Weapons

Here you will find specific descriptions and strategies for using the various weapons in JKA. For information on the various Lightsabers, see the specific Lightsaber pages for strategies on using the elegant weapons.

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Players new to JKA should realize that the Multiplayer mode is substantially different from the Single Player mode. In particular, the weapons, items, power-ups, and other features are different in many ways from their offline counterpart. We strongly recommend playing against Bots (AI simulated multiplayer opponents) as training for internet or LAN games, as they represent the type of gameplay you will experience online. However, there is no substitute for the unpredictability and inventiveness of human opponents, so eventually you must venture out if you expect to master the game! Players migrating over from other FPS games will have many new challenges ahead, including learning Force Powers, the Lightsaber, as well as the different nuances of the game. Even veteran players of other Dark Forces series games (JK, MotS, etc) will have many new things to learn. In short, you must "unlearn what you have learned," to quote a wise Jedi Master. ; )

The site will be presented with the assumption that players have already read over the official JKA manual (that comes with every legitimate copy of the game), readme documentation and the in-game help ("Rules"). Some material from these sources may be covered in more detail however.

Non-saber weapons fall into three categories: melee, projectile, and explosive device.

Melee mode ("Fists") sits alone in the melee category (the only other weapon of this type other than the Lightsabers). It cannot be lost in combat (unless your body parts are cut off, and then you're dead anyway), and uses no ammo. The explosive device category includes Thermal Detonators, Det Packs, and the Laser Tripmines. All other weapons fall into the projectile category ("guns").

Ammo type indicates the type of ammunition the weapon uses, as there are several types in the game, that can be picked up to replenish your weapon's firing chamber or explosive count. Melee weapons are starting weapons, that do not use ammo. Ammo use indicates the number of units each mode of fire uses up (if any).

Every weapon has two firing modes, Primary and Secondary (accomplished by pressing the appropriate fire buttons in your control setup).

The Rate of Fire, Range, and Damage as based on relative comparisons with the other weapons in your arsenal and are not exact figures.

When a player is killed, the weapon they were holding at the moment of their death (unless empty) is dropped, and can be picked up and used by other players, the exceptions being Melee, BlasTech Pistol, and the Lightsabers. Even though a player may be killed while their saber is in flight (from a Force Saber Throw) this handle cannot be picked up or used.

Melee, or Fists are a weapon of last resort (or one to humiliate opponents with) for characters that do not possess the Lightsaber (non-Jedi classes in Siege game mode as well as people who don't assign any Force Points to the Lightsaber). While in "Melee Mode" your character is forced to use Third Person perspective.

Basically, run up to your opponent and do physical damage to them with your hands by tapping the buttons or holding them down. In Siege mode, Wookie fists do more damage than others.

Six good reasons not to scoff at Melee mode:

1) They are stealthy and cannot be blocked. Combine with Mind Trick or a Cloaking Device to sneak up on your foes and give them a surprise beating!

2) Combine with Dark Rage and you have bloody Fists of Fury that strike fast and do lots of damage (remember the beating Agent Smith gave Neo in "The Matrix"?).

3) You can kick* in any direction or in mid-air (just like the Saberstaff). Kicks are slow but can knock your opponent back or even onto the ground or off a cliff! Only works if g_debugmelee 1 is enabled on server!

4) You can "grapple" your opponent, for the ultimate Smack-Down Humiliation. Hold Primary and Secondary Fire and you'll do a "grab" move (it's slow, but if it connects they can't get out of it until the move completes). Only works if g_debugmelee 1 is enabled on server!

Press the buttons with Forward to do a series of gut punches. Press them with Backward to deliver a knee to the face and leg slam (pressing both buttons with no direction will result in a grab action, but it won't result in a grapple).

Grapples* work best if there aren't other players around to stab you in the back! Try combining with Dark Rage or Protection to help protect yourself.

5) With the points you freed up by not choosing a Lightsaber, you just gained the equivalent of 43 (!) Force Points to spend on whatever you want. Beef up Rage and Lightning if you're a Dark Jedi, or Protect and Mind Trick if you're a Light Sider. With Lightning, you will use both hands to throw Lightning (however bolts shoot only out of one hand). Pull them close for a grapple. Grip them into a Kick!

