STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Equipment Guide: Best Equipment Ranked

Q: What does the Empire at War Gold Pack include?

The 2006 base game and the Forces of Corruption expansion in one purchase. Forces of Corruption adds the Zann Consortium, corruption missions, and units such as the Executor Super Star Destroyer, the Eclipse, B-wings, Dark Troopers and TIE Interceptors.

Q: How many factions can you play?

Three: the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and the Zann Consortium from Forces of Corruption. Pirates and the Hutts exist on the galactic map as non playable presences rather than sides you can command.

Q: How do you beat AT-ATs?

Airspeeder tow cables, which trip them, or heavy tanks. Standard infantry blaster fire barely scratches them, which is why an Imperial column without anti air support is far more fragile than it looks.

Q: What is corruption in Forces of Corruption?

The Zann Consortium's alternative to conquest. A Defiler corrupts a planet you do not own, after which you can run Racketeering, Piracy, Kidnapping, Intimidation, Bribery, Corrupt Militia, Black Market or Slavery missions on it for credits, upgrades or to strip the owner's planet bonus.

Q: Is Empire at War still worth playing in 2026?

Yes, largely because of mods. Steam reviews sit at 97 percent positive across roughly 26,600 ratings, and projects such as Thrawn's Revenge, Awakening of the Rebellion and Empire at War Remake rebuild the rosters and galactic map through the Workshop.

Complete STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack equipment guide. Every equipment option ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

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.

Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.

Equipment Rankings

Equipment	Tier	Best For	Notes
Imperial Star Destroyer	S	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	A	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	A	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	B	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	B	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.

S-Tier: Imperial Star Destroyer

The Empire's line capital ship, carrying heavy turbolasers, a shield generator and hangars that launch TIE Fighters and Bombers continuously. Every one of those systems is a separate hardpoint that can be shot off.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	Holding the centre of a space battle while the hangars supply fighter cover for the whole fleet.
Key Mechanic	Galactic map into tactical battles
Recommended Build	Galactic Empire

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Imperial Star Destroyer: Pairs naturally with Galactic Empire thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Mon Calamari Cruiser

The Rebel heavy attack cruiser, armed with turbolaser and ion cannon batteries. Its defining feature is that the shield generator cannot simply be shot off the way an Imperial one can.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Standing toe to toe with Star Destroyers when the Rebels cannot avoid a straight fleet fight.
Key Mechanic	Capital ship hardpoints
Recommended Build	Rebel Alliance

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Mon Calamari Cruiser: Pairs naturally with Rebel Alliance thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: AT-AT

The Imperial heavy walker, effectively immune to standard blaster infantry and slow enough that it never surprises anyone. Airspeeder tow cables and heavy tanks are the intended counters.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Leading a ground advance down an open approach where infantry cannot reach anything vital.
Key Mechanic	Land battle reinforcement points
Recommended Build	Zann Consortium

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using AT-AT: Pairs naturally with Zann Consortium thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Tartan Patrol Cruiser

A light Imperial cruiser with four laser cannons built to shred fighters and bombers. It can shunt power to weapons for a burst of extra firepower at the cost of shield strength.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Screening capital ships from the fighter swarms that would otherwise strip their hardpoints.
Key Mechanic	Zann Consortium corruption
Recommended Build	Pirates

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Tartan Patrol Cruiser: Pairs naturally with Pirates thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Broadside Cruiser

The Imperial missile cruiser, which bombards a circular area from beyond the range of most ships. It is devastating when protected and helpless when it is not.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Long range area damage from behind a Star Destroyer or Victory cruiser screen.
Key Mechanic	Planet specific bonuses
Recommended Build	Hutts

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Broadside Cruiser: Pairs naturally with Hutts thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

Equipment Progression Path

The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:

Starting gear → Enough to clear Kuat
Mon Calamari Cruiser → Your first real upgrade, available early
AT-AT → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Imperial Star Destroyer → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous

Equipment Tips

Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
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.
Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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