SWTOR Star Fortresses Guide

Dulfy 381 Comments Oct 21, 2015

A guide to SWTOR Star Fortress, a new type of solo and heroic content added with the Fallen Empire expansion.

How to Start

Battle for the Stars

You will find NPC Miot Dengd inside the Alliance War Room in Odessen after you have completed Chapter 9. Talking to him will start the story arc for Star Fortresses

Speak to Lieutenant Marklo
Select one of the Star Fortresses (any will work, Alderaan for example since it is top of the list)
Find a Turbolift to the Upper Decks
Descend to the Skytrooper Production Floor
Defeat the Skytrooper Praetorian
Find the Turbolift Exit to this Level
Enter the EPHMERIS Data Center
Defeat EPHMERIS
- Destroy West Data Core
- Destroy East Data Core
Wait for Theron to Slice a Lift
Use the Maintenance Life to Escape the Star Fortress
Meet with a Resistance Fighter (Use the Companions and Contacts window to respond to Alliance Alerts)

Completing this mission will reward you with the following

12,240 credits
Influence gain with Theron
5 Glowing Data Crystals
10 Common Data Crystals
Locked Supply Crate for each Alliance Specialist
Outlander’s Box (containing 1 random piece of rating 208 purple gear)m

Solo Mode: Star Fortress

Once you have completed Battle for the Stars, you will unlock the solo mode of Star Fortress for each of the six planets (Alderaan, Belsavis, Hoth, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Voss). You can enter them via the entrance in Odessen by talking to Lieutenant Marklo. The solo modes are great for getting some of the achievements for defeating the Paladins since they are also present in the solo mode and it is much easier to do them than the [HEROIC 2+] versions.

Dying in Star Fortress

If you die in Star Fortress, you will be sent to jail. To break out of it, use your new abilities when a guard walks near to cause them to drop a datapad that will open up your cell. Once you are out of your cell, go to the back of the jail and use the forceps to break out of your chain.

Achievement for solo mode

There are a set of achievements for killing the EPHERMIS droid at the end of every Star Fortress in solo mode. If you complete all of them, you get a legacy title called Physical Backup Unit.

In addition to this achievement, the Paladin and the Devotional Text achievements can also be done in solo mode and they are significantly easier to do in solo mode so you should try get those knocked out if possible. More on those achievements below.

Bonus Objectives

Completing the bonus objective in solo or heroic mode of Star Fortress will reward you 500 influence towards your current active companion and 250 influence towards your Resistance Contact so make sure to explore the entire map and do the bonus objective as soon as you see them pop up (they are random).

You can do the star fortresses repeatedly (reset phases in between) to farm the objectives for companion influence this way without spending credits on companions gifts.

Additionally there is an achievement for completing 25 bonus objectives in any mode of Star Fortress that give you 20 cartel coins.

Unlocking Heroic Mode

Resistance Contacts

Once you have completed Battle for the Stars, you will get alerts in your companions and contacts window from the resistance fights in various planets (Alderaan, Belsavis, Hoth, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Voss).

Talking to the resistance fighters will start a series of quests on each planet that culminates in unlocking the [HEROIC 2+] version of the Star Fortress on each planet.

The Resistance

Investigate the shield bunker by showing up at the location on the map and using the provided Macrobinoculars to scan the shield bunker tower.
Disable the Zakuul Transmitter
Defeat the Bunker Defender (usually an elite Eternal Empire Walker)

The map below are for Imperial players, Republic players will have a slightly different location but should be looking at the same Zakuul bunker.

Alderaan

Belsavis

Hoth

Nar Shaddaa (Upper Office Atrium)

Tatooine (Jundland)

Voss (Pelath-Ri Marches)

Completing this mission will reward you with the following

14,688 credits
Variable amount of Influence gain with Resistance Fighter
5 Glowing Data Crystals
Select one Locked Supply Crate

Gearing Up

For this step, you need to turn in 5 Supply Crates of any type to your contact. These are the locked Supply Crates you can farm by doing heroic missions on various planets at L65. Additionally, if you have enough Common Data Crystals you can purchase them for 50 Common Data Crystals from the vendor in Odessen Cantina (Smuggled Supplies vendor)

The Shield Bunker

Enter the Shield Bunker
- Defeat two champion Automated Blaster Cannon (30k HP). You can call Orbital strike on them by using the provided quest clickie. The bombardment will disable and destroy them automatically without you having to do any attacking

Talk to the resistance contact inside the bunker (lower level)
Locate the Shield Generator
Defeat the Shield Generator Defender
Destroy the Shield Generator

Completion of this mission will reward you with the following in addition to the Local Support achievement under Companions –> Star Fortresses

14,688 credits
Variable amount of Influence gain with Resistance Fighter
5 Glowing Data Crystals
Select one Locked Supply Crate

In addition, if you destroyed all six shield bunkers, you will get the achievement Bunker Buster with the associated legacy title of the same name.