6) With Melee selected, you can do ALL of the acrobatic moves normally associated with Lightsabers... Ground Rolls, Wall Runs, Wall Flips, etc. (Just make sure you set at least Level 2 Force Jump for this).

7) You can toss Lightning with both hands (though technically you gesture with both hands and lightning only comes out of one hand).

This is capable of doing twice the damage as normal Lightning at Level 3 (special thanks to acdcfanbill for confirmation of this!). A full burst of Level 3 Lightning can do up to 104 damage, while "two handed lightning" at Level 3 can do at least 200 (killing a fully shielded player)!

Afterward you are reduced to about 30 force mana points (thanks to acdcfanbill for confirmation of the double damage!).

Using fists alone may not win you many battles, but it can be a super fun (try a "kick boxing duel") way to try something different.

1.01 patch fixes the missing sounds from punches, kicks and grapples. While somewhat less stealthy, they're now more realistic and more fun!

Modifiable weapon used throughout the galaxy by pilots, smugglers and the like. This is your starting sidearm (in addition to your melee weapon). Like the starting weapons in many games, it is accurate, but not that powerful. Functionally, it is similar to the Bryar Pistol in Jedi Outcast except that it has a much slower rate of fire and infinite ammo.

This gun has perhaps the slowest rate of fire of any gun in the game, but due to the fact that it cannot be pulled and its clip never runs dry, it will always be by your side when you need it. In Siege Mode however, some classes do not have access to it.

Primary fire is one of the more accurate firing modes of any gun in the game, but the shots are fairly low powered. Secondary on the other hand, when fully charged, can kill an enemy in one shot (unless heavily shielded). Be warned however, that a Lightsaber can deflect that fully charged shot back at you!

The Secondary firing mode, which fires a larger energy bolt, when charged, makes a distinctive sound, and a glow appears at the barrel. After holding it for about 5-6 seconds, the shot is forcibly discharged if you have not released it already.

To cancel a charged shot without giving away your position simply switch to another weapon and release the button as soon as the animation of the weapon changes.

Note that use of certain Force Powers (Push, Pull, Drain, Lightning) will "reset" the charging of the secondary fire.

I tend to avoid using this weapon for the most part, since most guns are better, although occasionally I'll use the charged secondary shot to humiliate an opponent.

The preferred weapon of the Empire's galactic troops, hence the name.

Basically the ST Rifle is a "blaster machine gun." While it doesn't look that powerful, it can be quite useful in combat. In JKA the primary fire mode produces quick one shot-bursts (hold down the button for rapid fire, although secondary is much faster albeit less accurate). Use primary for accuracy, secondary to spray a small area.

The ST Rifle is a favorite weapon of mine, especially its Secondary fire, which (though not very accurate) is effective at gunning down enemies in a relatively short time. The fast rate of fire means that you have to be careful around saber users, but aiming below the belt, or while they have their back turned spells instant disaster for my enemies. Crouching and circle-strafing allow it to get past a saberists defences. The gun itself is also fairly easy to find in most maps, making it an excellent choice for middle range combat.

The Bowcaster's Primary fire can be charged for up to five shots, and makes a distinctive noise while charging up. Also a green glow appears on the barrel when a shot is charged. If the shot is not released after a certain amount of time (about 6-7 seconds) it is forcibly ejected.

The Bowcaster is a weapon I tend to use for special situations, but not one I run around with (unless its my only weapon). It is often a poor choice for sniping, since the shots are somewhat slow and noisy in Secondary Fire, and Primary Fire is again, too slow, and often inaccurate. What it is good for are angled shots(takes lots of practice) when enemies are hiding in hard to reach places, and you don't have time to scope them with the Disruptor.

Another important feature of this gun is the charged shot. If you know your opponent is right around the corner, or has his back to you for some reason, a fully charged shot can be released at point blank range, killing all but a heavily shielded opponent in one fell swoop. One of the worst things you can do with this gun is to release a fully charged Primary at a saber user on his saber side.

