Sith Warrior vs Smuggler: choose your side a last time

Mere days from launch, Bioware have released the last of its four ‘Choose Your Side’ videos. This time it’s the turn of the Sith Warrior and the Smuggler. Some of Bioware’s leading writers and designers give their take on the two classes:

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Flash Point 5: The Summit of the Baby Press

Episode 5 is a bit of a special one for us as we have Jeff from Tor Wars as a guest co-host, fresh from his attendance at the Fansite Summit. He gives some fascinating insights on the Summit and we thank him profusely for getting up so early to take part.

Points of discussion:

– The fansite summit
– Sith warrior progression
– SWTOR user interface
– Removal of the off-topic forums and profile visitor messages on the official forums
– The Ars Technica review of SWTOR and the tunneling effect

Listen via iTunes or right here:

Sith Warrior progression

The Sith Warrior Progression video was released today and shared a lot in common with the Jedi Knight progression video we saw a few weeks ago.

The video starts with the base Sith Warrior class running through what looks like some old Sith temple on Korriban beating down some foes with a training saber. The video then cuts to the Sith Warrior on the holonet screen with his armor changing from a gray imperial looking suit to a red one with larger shoulder pads and a red lightsaber.  After dispatching a couple of what look to be troopers with his saber, a Bounty Hunter lands and is immediately force choked. The screen cuts back to the Holonet style and follows a line that rises above the Sith Warrior and splits.

The next class shown is the Sith Marauder whose robes resemble a cross between Vader and Maul and is wielding dual  red lightsabers. The Sith Marauder seemed to block a lot more blaster bolts than his counterpart the Jedi Sentinel.  After dispatching two soldiers and a combat droid, the video cuts back and the Marauder’s armor changes a second time. The second set of armor is very menacing with spiked shoulders, a skull looking mask, and larger knee pads. The video picks back up with the Marauder running at a group of enemies when he suddenly vanishes using the Marauder’s recently revealed cloaking skill, then appearing behind one of the enemies and killing it. The Marauder then uses an unknown stun, kills the unaffected opponent then uses another unknown ability that looks like a self-buff that involves the lightsabers charging – probably a damage buff. Then after engaging the last standing opponent, he uses another unknown ability that has red smoke coming out of his lightsaber’s blades then strikes his foe down.

The video then cuts back to the Armor Progression screen and zooms into the Sith Juggernaut, whose armor looks very inspired by Vader. The Juggernaut runs headlong at two large mechs, blocking bolts and disabling both of them. As an assassin droid runs into view in the background and begins firing at the Sith, he turns and force leaps towards the droid, reflecting a blaster bolt off his saber in mid air, then landing and striking the assassin droid down. The second set of armor previewed looks like a mix between Darth Vader and a Bounty Hunter, very brutal. This Juggernaut doesn’t run into combat, but walks menacingly towards his opponent then force pushes him then uses some unknown ability where red smoke and lighting radiate off of the Sith’s body, probably a buff for defense, maybe attack. Three Jedis run into view and the Sith casts another unknown ability, looks like a debuff of some sort. After he casts it, all three of the Jedis have red circles around their heads, but only for a moment. One Jedi, probably a Consular casts some sort of maintained stun in which a stream of rocks pummel the Sith, it ends when the Sith’s companion blasts the Consular and he falls to the ground. The second Jedi is killed with a saber throw and the last is killed with a force leap.

This was a great video with some really cool looking armor – I personally liked the last Juggernaut set. There was something I found weird about this video though. It shows the Marauder blocking much more than the Sentinel did, and the Juggernaut didn’t seem to have a taunt (unless the second unknown ability was a taunt and not a debuff). I really like the masks the Sith wear, it really puts the whole “We’re Evil” on another level. Definitely check out the whole video:

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