Heroic Mode

Basics

Gear Requirement

This is a [HEROIC 2+] mission, you can either do this solo if you have good gear (i.e. purple 216 rating or above) or find another player. If you are soloing, you will need strong heals so your companion need to be in heal spec with high Influence ranks or ideally you are in heal spec and have your companion on DPS/tank stance as needed

Buff Terminal

At the start of each Star Fortress you can find a terminal that will give you buffs from each of the Alliance Specialists. There is an achievement for defeating the final boss of a heroic mode Star Fortress without using these buffs but you only need to do this once so you should always take this buff if you can.

Getting to the Exarch

The heroic Star Fortress isn’t too different from the solo mode until you get to the EPHERMIS druid. Instead of fighting the druid, you will encounter two groups of mobs, each with an elite Knight of Zakuul. Defeating them will allow you to proceed further in with a whole another level to get to the Exarch.

Destroy the Reactor Stabilizer Arrays: 0/3
- To get to the platforms hosting these arrays, you will need to interact with the Magnetic Anchor

When you are blocked by the Sun Beams on the ground, use the Photoelectric Dampening Field looted off mobs to protect you before crossing. It will reduce the damage you take by 50%

At the second reactor, you won’t be overload the console right away as it is not clickable. Instead, you can pick up these Dendrite Photocell Capacitors off the Photoelectric Droids that the Exarch transfers the energy to and then use them to Siphon off stacks off the Exarch (Exarch will lose stacks naturally as she summon more and more droids, just hold off until the console is clickable and click it to end the fight). Once her stacks are gone, she will attempt to use the console to recharge and you can overload the console then.

Most of the damage are from the low health Sunguard droids, use AoE to quickly take them out. On the initial pull, you can crowd control one of the elite captains and have your companion on passive to lure the other one out of the room. Beware that the captains can grapple you back. This may help you avoid aggroing the sunguard droids and quickly eliminate the captains.
If needed, use your Heroic Moment abilities to help you here

At the third reactor, watch the Photovoltaic Surge that follows you around as it deals quite a lot of damage. Same as the second reactor, loot the Photocell capacitors off the Photoelectric Droids and then Siphon the stacks off the Exarch to overload the console.

Defeating the Exarch

To reach the Exarch, use the magnetic anchor to grapple to her platform.

The Exarch fight is pretty tough as they deal tons of damage. I like to run in healer spec with a companion in healing spec as I find that provide the smoothest fights even though it may make the fight a bit longer.

Phase 1 (100-50%)

In the 100-50% phase, she will drop red circles on the ground that are easy to avoid and perform attacks an attack called Impaling Strikes which you will want to interrupt as it deals massive damage. You will also want to kill any Mental Apparition that spawns as they will apply a debuff to you that reduce your healing and damage.

Phase 2 (< 50%)

Phase 2 introduce a lot of movement into the fight. The Exarch will use all of the phase 1 abilities but also jump up in the air to do an explosive landing or charge you. Both of which you want to avoid.

The Exarch has a chance to drop the Eternal Empire Recon Walker but it is not a very common drop.

Completion of each heroic mode of Star Fortress will unlock that Resistance Fighter as a companion and award you with the following.

14,688 credits
5 Glowing Data Crystals
Select one Locked Supply Crate

Conquered Exarch Armor

Each heroic mode Star Fortress have a one time mission reward that grant you one piece of the Conquered Exarch armor unique to that specific planet. There are four versions of this armor so you can keep running the heroic mode on different toons to get all 4 sets.

Alderaan:Chest
Belsavis:Shoes
Hoth: Gloves
Nar Shaddaa: Helmet
Tatooine: Legs
Voss: Belt
Bracers are random drop off the Paladins in heroic mode.