To cancel a charged shot without wasting all your ammo (or giving away your position) simply switch to another weapon and release the button as soon as the animation of the weapon changes. Note that some of your ammo will still be wasted, but not as much if you were to release the shot.

Note that use of certain Force Powers (Push, Pull, Drain, Lightning) will "reset" the charging of the primary fire, causing you to waste whatever ammo you have so far charged up.

While the reflective Secondary shots will pass through your own body harmlessly if they bounce off a wall, they will damage you if they reflect off a Lightsaber blade.

For the rapid-fire enthusiast, the Repeater is probably the best choice.

While the ST Rifle has a certain finesse, the Repeater fires even more shots in a shorter amount of time (though the individual shots are quite weak) and is more accurate than the ST Rifle's secondary fire. The Secondary fire is both hated and feared among the ranks of Lightsaber users, and is an excellent weapon for Flag Base Defenders in CTF.

Be warned, however, that Force Push can send your Secondary shots back into your face! The Secondary fire also has a bit of blasting effect, that can send bodies off of ledges, making it even more dangerous in those types of situations.

The Disruptor is one of the most powerful guns in the game, with regard to damage, as a fully charged Secondary shot can kill a fully shielded enemy in two shots, and will disintegrate an unshielded enemy in one.

I find this to be another situational-use weapon. The primary fire is virtually useless to me (though sometimes one can get lucky such as on a retreating opponent foolish enough to run in a straight line), as it is incredibly slow, and not that powerful. Secondary fire requires relative cover and safety to prevent being sniped yourself as you line up your shot. It also takes a few seconds at minimum to charge and get a bead on your target. The fact that blocked shots are not reflected back at the user is somewhat in its favor, however.

Holding down the Secondary fire key activates the zoom. The longer the key is held down, the more it zooms in (it goes quite a distance). Once you start to charge up a shot, the zooming stops and you can't zoom in any more until you've fired.

In JKA you can run around and jump while the zoom is in effect. If you are charging a shot, trying to walk around will cancel your charge (and waste your ammo). Continually holding down the charge key while walking in zoomed view is a great way to use up all your ammo! Also after a charged shot it takes a little longer (than JK2) to return back to normal view and switch to another weapon, so do it quickly and jump around to avoid being hit if you hear somebody sneaking up while you're in scoped mode!

While in scoped mode, you can look around (with the mouse) and crouch, but you can't walk, run, or jump (not without wasting ammo anyway). To cancel a charged shot and save some of your ammo (and not give away your position) simply switch to another weapon and release the button as soon as the animation of the weapon changes.

Where this gun really comes in handy is in Team games. When defending your base, guarding an item/weapon spawn (also known as "camping") for a teammate or to deny it to the enemy, this weapon is an excellent choice. Multiple team members with charged Disruptors can effectively deny any long range area from the enemy.

When sniping, I like to get at such an angle to my opponents, that I can strike the broadest part of their body as possible. Head shots can mean instant death since JKA supports locational damage, however they are more risky due to their difficulty. Some players are good enough to be able to get off close range zoomed shots, but most of the time this is suicidal (even moreso than in JK2).

The Lightsaber is a good defense against this weapon, because while the glowing blade makes you an easier target to spot from a distance, the blade itself can block even a fully charged disruptor shot (though the beam simply disappears, it does not bounce back). Other than that, Force Speed and Persuasion are good ways to avoid the shots, and Level 3 Force Seeing has a type of "dodging" ability for this weapon when you have mana (you'll hear a "whooshing" sound as your body auto-sidesteps the beams), this works against charged shots, and occasionally against long range primary shots, as long as the enemy is aiming above the waist.

The DEMP 2 is a modified version of the familiar gun used by the Jawas in the Star Wars films to disable droids that can also damage living tissue.

This weapon is often difficult or impossible for a Lightsaber to block or send the shots back with Force Push, making it good for surprise attacks against certain Jedi. The shots do extra damage to shields, and secondary fire is an "instant-hit" expanding effect, that can knock enemies back slightly.

The gun has a slow rate of fire, so isn't great for close quarters. The barrel glows and a distinctive sound is produced when the secondary fire is charged, but the shot hits instantly and creates an expanding ball of energy to damage targets, making it good for hitting tightly packed groups of people.

