Star Wars: Hunters: 10 Tips And Tricks To Get You Started

Star Wars: Hunters can be a pretty intimidating place when you drop into your first PvP match, so it can be good to learn some tips and tricks before getting started.

Fortunately, we're here to help. In this guide, we share all the advice you'll need to start playing Hunters like a Jedi Master. This includes tips for before and during battles as well as everything to look out for once the fighting is over.

Let the Jedi training begin.

Before Battle

Get to know your Hunters

The quickest way to success in Star Wars: Hunters is knowing who's in your roster. Each Hunter has its own strengths and weaknesses and while the game will give you a brief rundown of your chosen fighter's abilities at the start of a battle, it's good to go in with a strong idea of what you can and can't do.

You can take each Hunter for a spin in Training mode (found on the right of the 'Play' section) and try all of their abilities on harmless training Droids before throwing them into the Arena. This even works for Hunters that you haven't unlocked yet, so use it to find a favourite and then work towards that.

Alternatively, we have a rundown of all available Hunters in our Full Character List guide. Check it out to discover each fighter's abilities.

Turn on gyro controls

This will be a matter of preference, but we'd recommend enabling gyro controls for more accurate, motion-assisted aiming.

The settings can be accessed by pressing '+' on the main menu, but check out our Gyro Controls guide for a full tutorial.

In Battle

Claim your Hunter early

Star Wars: Hunters is a team-based shooter and, as is often the case in the genre, no team can have two of the same character on it. This means you have to be fast on the character selection screen at the start of a battle if you are desperate to play as your favourite hero or have specific Quest criteria to meet.

There is a countdown timer before the option to select a hero becomes available (you can watch it wind down on the greyed-out 'Select' button in the lower right corner). Use this time to navigate to your chosen character and prepare to press 'A' as soon as it's available.

Bring balance to the Force team

A strong Star Wars: Hunters team needs to prioritise class balance. You should consider switching your approach based on what the team calls for.

If the other three players on your team have already selected attack-first Damage or Tank options, then you'd be best to pick from the Support class and keep your allies in the battle for longer.

Alternatively, if you see that Damage and Support options have already been claimed, try focusing on an attacker that can mix up your team's approach to victory like Diago's long-range abilities or a Tank's melee attacks.

Too many characters in the same class will leave you at a disadvantage against a well-balanced team.

Use the Arena

Each Arena is full of health and energy pick-ups that you should use to your advantage. Memorise green health point locations so you can return in a pinch and stand by purple energy terminals to use your Ultimate abilities more frequently.

Certain characters like Imara Vex and Diago have special abilities to make Arena movement even easier. Use these to outmanoeuvre heavy-hitting Tank opponents and traverse the battlefield quickly.

Know your Passive Moves

On top of their standard abilities (triggered by hitting either 'L' or 'R' bumpers), most Hunters also have a Passive Ability which is always active. Without a button prompt on the screen, it can be easy to forget about these abilities, so be sure to check what your Hunter is capable of and use it to get the jump on your opponents.

We have a full list of each Hunter's Passive Abilities in our Character Guide.

Play to your Hunter's strengths

This almost goes without saying in a team-based shooter, but make sure to play to your Hunter's strengths.

Every Hunter is useful in their own way, but incorrectly using them will leave some feeling far more powerful than others. Know the role of each class and make sure you fill it accordingly — trying to deal out front-line damage as a Support character isn't going to help anybody.

After Battle

Look out for Quests with Fame Rewards

In Star Wars: Hunters, the only way to upgrade your fighters is by using Fame. Building up enough Fame will increase a Hunter's level and unlock new cosmetics or ability buffs (increased damage, longer duration etc.). These buffs can make all the difference in a head-to-head fight against the same Hunter in battle and are well worth unlocking as soon as possible.

You can gather Fame simply by playing battles, but certain Quests also provide Hunter-specific Fame as a reward. Regularly check all available Quests, prioritising ones which will help upgrade your chosen Hunter.

Use Fame Grants to upgrade your other Hunters

Quests also occasionally award you with 'Fame Grants', which are non-specific and can be used on any Hunter you choose. Since you will likely already be building up Fame and using it to improve your main Hunter, use Fame Grants to level up your stand-by choices, ensuring they are strong enough when you finally have to use them.

Try Game Modes in Casual before entering Ranked

After you unlock Ranked battles, you can start to compete for Ranked Points and unlock Season Rewards. Like most ranked structures, you get more points for performing well in these competitions, so it's important to bring your A-game.

To avoid going into each Ranked battle blind, be sure to play all game modes on Casual Mode before playing for points. This gives you a good chance to learn the rules of each game mode, putting you less at risk when you decide to play in competitive events.

You'll keep unlocking new game modes up to Player Level 11, so check back into Casual Mode regularly to hone your skills and learn new rules.

Check out our other Star Wars: Hunters guides for more tips and information.