Heroic Mode Achievements

Heroic mode have its set of achievements that give both legacy titles and other useable rewards like speeders and decorations.

Liberator of X Planet

For each heroic mode Star Fortress on a different planet you complete, you will get a Liberator of X Planet achievement and a title. For example, completing the Alderaan Star Fortress will reward you with <name>, Liberator of Alderaan player title.

You’re All Clear, Kid!

This is rewarded for destroying the six Star Fortresses in heroic mode. You get a legacy title called Galactic Liberator and a new speeder called Star Fortress Commander.

An End to the Exarchs

This is rewarded for defeating the Exarch at end of each heroic mode Star Fortress. You get the massive Sun Machine Reactor decoration as a reward.

All For One

To get this achievement, you have to get to Influence Rank 10 or above with all four of your Alliance Specialists. This will allow you to interact with the Alliance Equipment Caches that can be found inside the heroic mode Star Fortress (the locations are random but some of them are next to a paladin or in the bonus objective area so explore all of the map).

In addition, you need to interact with the buff terminal at the start of the instance to receive all 4 Alliance Specialist Combat buffs.

Completing this achievement give you the Fully Armed and Operational legacy title and four decorations.

Zakuulan Force Focus
Portable Zakuulan Sentry Turret
Zakuulan Prototype Medical Probe
XR-9 Scrambler Grenade in Suspension Chamber

One for All

Challenging achievement that require you to solo the heroic mode and do it without interacting with the buff terminal from the start. Luckily you only have to do it once for the achievement. Be geared with a high influence rank companion and try have you and the companion both in heal spec to survive the Exarch if needed. You get 20 cartel coins and the legacy title The One and Only if you complete this achievement.

Secret Heroic Mode Achievements

These achievements don’t show up on the achievement panel until you complete them. They involve the Exarch fight mainly.

When You Play With Fire….

Defeated an Exarch with radiation from their own Star Fortress’s Sun Reactor.

Past 50% HP, the Exarch will start breaking windows around the room and letting the reactor ray creep into the room. This creates a small red area next to the broken window where anything stand in it will take continuous DoT damage of ~6k damage per tick. What you want to do is to get the Exarch low (like 2%) and then have your companion on passive while you kite the Exarch into the red area. The goal is having the DoT from the red area kill the Exarch instead of you landing the final killing blow.
In addition to the achievement you will also earn the title, Name, Playing with Fire

Both Feet on the Ground

Avoided the final blow of an Exarch’s “Impaling Strikes” ability by dispelling the Force Lift holding you in place.

What you need to do here is get close to the Exarch for his Impaling Strikes and make sure your stun breaker is off CD. In the last second of this cast, he will place a Force Lift debuff on you. When this debuff is about half way with Impaling Strikes having 0.4s left on the channel your stun breaker will light up and you can use it to get the achievement. Basically the idea is have your fingers next to the stun breaker button and use it when you see the cast on the Impaling Strikes channel have 0.4s left.
In addition to the achievement you will also earn the title, Name, Feet on the Ground

A Shrouded Vigil

Discovered that an old “friend” has been keeping an eye on the galaxy in your absence.This can be done in either solo or heroic mode, it is hidden under General achievements section of Star Fortress.

Reward: Legacy Title: The Ever-Watchful

Look outside the Star Fortress windows with your Macrobinoculars and look for a MCR Droid. For example I was able to find one on this map.

Paladins

Paladins are the champion level mobs inside Star Fortresses. There are 4 named Paladins per Star Fortress but only 1-2 show up per Star Fortress instance so you will need to do multiple runs to get all of them. Star Fortress maps are randomized and their spawn location is also randomized. Regardless, there are certain spots in certain maps where there is a high chance for a Paladin to be at a certain location.

Paladins exist in both storymode and hardmode Star Fortress so it is wise to hunt them down in solo mode if you are playing alone. Otherwise you can do them in hardmode and knock out the other achievements as well.

If you manage to kill all 24 Paladins, you will get the Fallen Knight legacy title and Model Star Fortress decoration as a reward.