To cancel a charged shot without wasting the ammo (or giving away your position) simply switch to another weapon and release the button as soon as the animation of the weapon changes.

Note that use of certain Force Powers (Push, Pull, Drain, Lightning) will "reset" the charging of the secondary fire, causing you to waste whatever ammo you have so far charged up.

This gun is rather noisy, and thus not so great for sniping, except in Secondary fire mode since it's tough to discover where the shots are coming from, aiding in stealth. I use it occasionally for those purposes.

The DEMP2 has many valuable uses in Siege Mode, where a direct hit from a Primary shot can temporarily disable an enemy's Cloaking Device. A direct hit from a fully charged Secondary shot will shut it down for good!

A charged secondary shot is useful against enemy AT-ST Walkers and other vehicles, temporarily stunning them and preventing them from firing. The shots do lots of damage to machinery and equipment in general (except certain consoles on Hoth) and can take out smaller Laser Security guns in one shot.

Direct Secondary hits may "stun" players and prevent them from firing their guns (or locking on homing Merr Sonn rockets or dropping mines) for a second or two as they "crackle" with electricity. Additionally the charged shot can be used to set off any explosives in the area of the blast (enemy or friendly).

The Merr-Sonn is your basic Rocket Launcher with a twist. The Secondary firing mode has the added ability to track enemies.

While you cannot effectively "rocket jump" with this weapon as you can in many other FPS games, it does have a nice solid blast radius. The downsides to this gun are fairly severe though. It has the lowest ammo count of any gun. The shots are slow and noisy, and the Secondary tracking shots requires you to get a good lock on an enemy, and even then the tracking ability is rather poor (a player can easily dodge it with Speed or go around a corner). The noise made by the trackingshot as it locks on is only heard by person holding the gun. Thankfully in JKA the ammo for this gun is a lot more plentiful than in JK2.

This Rocket Launcher can be good for firing into crowds (especially groups occupied in saber battles or trying to snipe somebody else) and the explosions ability to throw bodies around can come in handy to knock people off ledges.

The Merr-Sonn is perhaps the second most dangerous weapon in the game to use (second only to the Trip Mines, in my opinion) because the Rockets can be easily Force Pushed (by a person with decent aim) back at you, and you pay a heavy price for being too close to their explosions.When I use this weapon, I like to get as much ammo as possible before using it, since often two out of three shots you fire will miss completely (or get pushed back), and if I'm going to use the Secondary fire mode, I keep the button held down as I move, so I can lock on a track to my enemies at anytime. Often simply firing a barrage of rockets at one area to "deny" it to the enemy is the best use of this weapon. You cannot of course "Rocket Jump" in JKA, so don't bother trying (although you can "mine jump" with the Det Packs after 20 seconds or the secondary Trip Mines after 30, or primary Trip Mines with proper timing).

A charged shot from the DEMP2 can prevent you from releasing a locked on homing rocket to someone (very useful in Siege).

1.01 patch removes the infamous "Rocket Bug" that accidentally ported over from JK2.

A multiplayer favorite, this gun has a large blast radius, but is a very dangerous and ammo-eating weapon.

The large amount of damage dealt by this gun comes at a price. It consumes large amounts of ammo per shot, throws off your aim (Primary Fire tilts the camera, Secondary pushes the shooter back slightly with its "kick"), and has a slow rate of fire.

Obviously one should prepare to use this gun effectively by using Force Absorb to prevent it being pulled away, in addition to gathering ammo so that you can pull off enough shots to kill your foes.

The Concussion or "Conc" for short is a fun weapon to use, because even if the shots themselves don't kill the enemy in one or two hits, the "push effect" of the blasts can be used to knock people off ledges. This is especially true of Secondary Fire which tosses bodies into the air when hit. Thus it functions as a sort of Sniper Rifle without the scope.

Obviously, be careful using Primary fire since the explosion can harm yourself and your teammates (if team damage is on) as well as the enemy. Unfortunately, it is not possible to "Rocket Jump" with this gun in JKA.

