer or Victory cruiser screen. | The Imperial missile cruiser, which bombards a circular area from beyond the range of most ships. |
Location Efficiency
Kuat (Mid to late galactic conquest): The Imperial shipyard world and one of only four planets where capital ships can be built. Holding it cuts Imperial Star Destroyer cost by 25 percent, which makes it the single most valuable planet on the Imperial side of the map.
Mon Calamari (Mid to late galactic conquest): The Rebel counterpart to Kuat and the source of Mon Calamari Cruisers. Losing it removes the Rebels' only real answer to Imperial capital ships, so it is the obvious Imperial target once the war reaches the mid game.
Fresia (Early campaign): The Incom world where the Rebel campaign stages the theft of four X-wing prototypes from an Imperial depot. It is an early campaign objective rather than a late war prize.
Hoth (Any stage, signature ground battle): The ice world, and the ground battle everyone loads the game for. Snowspeeder tow cables are the intended way to bring down AT-ATs here, and the open snow gives walkers a long uninterrupted approach.
Vergesso Asteroids (Any stage of galactic conquest): An asteroid field rather than a planet, and one of the more valuable space holdings because it grants a 25 percent damage boost to fighters and bombers. Carrier heavy fleets get noticeably stronger from one map tile.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Attacking a capital ship's hull instead of its shield generator, which turns every space battle into a much longer fight than it needs to be.
- Leaving Broadside Cruisers unescorted. They outrange most of the fleet and die to the first pair of corvettes that reaches them.
- Sending Rebel infantry against AT-ATs. Standard blaster troops do almost nothing, and the intended counter is airspeeder tow cables or heavy tanks.
- Ignoring build pads in ground battles and then wondering why the defender has turrets, anti air and a bacta station and you have none.
- Playing the Consortium like a conventional faction. Ignoring Defilers and corruption throws away the entire reason the expansion added them.
Pro Quick Tips
- Shoot hardpoints, not hulls. Every capital ship carries separate shield generators, engines, turbolasers and hangars, and taking out the shield generator first turns a twenty minute slog into a short fight.
- Kill engines when you want a kill rather than a retreat. An enemy commander who is losing will pull ships out of the battle, and a Star Destroyer with dead engines cannot leave the map with its hull intact.
- Corvettes and Gunships in pairs are the correct answer to an unescorted Broadside Cruiser. They arrive faster than the Broadside can reposition and put out more damage than its shields absorb.
- Start with Rebel Alliance, switch to Galactic Empire when ready
- Invest in Imperial Star Destroyer above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Kuat → Mon Calamari → Fresia → Hoth → Vergesso Asteroids. See our maps guide
- Galactic map into tactical battles + Capital ship hardpoints together are stronger than either alone
More STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Guides
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Overview
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Best Builds
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Tier List
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Walkthrough
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Beginner's Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Weapons Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Combat Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Boss Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Maps & Locations
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Crafting Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Classes & Characters
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