Bounty Hunter Encounters
As you progress through your journey as a Jedi, you'll inevitably cross paths with various bounty hunters looking to collect on the Imperial bounty placed on your head. These encounters are often unannounced and can occur in previously explored areas, adding an element of surprise and challenge. Successfully defeating these formidable foes not only clears your path but also provides valuable experience and sometimes unique rewards. This section will detail common bounty hunter types, strategies for defeating them, and specific encounter locations.
General Strategies for Bounty Hunters
Bounty Hunters, regardless of their specific type, share some common characteristics:
- Aggressive Offense: They rarely play defensively, opting for relentless attacks.
- Unblockable Attacks: Many bounty hunter attacks are unblockable (indicated by a red glow), requiring a dodge or parry.
- Force Abilities are Key: Utilize your Force Slow, Push, and Pull to disrupt their attacks, create openings, or even environmental hazards.
- Patience and Observation: Learn their attack patterns. Don't rush in; wait for openings after their combos.
- Healing Management: Be mindful of your Stim Canisters. Use them strategically during openings or when you've created distance.
Common Bounty Hunter Types and Tactics
Haxion Brood Bounty Hunter
These are your most frequent adversaries. They typically wield blaster pistols and occasionally grenades. Their attacks are fast, but many can be parried.
- Blaster Fire: Most blaster shots can be deflected back at them for significant damage. Time your parries carefully.
- Grenades: When they throw grenades, use Force Pull to grab them and throw them back, or Force Push to detonate them prematurely.
- Melee Attack: Some Haxion Brood hunters will engage in close-quarters combat with a shock baton or similar weapon. These attacks are often parryable.
- Force Slow Opportunity: Use Force Slow when they are mid-attack or reloading to get in a few quick hits.
Haxion Brood Commando
Commandos are tougher versions of the standard bounty hunter, often equipped with heavier armor and more powerful weapons, such as a repeating blaster or flamethrower.
- Heavy Blaster Fire: Their repeating blasters deal significant damage. Focus on deflecting shots.
- Flamethrower: If they deploy a flamethrower, immediately create distance. Force Push can sometimes interrupt this attack.
- Shielded Enemies: Some Commandos carry energy shields. Use Force Push to break their guard, then follow up with attacks.
- Environmental Hazards: Look for opportunities to Force Push them off ledges or into dangerous flora/fauna.
Bounty Droid
These mechanical hunters are resilient and often pack a punch with heavy weaponry or explosive attacks.
- Rocket Launcher: Bounty Droids frequently launch rockets. Force Push is incredibly effective at deflecting these back, often dealing massive damage or even destroying the droid in one hit.
- Close-Range Shockwave: Some droids have a ground-pound or shockwave attack. Dodge backward to avoid the area of effect.
- Vulnerable Core: After certain attacks, their core might briefly glow, indicating a weak point. Target this with your lightsaber.
- Overload: If you can get behind them, a series of quick attacks can sometimes overload their systems, stunning them temporarily.
Specific Encounter Locations and Rewards
Bounty Hunter encounters are often triggered after significant story progression or when revisiting planets. They are not tied to fixed locations but rather appear randomly in certain areas. However, some key encounters are more structured:
Bogano Encounters
- Location: Often triggered in the Hermit's Abode or Subterranean Refuge areas after your first visit to Zeffo.
- Strategy: These early encounters are a good training ground. Focus on parrying blaster bolts and using Force Push to create distance if overwhelmed.
- Reward: Experience and a small amount of credits.
Zeffo Encounters
- Location: Common in areas like the Ice Caves, Weathered Monument, or Imperial Dig Site. You might encounter them during your first revisit to Zeffo.
- Strategy: Zeffo's environments often provide ledges or environmental hazards. Use Force Push to your advantage against multiple enemies or shielded foes.
- Reward: Experience, credits, and occasionally a new Lightsaber Emitter or Switch part from a nearby chest.
Kashyyyk Encounters
- Location: Can appear in the Origin Tree or Shadowlands areas, particularly after you've acquired new Force abilities.
- Strategy: Kashyyyk's dense foliage and verticality can be used to your advantage. Force Pull enemies into the open or use Force Push to knock them off platforms. Be wary of local fauna that might join the fray.
- Reward: Experience, credits, and sometimes a new Poncho material or Lightsaber Sleeve.
Dathomir Encounters
- Location: Often found in the Swamp of Sacrifice or Brother's Bastion. These encounters tend to be more challenging due to Dathomir's already hostile environment.
- Strategy: Prioritize the bounty hunters, but be extremely cautious of Nightbrothers or other Dathomirian creatures that might get involved. Use Force Slow to isolate targets.
- Reward: Experience, credits, and potentially a new Lightsaber Material or a rare cosmetic item.
The Bounty Hunter Lair (Later Game)
Towards the later stages of the game, after several random encounters, you may receive a cryptic message or encounter a specific bounty hunter who leads you to a dedicated "Bounty Hunter Lair." This is a more structured encounter.
- Location: The exact location can vary, but it's typically a hidden area on one of the main planets, often requiring a specific Force ability to access. Look for clues from defeated bounty hunters.
- Preparation: Before entering, ensure you are fully healed, have all your Stim Canisters, and consider upgrading your Force abilities, especially Force Slow and Push.
- Enemies: Expect multiple waves of various bounty hunter types, including Commandos and Droids, often simultaneously.
- Strategy: Focus on crowd control. Use Force Push to knock enemies back, Force Pull to bring them closer for quick strikes, and Force Slow to manage the most dangerous threats. Prioritize ranged attackers first.
- Reward: This lair usually contains significant experience, a large sum of credits, and often a unique Lightsaber part (e.g., Eno Cordova Lightsaber Emitter) or a rare cosmetic item.