Primary fire of the Concussion Rifle is very very difficult to push back (it can be pushed back as frequently as regular blaster shots... that is to say the Push user has to be lined up perfectly and have perfect timing, which is usually impossible to do on the run while multiple shots are coming their way). Secondary fire cannot be blocked.

The Flechette is another multiplayer favorite, and devastating to saber users in general.

The primary "flak" bursts will bounce off of walls, but not hurt the user. While a Lightsaber can block the flak, it takes a high level of defense (and often the use of the Blue saber stance) to block ALL of the heated metal chunks. Often even if shots bounce back and hit you, the Jedi will be worn down faster, as the bits get through and hit him. The flak shots go surprisingly far, but are very inaccurate over long distances, with a high rate of dispersal.

The Secondary shots remind me of Thermal Detonators and can be difficult to Push back (but it is possible). Firing a barrage of Secondary orbs into an enclosed space is often a bad idea since you can get blown up by your own shots.

This weapon, like the Repeater, is an excellent weapon for defense in team based games such as CTF, and for denying an area to the enemy. It is not ideal for close quarters except against users who lack lightsabers or have weak defensive capabilities, but is excellent for medium range.

This defensive gun is found only in Siege and CTF maps. A stationary gun emplacement (a weapon that acts like a vehicle) that fires a steady barrage of automatic twin-barreled blaster fire.

Not too powerful, and with a limited aiming arc, this gun is usually placed with its back to a wall or base, and often on a ridge, so is usually safe to use with friendlies behind you. When used, the gun forces you into third person view, hit "use" again to let go of the gun.

While using the Heavy Blaster, you cannot move, only aim and shoot. You also cannot use Force Powers or Items (all powers shut down when the gun is used). Since you never run out of ammo, this can be a good defensive tool. Enemy teams can also hijack their opponent's gun and use it to their own devices.

Though the gun has infinite ammo, it can be destroyed (it has its own floating health bar... red shows enemy guns, green shows friendly guns) with enough damage. With Team Damage (friendly fire) off, a team cannot damage their own gun. Once destroyed, it cannot be used by anyone. In Siege mode, the Tech class can affect repairs (slowly, by holding down "use" on the damaged equipment), however once something is totally destroyed repairs cannot be made.

The Blaster will start to glow red once it has lost all of its "health." After a second or two it will explode (which can damage nearby players).

Thermal Detonators are the throwable grenades of JKA.

They will make a series of beeps to indicate they are being armed, and the longer the button is held down, the greater the distance they will be thrown. Jumping and moving forward while throwing can increase the distance and height as well as looking up or down to adjust the angle as you release.

In JKA, a "readied" Thermal Detonator can be held forever (as long as you hold the button down and are still alive. This removes the danger of accidentally blowing yourself up while waiting to throw the grenade. In addition you can "switch off" between firing modes by holding Primary Fire, then Secondary Fire and vice versa to keep your enemies guessing.

Thermal Detonators are extremely difficult to Force Push back at the thrower, but it is possible for the quick and skilled.

In various situations, Thermal Detonators can be excellent against Lightsaber users, since they are difficult to block or Pull away, and have a decent blast radius. However, they are horrible for close range combat, and should be thrown while backpedaling, or from a higher elevation than your target. They can be great for clearing hallways or tossing into crowded rooms when mines are not available or there isn't enough time. They are also less easier to notice in the heat of battle than Secondary Flechette shots, so they can often take your enemies by surprise.

One thing you'll notice after using them for awhile, that the Secondary (explode on impact) mode can be quite deadly against Saber users, once mastered. Practice tossing them at bots until you've gotten a feel for the ranges and the amount of time needed to toss it so it hits them just right. You may find this even more useful than Primary mode, which is more of a situational use weapon.

Det Packs are my favorite explosive weapon, mainly because of their versatility and the satisfying explosion that several well placed mines can make.

Det Packs, like mines in previous Dark Forces games, can be stuck on virtually any surface (while placing, simply walk up to the wall, jump up to the ceiling, etc and if you are close enough it should stick). While they are somewhat rare and you cannot hold a lot of them at once, each one produces a sizable explosion that can be devastating in close quarters.

