Rolling With the Heavyweights: How the TANK Rolls in the Rapid Fire World of Star Wars: Hunters

Introduction to the Battlefield

Set in deep space, amidst the distinct melodies and motifs of classic Star Wars musical cues, alongside the design hallmarks of an Ewok Village or Imperial Starship, is a competitive scene that will require every Star Wars fan to bring their A-game. In Star Wars: Hunters, transport players deep into the action of their favourite classic Star Wars films and into the spray of PvP (Player versus Player) combat that runs deep and fast. As a free-to-play hero shooter by Zynga, Hunters could offer up a quick, fun scrimmage with friends in a combat arena that, despite its known challenges in the competitive and progression spaces, would otherwise be an otherwise great way to engage in skirmishes of speed.

TANKS: The Frontline Behemoths

Buried deep in the bare bones of Star Wars: Hunters’ play is a genre term that every professional veteran has come to recognise: the Tank. The last line of defence, Tanks are all about protection and destruction. In a game that demands tight turns and nut-to-nut strategy, the presence of a Tank can change a match’s tide. The damage it can absorb, and the cover he or she can provide, can be the difference between a team’s survival and its death. They are the best of friends and weapons of war.

TANKS in Action: Strategy Over Brute Force

Though a Star Wars: Hunters duel comes with many variables, making it easy to get lost even in changing your character’s direction in the right timing, matches also tend to have a relatively simple and straightforward nature. After all, the goal is to annihilate your foes, not to conquer the Rock of Gibraltar. By sprinkling in Tank roles into the mix, however, simple struggle can become a bit more strategic, a bit more complex, often with the added wrinkle that much of this complexity is typically absent from fights that happen in rapid succession. Dropping a Tank where your team needs it most at the right time requires more than simply knowing how much shielding it can provide. Tactical placement and a synergy with the team is absolutely crucial in shielding teammates from a barrage of blaster fire, or in making an opening for a few daring Jedi in the midst of high-flying action.

Building Your Battalion: TANK Selection and Synergy

It’s not all about picking the strongest character and ‘winning’ based on that stat. You have to balance your team setup depending on which Hunters have potential, nice-to-have synergies. And a Tank (who no longer is just about call control) should be the one that makes sense to complement the team – whether you are trying to do damage from range or carry it from the front lines; be it a team that sticks together and throws damage, or one that takes it to the heads of other teams and multi-targets them. It all becomes a tactical question. Making the right choice could very well decide the game.

Mastering the TANK: A Path to Victory

Players learn what works for them and perhaps adopt a personal favourite – I’ve never looked back from my love of the Wookiee grozz for instance. Every Tank does things differently. Each has its pros and cons. It’s a matter of evaluating these pros and cons and learning how to turn them to your advantage while either minimising or being prepared to mitigate the cons. A skilled player can mean the difference between victory and defeat when it comes to teams moving from Bronzium to Kyber, especially if the Tank is well-played.

The Pitfalls of Progression

After the excitement of wielding such raw power on the battlefield, the process of unearthing and levelling up the abilities of Tanks – and all Hunters, for that matter – introduces a grind that not everyone will appreciate. The game’s progression system and focus on microtransactions can dampen the competitive spirit. The potential of levelling up new characters and new powers provides a goal for play, but the slow pace at which this is achieved without monetary spend can be a demotivating force.

Conclusion: The TANK's Place in Star Wars: Hunters

Star Wars: Hunters is a speedy, fun experience that’s further elevated when played with friends, and the careful use of Tanks in otherwise frenetic quick matches gives it a strategy element belied by the straightforward nature of the combat. The core of the title is solid, especially if you’re able to ignore some of the game’s straightforward progression mechanics and constant messaging about Darth Vader’s invite codes or currency. Ultimately, those willing to delve into the subtleties of each Tank and care about the strategies of the wider game could find a satisfyingly slow climb to the summit.

Understanding the "TANK"

Tank has a specific meaning in the context of video games, most commonly in shooters and in MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games). When used in those terms, it refers to a character class or player role with an emphasis on survivability, meaning the Tank character is built to withstand a great amount of damage for the benefit of the other, less durable teammates. The Tank is a fundamental and important part of team compositions, meaning that the person who fills the role must have a good grasp of enemy behaviours, understand the game in strategic ways and know how to predict an opponent’s moves. Becoming a master of a Tank character is something sought after in gaming communities.