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Unlike the more aggressive Sith Warrior class in The Old Republic, Jedi Knight is a much more balanced class that can prioritize both defense and protection when it comes to combat. As such, how exactly players should approach their Jedi Knights will vary a little depending on their personal preferences and play styles.
Remember Flavor: Vanguard, Defense Is Paramount
Being a melee-oriented class, it makes sense for the Jedi Knight to be relegated to a frontline, tanking role. Thanks to their sturdy armor, strong defenses, and decent health, it makes sense for the Jedi Knight to take the brunt of damage from bosses and elite enemies while their allies eliminate them with their high-damage abilities.
Similar to their Sith Warrior counterpart, the Jedi Knight augments their melee attacks with the Force to perform a myriad of stronger attacks. Unlike the more aggressive Sith Warrior, however, the Jedi Knight has more utility Force abilities and is, therefore, better built to become a more defensive tank within any team setup that they might be placed.
As Much Support As Tank
Due to the nature of the Jedi Knight as a Force user of the Light Side, it makes sense that a lot of their abilities give players the means to imbue themselves and their allies with various buffs to aid them in battle. Players should take advantage of these utility abilities to sustain their combat performance throughout the entirety of the battle.
For instance, Force Might allows the Jedi Knight to boost healing and most damages of all allies. Their self-improving abilities are also remarkable too, with Heroic Moment giving a decent health boost, Resolute being a debuff remover, and Saber Ward allowing Jedi Knights to boost their defenses against Lightsaber users, Force attacks, and the like.
Disable Enemies Before They Come Close
While a lot of the Jedi Knight’s Force abilities tend to be defensive, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a few tricks hidden up their sleeves. When used properly, the Jedi Knight’s arsenal has more than enough tools to deter the enemy’s advance and give their allies a chance to retaliate.
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For instance, Awe can stun the opponents until they take damage, Force Stasis stuns enemies quickly, and Blade Storm can knock enemies away. While these abilities don’t deal big damage numbers, their sheer presence in a rotation can give the party much-needed time to get their combos in before the enemies recover and have a chance to retaliate.
All At Once Is Ideal For Tanking
When leveling up the Jedi Knight, it’s important to remember that while their tanky nature gives them enough endurance and defenses, it’s not advisable to take on multiple enemies at early levels - especially below Level 10. In these very early stages, it’s important for players to take on enemies one at a time, at least until they learn multi-hit abilities, such as the Force Leap and the Force Sweep.
In fact, it’s these two abilities that could make for great openers for the Jedi Knight, particularly when it comes to ease of targeting. By the time the Jedi Knight has accumulated enough aggro, chances are high that enemies will cluster together to attack them. It’s around this time that the Jedi Knight can use Force Leap to get the enemy’s attention and then Force Sweep to damage multiple enemies at once.
Companion: Choose Kira Carsen
As with other classes, the Jedi Knight is able to choose a Companion to become their assistant and NPC ally in most missions. While they encounter a lot of Companions throughout their journey through the game’s story, it’s perhaps Kira Carsen - the second Companion the Jedi Knight will meet - who is the best suited to the job.
At her core, Kira’s mysterious nature complements the rather mundane upbringing of the Jedi Knight. Her confidence during her conversations with the Jedi Knight can give her quite a unique charm too. Kira is a melee combatant, using the Saberstaff and her quick wit to engage enemies in combat - making her perfect as a DPS companion while the Jedi Knight ensures that she is protected.
Guardian: Soaking Is Key
Fulfilling the tank role to the fullest, the Jedi Knight can become a Jedi Guardian and an absolute behemoth in terms of defense. Their core combat philosophy is to form a wall between enemies and their own allies, using the Force to augment their defensive abilities and ensure that no enemy can harm their comrades. Thanks to their smooth movement, sturdy defense, and even steady combat abilities, the Guardian is a force to be reckoned with. Depending on the discipline specializations, a Guardian could have the following specialties.
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Defense Guardian: Becoming a true tank, the Defense Guardian allows players to use special techniques to ensure that enemy attacks won’t push through and harm their allies. Vigilance Guardian: Emphasizing speed over defense, the Vigilance Guardian utilizes their expertise in single-blade combat and speed in order to take down enemies with deadly efficiency. Focus Guardian: Instead of simply using combat discipline for defense, the Focus Guardian uses various Force techniques to give them the necessary edge in terms of defense - be it through making them and their allies harder to hit, providing shields, or simply deterring an enemy advance.
Sentinel: Best Defense Is A Good Offense
Just because the Jedi Knight is built like a tank doesn’t mean they’re solely limited to being a pillar of defense. The Jedi Sentinel is proof that the best defense can come in the form of eliminating enemies before they even cross the front lines, and their specialization allows them to do that with deadly precision.
Thanks to their dual Lightsaber capabilities, a Sentinel can augment their combat style with the Force to unleash a barrage of quick attacks that affect a huge area, making them almost impossible to dodge. Depending on the discipline specializations, a Sentinel could have the following specialties.
Watchman Sentinel: By using the Juyo Form, the Watchman Sentinel enjoys a stackable damage increase, allowing them to become much deadlier opponents the longer fights go on. Combat Sentinel: Despite its straightforward nature, the Combat Sentinel capitalizes on the accuracy boost of the Ataru Form which allows them to rely on damage boosts to eliminate opponents much more efficiently. Concentration Sentinel: Thanks to the Shii-Cho Form, the Concentration Sentinel can enjoy reduced damage taken and increased damage buffs while fighting enemies. They also tap into more Force techniques in order to capitalize on their lethality in combat.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is available on PC.
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