Paladins List

Alderaan Paladin Slayer

Adan Tranik
Hyra Dram
Gav Moros
Tress Parion

Belsavis Paladin Slayer

Darian Vir
Jin Torasu
Hali Kadir
Balan Karus

Hoth Paladin Slayer

Yona Zu
Kal Petrin
Tir Maltu
Yoran Zarr

Nar Shadda Paladin Slayer

Xan Grainik
Lan Tyvan
Sanno Hok
Norva Ruun

Tatooine Paladin Slayer

Niall Grast
Keru Marasa
Narin Kiros
Orik Saal

Voss Paladin Slayer

Bellic Hondi
Zai Branen
Orus Jind
Avia Mur

Map of Possible Paladin Locations

Devotional Text

These are the various little books you can find in both Heroic and solo mode of Star Fortress. There is one for every Star Fortress. They are a bit hidden but if you look carefully they aren’t too hard to find. The pathway connecting the lower and upper levels of the Star Fortress for example are popular hidden spots for these books. Like the Paladins, their locations are randomized so there is no guarantee.

Attendant of Scyva – Find The Grieving of Scyva within Alderaan Star Fortress
Beloved of Aivela – Find The Proclaimation of Aivela within the Belsavis Star Fortress
Shadow of Nahut – Find The Lamentation of Nahut within the Hoth Star Fortress
Defiler of Esne – Find The Admonition of Esne within the Nar Shaddaa Star Fortress
Shieldbearer of Tyth – Find The Awe of Tyth within the Tatooine Star Fortress
Disciple of Izax – Find The Veneration of Izax within the Voss Star Fortress

Completing all of them will earn you the Zakuulan Devotee achievement and the legacy title Follower of the Old Ways

Decorations and other Rewards

Decorations

Achievement Rewards

Killing all six Exarches – Sun Machine Reactor
Killing an Exarch with all the buffs and found all four equipment caches
Kill all 24 Paladins – Model Star Fortress

Drops

Decorations drop off the Paladins, Skytrooper Praetorian and the EPHERMIS Droid at the very end. You can get up to 4 decorations per run of Star Fortress

Gallery link: http://tor-decorating.com/category/acquired-source/missions/star-fortress/

Center-Mounted Monitor Display

Factory Welding Droid

Framed Skytrooper Chassis Remains

Incomplete Skytrooper Chassis

Left-Mounted Monitor Display

Power Condenser Tube

Right-Mounted Monitor Display

Skytrooper Model Display Tube

Star Fortress Stasis Bunk

Wall Vents

Wall-Mounted Power Converter

Wall-Mounted Power Regulator

Zakuulan Chair

Zakuulan Computer Console Type A

Zakuulan Computer Console Type B

Zakuulan Hanging Monitor Array

Zakuulan Medical Bed

Zakuulan Meta-Computation Machine

Zakuulan Pilaster

Zakuulan Shield and Force Pikes

Zakuulan Standing Floor Lamp

Zakuulan Tech Wall Panel

Titles

Titles for destroying the Star Fortress in heroic mode

<name>, Liberator of Alderaan
<name>, Liberator of Belsavis
<name>, Liberator of Nar Shaddaa
<name>, Liberator of Hoth
<name>, Liberator of Tatooine
<name>, Liberator of Voss

Title for heroic mode secret achievement

<name>, Feet on the Ground
<name>, Playing with Fire

Legacy Titles

Physical Backup Unit – Rewarded for killing every EPHERMIS droid in solo mode
Bunker Buster – Rewarded for destroying every bunker on the six planets.
Galactic Liberator – Completing all six Star Fortresses on heroic mode.
Fully Armed and Operation – Killing an exarch with the buff and found all 4 alliance equipment caches.
The One and Only – Killing an exarch solo and without any buffs
The Ever-Watchful – Finding a MCR droid outside the windows of Star Fortress with your macrobinoculars (see hidden heroic achievement section in this guide).

Mounts

Star Fortress Commander

Rewarded for destroying all six Star Fortresses on heroic mode

Eternal Empire Recon Walker

Rare drop off Exarch in heroic mode

Conquered Exarch Armor

Alderaan:Chest
Belsavis:Shoes
Hoth: Gloves
Nar Shaddaa: Helmet
Tatooine: Legs
Voss: Belt
Bracers are random drop off the Paladins in heroic mode.