I like to use Det Packs in front of doorways, in tight, high traffic hallways, right next to the Flag, or next to precarious ledges. When detonated, if the explosion itself doesn't kill them, often they will be thrown by the blast, and killed in some other fashion. While Det Packs cannot be stacked (they blow up in your face if you try), they can be placed in all sorts of patterns, to trap your enemies and deny important areas. Good mining techniques are essential for good defense, I feel, in game types like CTF. There is an upper limit to the number of Det Packs that can be placed in a level which is 10 per player per map. For each additional Det Pack you attempt to place, the first one placed will disappear (not explode, but simply vanish), then the next, etc.

The only real downside to the packs is that they eventually explode, without warning, on their own (20 seconds after being placed), or if the player who placed them dies or leaves the game. They can also be triggered by a well placed shot or two from virtually any weapon (it is a good idea to trigger packs placed by your enemies, since they will get the kills if somebody is blown up by them). Do so from a safe distance of course!

Det Packs are also great for chain reactions. Firing a rocket at a cluster of mines, or combining with Trip Mines or Thermal Detonators can create some massive explosions, that even a heavily shielded character cannot survive. Det Packs, interestingly, provide more "lift" from the explosion if they are allowed to explode on their own (after 20 seconds), allowing you to use them to "mine jump." Let the explosion toss you into the air (it's a good idea to put one mine under you and a circle of them on each side, to prevent it throwing you horizontally) and you'll go much higher than is possible with Level 3 Force Jump. Just be sure you have plenty of shields when you attempt this (and watch out for falling damage coming back down if you miss your target)!

In JKA, Trip Mines are far less dangerous to the user than to his enemies. However it still must be used with care.

These placeable explosives project a blue laser beam in Primary mode, that once broken by a body, will detonate. Secondary places a proximety mine that gives off a small blue light.

Like Det Packs, they can stick to virtually any surface. When placed in Primary mode, the Laser beam activates a split second later, and if any body (including your's) is in its path, it will detonate. Many beginning players will be blown up trying to place their own mines carelessly.

In addition, you can be knocked or Force Pushed or Grip levitated into your own Trip Mines. Try placing some mines then tossing your opponent into them. It's also funny to give somebody a self-kill by knocking them into the mines they've just finished carefully placing.

Look for the faint blue beams that signal the presence of place Trip Mines.

In low light areas, blind corners, or in areas with similar colored lighting, and from a distance, they can be very difficult to spot (sometimes it pays to scope out an area with your Disruptor's scope just in case, if you know there are Trip Mines around).

Using Force Seeing will highlight the blue beams more brightly. However secondary placed Mines are not affected by Seeing.

Like Det Packs, they can be set off by well placed shots from virtually any weapon. There is an upper limit to the number of Trip Mines that can be placed in a level which is 10 per player per map (regardless of whether they are Primary or Secondary mode). For each additional Trip Mine you attempt to place, the first one placed will disappear (not explode, but simply vanish), then the next, etc. Secondary Trip Mines of course explode on their own after 30 seconds.

Unlike Det Packs, once placed, Trip Mines will stay in the map until the end of the game if they are not detonated, making them permanent hazards to be avoided. Eventually a level can be choked off with mines, making traveling various areas undamaged virtually impossible. Force Speed is no defense against the mines, but Force Jump can be used to Jump over the beams (rolling under the beams is also a neat trick to avoid them when being chased through). Protection may offer some extra survival time if you must run through a patch of mines, but I'd rather risk detonating them first with a shot or two.

Secondary fire is nice for shaking off pursuers or sabotaging areas where Det Packs just won't do (ie: where you won't have time to sit around waiting to hit the switch on somebody).

Trying to stack mines will result in ALL of the mines detonating, so watch out!

In most cases, I tend to use Det Packs instead, but there are times when Trip Mines are nice, such as in CTF, for sabotaging blind corners and base doorways (unlike Det Packs, you can't actively discriminate between teammates and enemies like you can with Det Packs). It is noteworthy however that secondary placed mines will not be setoff by teammates walking over them (unless "Friendly Fire" is turned on).

benpva16 had this to say:

It is possible to "mine jump" with the trip mines. Just use the primary attack mode, "fire" and when the beam is active, run over it. Just make sure you're heavily shielded :P