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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Kuat | Galactic map into tactical battles basics | Rebel Alliance | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Mon Calamari | Capital ship hardpoints mastery | Rebel Alliance | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Fresia | Land battle reinforcement points + gear | Galactic Empire or Rebel Alliance | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Hoth | Build optimization | Galactic Empire | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Vergesso Asteroids | Min-max | Galactic Empire or Hutts | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Kuat)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Mid to late galactic conquest Key Rewards: Star Destroyer cost reduction, capital ship construction
What to Do in Kuat
- Learn Galactic map into tactical battles. The galactic layer handles planets, credits, build slots and fleet movement, and any contested move drops you into a real time battle. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Rebel Alliance as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Mon Calamari Cruiser or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Galactic map into tactical battles fundamentals
- Rebel Alliance selected and functional
- Kuat main content cleared
- Ready for Mon Calamari
Phase 2: Early Game (Mon Calamari)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Mid to late galactic conquest Key Rewards: Mon Calamari Cruiser construction, Rebel fleet parity
What to Do in Mon Calamari
- Work on Capital ship hardpoints. Capital ships carry separate targetable hardpoints for shield generators, engines, turbolasers and hangars. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Mon Calamari Cruiser if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Fresia.
- Consider whether Galactic Empire might suit your playstyle better than Rebel Alliance.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Capital ship hardpoints integrated into gameplay
- Mon Calamari Cruiser acquired
- Mon Calamari fully cleared
- Ready for Fresia
Phase 3: Mid Game (Fresia)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Early campaign Key Rewards: X-wing access in the Rebel campaign
What to Do in Fresia
- Master Land battle reinforcement points. Ground fights are decided by reinforcement points, which is where new units land once you hold the ground. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Imperial Star Destroyer. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Zann Consortium corruption for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Land battle reinforcement points mastered
- Imperial Star Destroyer acquired or in progress
- Fresia fully cleared
- Ready for Hoth
Phase 4: Late Game (Hoth)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any stage, signature ground battle Key Rewards: Iconic AT-AT versus Snowspeeder engagement, open terrain
What to Do in Hoth
- Finalize your build. You should be running Galactic Empire or Rebel Alliance with optimized gear.
- Imperial Star Destroyer should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Planet specific bonuses optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Vergesso Asteroids.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Imperial Star Destroyer upgraded to max
- Hoth fully cleared
- Ready for Vergesso Asteroids
Phase 5: Endgame (Vergesso Asteroids)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any stage of galactic conquest Key Rewards: 25 percent fighter and bomber damage bonus
What to Do in Vergesso Asteroids
- Vergesso Asteroids tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Vergesso Asteroids, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Hutts for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Planet specific bonuses mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Vergesso Asteroids fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
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 Beginner's Guide
- STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Tips & Tricks
- 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
Similar Games
If you enjoy STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Walkthrough: strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Walkthrough: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Walkthrough: strategy game with similar mechanics