Kang

Can the Heroic mode be done with 3 players? I know it’s a dumb question but it’s hard to tell these days considering all the solo-oriented content.
- Valenjinn
  
  I think you can get inside the typical 4 peeps group, but although long and boring, you can go easily alone being dps + having a +10 influence heal companion. Enemies can’t touch you using the brain.
Holyfrog

It says (Heroic 2+) I take that to mean 2-4, just like the CZ FPs.
- Unoshi
  
  Or HC in solo mode with a good influenced companion
  - Holyfrog
    
    Yeah, I meant to reply to Kang below about if you can do it with 2 people. I fully intend to solo all the 2+
SpartanGuard

I was able to complete the one heroic that I did, only with a companion. I did it in 190-200 gear. just have to use your heroic moment in tough fights.
Attoy

Where is located the Smuggled Goods vendor? I can’t find him and I don’t have ‘vendor’ on my map even if they are active.
- Dulfy
  
  sorry the vendor is in odessen cantina, not your base
  - Attoy
    
    Cool , thanks Dulfy 😉
KShrike

… so not a 4 man.
- Unoshi
  
  all 4 man have been changed to 2+, so doubt we will get any new 4 man
  - KShrike
    
    ….. this doesn’t count for the hard mode flashpoints do they?
    
    ….. I will be extremely upset if that’s the case.
    - Unoshi
      
      No no, just missions labeled as heroics are 2+ now
gkaiser

There are hidden achievements to be gotten. Total math for the heroic mode list points to three, since without them, 15 points are missing out of the 280 and the one I got was worth 5 points. I earned it doing the Alderaan fortress on heroic, and it rewarded me with the character title , Feet on the ground.

http://i.imgur.com/9saWnW2.png
- Dulfy
  
  Found the other 2
  
  When You Play With Fire….
  
  Defeated an Exarch with radiation from their own Star Fortress’s Sun Reactor.
  
  Both Feet on the Ground
  
  Avoided the final blow of an Exarch’s “Impaling Strikes” ability by dispelling the Force Lift holding you in place.
  
  A Shrouded Vigil
  
  Discovered that an old “friend” has been keeping an eye on the galaxy in your absence.
  
  Legacy Title: The Ever-Watchful
  - Kol
    
    “A Shrouded Vigil” involves looking out the windows of the Star Fortress. There’s a chance for there to be a MCR droid sitting there in space for you to scan with the macrobinoculars. When scanned it says “Nice to have you back. I’ll be watching”.
    - Dulfy
      
      Thanks for this, I will keep an eye out 🙂
    - Unoshi
      
      Sweet. Inwas wondering when we would get mention of the shroud
    - Belisar
      
      Can they spawn in front of every window, because I have run a couple of Fortresses so far, but couldn’t find an MCR droid so far?
      - Kol
        
        I only found it on my 6th Star Fortress and done a bunch more since and not seen it again, so I think it’s a chance to spawn rather than being guaranteed once per run or in specific windows. That Shroud is sneaky, keep trying 😉
Batorr

I did “One for all” and didnt get the rewards :/
- Ben Gimson
  
  Likewsie. Just me and Lana and no buffs.
  - Dulfy
    
    Did you click the terminal at the start? if you click it won’t count
    - Ben Gimson
      
      No, specifically didn’t click it. It’s irritating, given how long it takes to complete each one :/
      - jaydog
        
        Like wise, me and pierce, clicked nothing
    - Rex
      
      I ran Nar Shaddaa tonight, and I didn’t get it, despite not clicking the terminal in front, or any of the caches (though I’m not level 10 yet and wouldn’t get anything).
Unoshi

one thing i have to note: i do love how they started adding some cool deco back as obtainable in game and not through CM….
Chyron HR

Are the solo modes repeatable?
- Dulfy
  
  Yes
Helryx

So you can’t run around the boss trying to avoid his hits like with every other melee focused enemy, and you CAN interrupt his self-heal, but he just casts it again right away.
Solo mode is borked, even with the 4 buffs.
- Dale Cleary
  
  The 3rd reactor,, Just get owned,, even trying these tactics. you get one elite captain down, he resses again when you die so you start the fight all over again. I just hope that these Heriocs aren’t Needed for the overall game. They are Soloable for some,, but not for most to that 3rd Reactor. I enjoyed it right up to the 4th attempt at the 3rd reactor, then thought f*ck it.
VicVader

Oh decos, how you’ve sucked me into farming the hell out of this. Least I another thing to look forward to.
Rex

