Star Wars Battlefront 2 has been out for over a year now, yet despite the release of EA DICE’s latest game Battlefield 5, support for the most recent Star Wars game doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The developer has just added Anakin Skywalker to the game, as part of the Chosen One update, and there’s a lot of content still to come this month. This includes the introduction of the Star Wars Battlefront 2 Infiltrator class.
This brand new class of soldier is coming to Star Wars Battlefront 2 this month, and EA DICE has revealed what the Infiltrators will look like for the Republic Clone Army and Separatist Droids. Both unit types are based on the popular Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon, since they both made their debut there: ARC Troopers and Commando BX Droids. But what is this new Infiltrator class? Who are these new soldier types? What are their abilities? And when are they coming to the game? We’ve got all the answers.
What is the Star Wars Battlefront 2 Infiltrator Class?
The Star Wars Battlefront 2 Infiltrator Class is a new Reinforcement class for the game, which is set to be rolled out for free this month. The Infiltrator class is tougher than regular units, so they may require a certain amount of Battle Points to unlock before they can be selected and played on the battlefront, similar to Rocket Troopers or Heroes. Alternatively, if they’ve been balanced correctly, they could be a new fifth standard class alongside Soldier, Officer, Heavy and Specialist, but we doubt this is the case.
The Infiltrators are specialists in uncovering enemy movement, laying traps, and supporting their team. One unique point about this class is that each faction’s Infiltrator comes with their own individual style and set of abilities, unlike the other classes which generally have standardized abilities across all factions. Let’s go through them.
Who are the ARC Trooper Republic Commandos?
Any fans of Star Wars videogames will know of Republic Commando, the excellent squad-based FPS for Xbox, PS2, and PC that came out in 2005. This fan favorite title introduced the Republic Commandos, a group of tougher Clone Troopers with a range of awesome abilities. The ARC Troopers are modified versions of the Republic Commandos, and are considered the best Clone soldiers the Grand Army has to offer.
The ARCs, or “Advanced Recon Commando” Troopers, were introduced in the Clone Wars cartoon, in the Season 2 episode “Clone Cadets.” Their number includes Rex, the fan-popular Clone commander, who later became a major character in Star Wars Rebels too, and was retconned into the original trilogy. The status of ARC Trooper was given to clones who fought especially bravely in tough situations.
What abilities will the ARC Troopers have?
The ARC Troopers, despite being supposedly “infiltrators,” are focused on offensive actions rather than defensive or support. EA DICE describes them as “gung-ho attackers” who rush into battle. ARC Troopers are the only unit class in the game to dual-wield two pistols at once, apart from Heroes like Boba Fett. These can be fired independently, potentially doubling the unit’s rate of fire. However, these are entirely short- to medium-range in nature, although the ARC also has an ability called Power Blast. This ability fires an overcharged shot at long-range, which can do decent damage to vehicles or Heroes, and presumably can take out a regular unit with a single shot.
Another useful ability the ARC Trooper has is a Helmet Scanner, which sounds like it works similarly to Rey’s Insight ability, where pulses are sent out that reveal enemy units on the map, even through walls. This generally has a maximum range, however, and enemies do not remain permanently marked. Finally, the commando has a Shock Trap in order to snare groups of enemies, or take down a more powerful opponent. This trap is manually detonated, and it briefly stuns and knocks down any enemy it catches, including Hero characters. Very useful.
Who are the BX Droid Commandos?
The BX Droids, or Commando Droids, are a series of tougher, smarter Battle Droids who were only used in important missions. They do not appear in the movies at all, and first appeared in the Clone Wars Season 1 episode “Rookies.” They would not appear again until the Season 2 episode “Clone Cadets,” the same episode that introduced the ARC Troopers (which was also an introduction for the squad that featured in “Rookies”).
They have improved combat tactics, better battlefield awareness, and can imitate Clone Troopers if necessary. They are heavily armored and can withstand more punishment than regular Battle Droids, but they are also more agile and extremely acrobatic, and are often seen dodging out of the way of blaster bolts or lightsaber attacks. Supposedly their production costs are much higher, which is why only a few are seen throughout the Clone Wars cartoon series.
What abilities will the BX Droids have?
The BX Commando Droids have a unique style and completely different set of abilities, compared to their ARC Trooper Infiltration class counterpart. It does not dual-wield pistols for short- to medium-range attacks, instead the droids come equipped with a modified version of the regular E-5 Blaster Rifle used by regular units. It has a lower rate of fire, but is accurate over long distances. With that covering long-range, for a short range ability it has a Vibrosword melee attack, or Sinister Strikes. Using either the melee attack button or the ability button, the droid can do three quick sword strikes, and the final attack will knock any unit to the ground.
The Commando Droid’s second ability is a Smoke Screen bomb, which it throws down to obscure the battlefield, and even removes UI elements so any enemies will be completely blind. No word yet on how big the smoke cloud will be. By the sounds of it, this smoke bomb should affect your own view too, which is why the droid’s third ability Thermal Vision will be so useful. It works just like the ARC Trooper’s Helmet Scanner ability, and as a bonus, it also scrambles enemy scanners too.
What Star Cards are available for the Infiltrator Class?
Five Star Card upgrades have been revealed for the Star Wars Battlefront 2 Infiltrator Class, and unlike abilities, these are shared between ARC Troopers and BX Droids. Level 2 Star Card unlocks include Evasion, which adds an extra Combat Roll and faster Combat Roll recharge times, and Desperation, which reduces ability recharge times when you take damage. Level 5 unlocks include Interrogation, which reveals nearby enemies when you beat up an opponent (awesome), and Acquisition, where enemies that deal damage to you will become marked. The only Level 10 unlock revealed is Stalker, where you regain health if you kill an enemy you previously uncovered with your scanner ability.
When will the Star Wars Battlefront 2 Infiltrator Class be available?
Both new Reinforcement types in the new Infiltrator class will launch alongside the mysterious new game mode coming to Battlefront 2 later this month, which is currently due for March 26. Unlike Anakin Skywalker or previous Heroes, there will be no unlock cost for the Infiltrator class, so you can immediately start playing as these new Commando units on that day without spending a single Credit. The Infiltrator class will be available in this new mode and Galactic Assault. We’re not sure yet if Infiltrator units for the Rebel Alliance, Resistance, First Order and Empire factions are being considered too, but it’s highly likely. And no, we have no idea why this class is called “Infiltrator” and not “Commando” either.
