Weapons

Here you will find specific descriptions and strategies for using the various weapons in JK2. For information on the Lightsaber, see the specific Lightsaber pages for strategies on using the elegant weapon.

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Players new to JK2 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 JK2 manual (that comes with every legitimate copy of the game) and the readme documentation. Some material from these sources may be covered in more detail however.

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

The Stun Baton sits alone in the melee category (the only other weapon of this type other than the Lightsaber). It has no secondary firing function, cannot be lost in combat, 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 (basically what we'd call "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 but the Stun Baton 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 the Stun Baton, Bryar Pistol, and the Lightsaber. 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.

The Stun Baton is an electrical prod that replaces the Lightsaber as the default melee weapon in your arsenal if you do not apply in Force points to the Lightsaber (at the bottom of your Player setup).

Primary and secondary firing modes (both identical) can be held down, to do rapid attacks with the weapon, hitting opponents at close range, and covering their bodies with electrical charges.

The device gives off a constant electrical crackle (warning of your presence) and can only strike at very close range (physical contact). It uses no ammo, and cannot be lost in battle, nor can it be picked up.

Normally I avoid using this weapon in favor of the Lightsaber, a much more versatile weapon, which also grants some special abilities that the Stun Baton lacks (see Lightsaber section for more information). It can be a nice weapon to humiliate opponents with, and the extra points you save by not carrying a saber can be put into your other Force Powers. It is also more stealthy than the Lightsaber (which casts a bright glow and a louder hum).

Kyle's personal modified weapon, and your starting sidearm (in addition to your melee weapon). Like the starting weapons in many games, it is accurate, but not that powerful. 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 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.

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.

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. 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. ; p

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.

While the reflective Secondary shots will pass through you harmlessly if they bounce off a wall, they will damage you if they bounce off of a Lightsaber.

1.04 Patch Notes:

(Quoted from LucasArts patch page)

"Adjusted ammo usage of the Imperial repeater alt-fire."

Approximate Adjusted values:

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), as it is incredibly slow, and not that powerful (it would make more sense to use a charged Bryar pistol). 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. If you try to walk while the zoom is in effect, but not charging, the gun will automatically switch back to your standard point of view. If you are charging a shot, you simply won't be able to move. Will in scoped mode, you can look around (with the mouse) and crouch, but you can't walk, run, or jump. 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.

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 are nice, but often unnecessary (and in the case of saber users, very difficult). Some players are good enough to be able to get off close range zoomed shots, but most of the time this is suicidal.

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), but only against charged shots.

The DEMP 2 is a modified version of the familiar gun used by the Jawas in the Star Wars films to disable droids.

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.

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.

This gun is rather noisy, and poor for sniping, though it's often tough to discover where the Secondary shots are coming from, aiding in stealth. I use it occasionally for those purposes.

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, and pickups are scarce. 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 tracking shot as it locks on is only heard by person holding the gun.

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 JK2, so don't bother trying (although you can "mine jump" with the Det Packs after 20 seconds).

The Infamous "Rocket Bug"

This next point I will start off by saying, is a controversial one. I have held off posting about it until now, however considering that another official patch seems unlikely at this time, I figure I should "fight fire with fire." The following (like the mid-air blue stance uppercut) is a known "bug exploit" in the game.

Normally, secondary ("tracking") rockets are slower than primary rockets. This method allows you to use them at full speed (with normal ammo consumption).

1) With the Merr Sonn selected and with some ammo (at least 2), "lock on" to your enemy.

2) While still locked on, switch to another weapon (for example the saber). The red circle will stay on them, even though you no longer have the Merr Sonn selected. You do not need to hold down secondary fire while holding another weapon.

3) Switch back to the Merr Sonn (and as you do so make sure you're holding down secondary fire), continuing to hold down the button, and then release when ready to fire. Secondary fire must be released while the red circle is still on your target, if you wait too long the Merr Sonn will "lock on" a second time and you will have to start over. Timing is key, but with practice it can be done.

This makes the rockets much harder to avoid and they don't use double ammo. They can still be dodged with Speed or Rage, and can be pushed back at the person who fired them. This greatly increases your chances of hitting a single person with this weapon.

Keep in mind that this technique is considered "cheap" by many players, and may (like some other techniques) get you kicked from certain servers. Be respectful of the rules of each server. The move is posted all over the forums and I've had it sent in by several players, so I think the community has a right to know, cheap or not. Email me your thoughts.

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 usually a bad idea.

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.

Thermal Detonators are the throwable grenades of JK2.

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.

A "readied" Thermal Detonator can only be held for a certain amount of time before you are forced to throw it (about 6 seconds). Secondary fire is more dangerous, since it explodes almost instantly, and so great care must be made to give it adequate distance to avoid blowing yourself up with it.

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 (it seems to be about 20).

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)!

I feel that the Trip Mines are the most dangerous weapons in the game for several reasons.

The main one is that when they are placed (like Det Packs, they can stick to virtually any surface) the Laser beam in Primary fire 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 in this fashion.

In addition, you can be knocked or Force Pushed or Grip levitated into your own Trip Mines (you can use this to your advantage however, by Pushing people into the Trip Mines you've placed). It's also funny to give somebody a self-kill by knocking them into the mines they've just finished carefully placing.

The blue laser beams of Primary fire give away the position of the mines, so watch out for them. However, 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). A good way to help spot Trip Mines is to use Force Seeing, which make the blue laser beams glow much more brightly. Of course Secondary mode has no lasers, but then they explode after 2 seconds anyway.

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 (it seems to be about 20).

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 okay when you are being pursued, to throw off those chasing you, but it takes several seconds for them to explode, so sometimes its better to use Primary fire for this. Secondary Trip Mines can be stacked, though they explode before long anway, so this isn't too much more useful.

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 (but unlike Det Packs, you can't actively discriminate between teammates and enemies like you can with Det Packs). It may be possible to do the "mine jump" trick with Secondary Trip Mines, but I have not attempted this.

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