I did Alderaan on Heroic solo as a Jugg Tank with my companion (Lana) as DPS for most of the Way. I switched her to Heals for EPHEMERIS on. Sadly I didn’t know about the achievement to do it without the buffs, which does literally mean you can’t click the big glowy buff machines, as I got no buffs because my Alliance ranks are too low, yet didn’t get credit for beating the Exarch.
prdc

Shame I can’t take Theron in there; I have the highest influence with him.
Anotha_Guy

Ok, Dulfy… you may be our only hope. Since you seem to have some thing of a different view on you compared to us pleb customers in EA-ware’s eyes, maybe you can be the one to help. Since I started this game, and even to now, there has been one glaring omission and considered by most, a very basic feature. The option to loop music, I ask one of two things from you. Make a thread and gather support directly on their website or a list off to the side and make that petition’s results known to Ea-ware. I know for a fact that the lack of music kills the atmosphere for many customers thus driving them away. I ask for an effort, help us Dulfy Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.
Logan Goldenstein

Doesn’t have to do with any kind of achievement but I just got the Eternal Empire Recon Walker mount as a drop off of an Exarch on Heroic. Does anyone know if its been added to the random loot tables for every flash point or is it exclusive to Star Fortress?

https://torcommunity.com/database/item/4qbuLn8/eternal+empire+recon+walker/
Demios

So can you do you the solo modes to actually destroy the base or do you have to do the heroic? I get that it’s an mmo but I don’t like grouping with people a hole lot and prefer to rely on myself and not having to explain why I sometimes have to be afk for awhile.
- Saihah
  
  You need to do the heroic mode I believe, but they are entirely soloable with a strong companion and good gear, which is definitely attainable.
  - Noomi
    
    I hope they change that. Its already difficult enough to get people for it.
- Naq
  
  “I gotta go afk, I might be a while, I built the cages really well, but sometimes they get all greasy and just slip out…what is it about heavily starved prisoners that makes them so quick too? Anyway, I’ll be back, but I don’t know when. The woods out here are pretty thick and theres lots of places to hide….”
  *Other player has left the group*
  - Holyfrog
    
    What are you on Naq? Lol
    - Naq
      
      The guy said he didn’t want to have to explain why he went afk for long periods of time. I was wondering what is so mysterious or possibly nefarious to put him in that position. Clearly serial killer or “people farmer” is the only answer.
- Sindariel
  
  I easily soloed the heroic mode as a DPS sorc with 198 gear and a rank 10 companion in healing stance and i never went below 80% health in the final boss fight.
  It’s just very time consuming since the mobs have tons of HP in HM.
Sadriel_Fett

Haha. The Star Fortress Commander speeder kind of looks like a mini IG-2000 (IG-88’s ship).
Sjukar

When You Play With Fire….

Defeated an Exarch with radiation from their own Star Fortress’s Sun Reactor.

There are, i think it is six sensor fields at the windows. You have to fight pull him to the windows and the exchar will destroy it. When the sensor fields are destroyed a message pop uped. I dont know if you have to stand in the field that comes after the field is destroyed, but i killed the exchar there and get the achievment. Maybe its enough to destroy the sensor fields.
- Dulfy
  
  Thanks I will try it 🙂
Jarrod Maynard

Anyone have images of the Conquered Exarch Armor?
- Baogo
  
  This is the Conquered Exarch’s Meditation Robes.
  - Sjukar
    
    I love this robe!
- Jarrod Maynard
  
  Any one else have images?
  I’m curious what they look like.
Crichton

There still seems to be a heroic secret achievement for fortress not mentioned here. I have 275 of 280 and all the achieves are complete. minus a 5 point achievement somewhere.
- Tagal
  
  You have to be missing either When you Play with Fire or Both Feet on the Ground. They’re the only two 5 pointers that aren’t part of a larger series like the last boss and planet ones. I have 280 on mine.
JasonRyder

I was doing the Alderaan Star Fortress heroic and I couldn’t get past the Exarch. She kept throwing photovoltic blasts at us and she had 18 stacks still up but no droids were being activated at the third reactor. There was just no way to advance.
- Bobby Conner
  
  same happened to my grp. we got to the second terminal, killed all the droids, I used my cast to knock a stack off but my partner lost their ability. no droids with 2 stacks cant continue any farther
- SPK
  
  funny cause to get the One for All Achievement you cant use and shield or siphons and all you have to do is keep killing the waves of enemies till the console finally lights up to get past.. which only takes 5 minutes on the third reactor…
  - Tagal
    
