Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a massive sequel that improves upon nearly everything from Fallen Order, and a huge part of that is combat. Cal retains all of the abilities he learned previously, and the major focus of combat is now put on Lightsaber Stances. There are five stances in total but Cal can only equip two at any time, and each one has its own dedicated skill tree. While you can realistically use any stance in Jedi Survivor there are some clear winners, and we’ll help you decide which stances you should focus on, as well as a few of the abilities you should get first.
5. Dual Wield
Dual Wielding and Single Stance are honestly pretty comparable, but in most cases, Single comes out on top because of its speed and balanced stats. Dual Wield’s big gimmick is its Force ability, which lets you reflect any attack by holding down the triangle (Y) button. The problem is that the timing can be a bit tricky, and even when you block an attack the counterattack does very little damage to some of the bigger and tougher enemies, even if you get the Precision Release ability that bumps up damage.
The other downside for Dual Wield is that the stance simply has such short range, which can really put you in danger against big enemies that don’t stagger easily. If you do use this stance, however, you should put your focus immediately on getting the skills Twin Vipers and Dancing Blades, the final skills of the tree. These skills will let you throw both Lightsabers at once and even have them bounce between enemies, immediately giving you some much-needed range.
4. Single
Single Stance is the all-rounder of Jedi Survivor, giving you an equal balance between range, attack, and defense. It’s a solid choice for any situation, but the biggest downside is that it has little to no crowd control. Because of that Single should be your one-on-one weapon, while you use something else for groups.
One of the biggest reasons to use Single is that it has a fantastic range-closing ability called Dash Strike, which you can unlock a few tiles into the skill tree. Dash Strike lets you instantly close the distance and perform a quick Lightsaber strike, and there’s even an aerial version to unlock as well. This move is perfect for dealing with deadly ranged enemies like Droideka or jetpack troopers.
3. Crossguard
Crossguard is the most devastating stance in terms of sheer damage, but it can also be the hardest to use because of its slow speed and wind-up on each attack. You’ll want to pair Crossguard with a quick stance so you can carve through the block gauge of enemies, then switch and cause maximum damage. The Crossguard’s Force ability can also be incredibly useful as it lets you do a huge uppercut attack that can even knock down big enemies. Again, you just need to practice and get the timing right.
There are two vital abilities you absolutely need with the Crossguard. The first is Sundering Swipe, a fantastic AoE ability that swings Cal’s saber in an arc forward and can knock down multiple enemies. The second is Charge Reflection, which lets you reflect a blaster shot but turn it into a charge shot if you time things right, upping the damage and potentially knocking down an enemy.
2. Double-Bladed
The Double-Bladed Stance is absolutely fantastic for crowd control, letting you unleash a flurry of attacks that can stop enemies in their tracks. It’s easily the best of the three starting stances, and the key to using it is that you want to stay mobile and agile. Make liberal use of dodges and zip in for a quick combo to a group of enemies, before zipping back out again. Double-Bladed is also the best stance for reflecting blaster bolts, as if you hit L1 right before the first bolt hits, you can reflect a flurry of them in a row. This is great for taking on large groups of ranged enemies, or enemies that have rapid fire, like Droideka.
Piggybacking off that last point, one of the skills you should invest in is Multifold Reflections, which lets you reflect a flurry of bolts back at OTHER enemies, not just the one that fires them. This means one stream of bolts from a Heavy Assault Trooper can help you take down a whole room. The other ability you’ll want to liberally use is Vortex Strike, a unique move that sends Cal surging forward while twirling his Lightsaber. This move is a gap-closer but can also work as a hit-and-run tactic that lets you instantly dash through a group of enemies while damaging them.
1. Blaster
It’s really not even a contest when it comes to the best Stance, as the new Blaster option is far and away the most versatile. The Blaster gives you fantastic ranged options mixed with super quick Lightsaber thrusts, and in every way, it feels fantastic to use. The catch is that in order to recharge your Blaster you need to land Lightsaber strikes, so you can’t just fire away. In each battle, you’ll generally want to pick your target with the Blaster, picking off ranged enemies or ones that don’t have huge block gauges, before diving in with your Lightsaber.
Blaster Cooldown is the very first ability you should unlock after starting the skill tree, as it boosts the amount of Blaster you recover from Lightsaber strikes, thereby making it easier to use more ranged attacks. Past that, Point Blank and Quick Draw are both worth investing in. Point Blank lets you use a tremendously powerful charged shot if you press the fire button just before an enemy attack lands. Not only does this cause damage, but it sends the enemy flying. Quick Draw, on the other hand, can destroy groups by letting you use a Red Dead-style targeting mode that hits multiple enemies at once.