    You can actually use the siphons on the Exarch. I did and I still got it. The other important thing is if your comp gets the killing blow it doesn’t count.
  - AdjeYo
    
    You can use shield siphons actually, you just can’t use the buffs from alliance and the boxes you can pick up for alliance
pokedigijedi

I’m having trouble starting/completing the heroic version, is there some special place i have to go to to do it? cause I’ve done solo mode several times already and i still havent completed the quest yet
- Baogo
  
  You have to get the companion quests to destroy the bunkers on the planets below the Star Fortress. Once you do that you unlock Heroic mode.
  - pokedigijedi
    
    thanks, but i just NOW noticed that i have the option to do so…sorry for trouble/wasting all of your guys time 🙁
Moki

I solod Nar Shadda H2 twice now in a row without any aid, buff, bolster, items that you can pick up, and i still didnt get the One and Only achivement :S Any of you had this before? I literally just walk in the instance, select nar shadda, travel there, click on the door, and after that, i click on nothing, only killing.
- Shivora
  
  had the same with Tatooine..
  - Tagal
    
    Do NOT use any of the special Alliance items like the turret that you can pick up. Only thing you can use is the item that drains the Exarch at the end so you can click on the console. Also for the last 10% or so of the Exarch put your companion on passive. If the comp gets the killing blow it doesn’t count.
- Batorr
  
  Yep i had this too
  - Tagal
    
    Don’t use any of the special Alliance items like the turret that you can pick up. Only thing you can use is the item that drains the Exarch at the end so you can click on the console. Also for the last 10% or so of the Exarch put your companion on passive. If the comp gets the killing blow it doesn’t count.
- SPK
  
  dont click the console at the start dont use the shield or the siphon pick up either… and dont use any of the 4 alliance stations dont even look at them.. i did it on my first try and i was doing the Nar Shaddaa one..
- Tagal
  
  Along with what SPK said you also need to get the killing blow instead of your companion so put your comp on passive for the last 10% or so on the Exarch or you’re screwed.
qwerty

I’ve gone through these multiple times on solo and heroic, killed all the paladins, and never seen a bonus objective. How do you get them?
- dinodoc
  
  You only get them on heroic. I thought they automatically triggered though.
  - Dulfy
    
    Not true, they are on both modes
    - Qwery
      
      Is it something you click on or is it like the old area missions and just appears when you stand in a certain place or kill an npc? I’ve cleared all the rooms and every npcs pack and not getting any.
      - tigs
        
        I don’t think the bonus objectives are always there, but it is a ‘place trigger’. Also Theron and Miot (sp?) tell you about it when you hit the right spot.
Varnarok

Are the MCR Droids/Probes stationary or do they rotate with the background? I seem to be having terrible luck finding one.
- Adam Milledge
  
  cant find it either
- SPK
  
  i am standing at the exact same point in the picture above Hoth which is where this was taken at the same coordinates and it aint there for me either.
jozopucik

I think you are overdoing it on the One for All achievment. I did it on my Sage in TK, with Companion in heal (rank 10) and i was still in my old 192 token gear.
CunningStunt

Tank guardian + lvl 5 Lana for
Tagal

In order to get the One for All achievement your character needs to get the killing blow. It’s important when you get to around 10% or so to put your companion on passive and then kill the Exarch. If the companion gets the last hit it doesn’t count and you get to redo it.
- VicVader
  
  Thank you so much. I solo’d three heroics yesterday and didn’t get it at all. Thought it was bugged but it’s probably just my damn companion.
  
  This information you dropped needs to be part of the guide.
- Bigjohn
  
  Also, I killed the Exarch with fire to earn the cheevo, then again the One for All achievement doesn’t count neither
Chad Cloman

So I died during a fight and was sent to a detention block cell with an inhibitor collar that prevented me from using any abilities. I’m not sure if this was the correct method, but I was able to escape the cell and the collar by going to my stronghold and then returning.
- Tagal
  
  When you’re in the cell you’ll see two temporary abilities show up on your screen. Click on the guard that walks by and then click on the ability on the left to attract the guard over to your cell. Once he’s there you need to click on the temp ability on the right to knock him out and cause him to drop the control pad.
- tigs
  
  When you’ve released yourself, you need to go to the med droid that’s in a chamber directly to your left. There is a tool on the bench with which you can release yourself from the collar.
  
  /this in addition to the post below
Holyfrog

What is the deal with the bonus, do they just pop up or do you need to find a data pad or something? I can’t ever find a bonus. Also is anyone else having troubles useing the grapple points in the heroics. I use them and it’s like I hit a wall before getting to the other side.
- Dulfy
  
  They just pop up if you are near the area for the bonus. The grapple issue might due to lag, what is your ping?
  - Holyfrog
    
    I never thought of it being a lag issue. It has been really leggy this weekend. Someone suggested I put HK away and that worked.
DLM3

About the Exarch fight, to make it clear, each one of them has a unique special ability. For instance the fight described in this guide with the 3 adds is special to the Exarch from Alderaan.

The hardest to solo is definitely the one from Voss, this is the only one I haven’t been able to beat alone so far. His unique ability is a heal (~10% of his total HP) that can be interrupted but he will channel it again before your CD is up so he will always be able to heal if you are soloing him. This is not the Exarch you want to fight for “One For All”.

I managed to drop him to 50% with a first heroic moment (and spamming all 8 heroic abilities) then I held him between 40-50% since he kept healing himself, long enough for a second heroic moment that dropped him to 5%. Then I was helding him between 5-15% waiting for the CD to be up and Lana died. Then it all went to waste since there was no way I would out DPS his 10% heal all by myself. I’ll probably try him again today with the 4 abilities you get from the Alliance and see if that makes it easier to solo him (but that would forfeit your attempt at the holy achievement).
- Micklanis
  
  Well I can not solo the one from Alderaan so I am screwed. I cant even make it off the third platform.
  - DLM3
    
    Most likely depends on the class that you play. Being a healer with a companion in healer stance does help a lot at the end. I use Lana (rank 37 at the moment) as DPS for most of the instance, switch her to tank during the Ephemeris fight (that’s definitely a part where I need the turret but when you go for the One For All achievement, it is pretty brutal without any enhancement), then back to DPS up to the second room where I use her as heals.
    
    Save your heroic moment for the third room. Especially if you are a scoundrel/operative healer, the AOE will be usefull since these classes don’t have any anymore.
    
    And make sure to either kill the gold quick or CC them when the console is up if you don’t want to be grappled.
    
    https://youtu.be/HQlMAP1SYTI
    - Micklanis
      
      I am a carnage Marauder.
- AdjeYo
  
  1 Play a jugg
  2 Get interrupt reset on charge
  3 ????
  4 Profit
Kontrol

Not sure if anyone else has yet, but I just got the Ice Scrabbler Jerky recipe from a random mob in a Star Fortress during the Battle for the Stars mission.
- Trent
  
  I got one, but you do get them from Alderaan iirc.
- DLM3
  
  This schem now drops from almost everything everywhere. I have to sell them by the dozen.
asas

ur missing the “fallen knight” and “follower of the old ways” from the legacy titles section
Bigjohn

I can solo it with my shadow dps, wearing 192 fully augmented gear and rank 20 Lana. No new tier gear is needed for heroics.
- Aun
  
  i dont belive you because my 192 shadow with lana 26 didn’t stod a chance until 70%. all defs, all cc was used. stoop all this bullshit!
  
  LIAR!
  - Darkea
    
    i also soloed heroic SF with my assassin, 192/198 geared, with Lana as healer at lvl17 influence, without any problems, just took time…
  - AdjeYo
    
    Well, did you have lana healing?
SPK

There is a rumor going around that you have to Finish the Macro Binoculars quest to be able to get the MCR Droid to spawn outside a window… can any one confirm or denie this… have ppl gotten it without the other Quest finished..
- AdjeYo
  
  Interesting, I haven’t completed the macrobinoculars missions yet, and I do seem to have terrible luck finding one, I’ll see how it goes after finishing it.
  - Valenjinn
    
    Think you can use the mission object to complete it (you get macrobinoculars mission object as long as you start the missions)
    - AdjeYo
      
      I know that, the question is if the probe even shows up if you haven’t finished the macrobinoculars missions yet.
- Tagal
  
  Do you know of any way to tell which character we did the Macrobinocs mission on?
  - DLM3
    
    Do you have the ability to use the macrobinoculars instead of the quest item? If you have the ability you have finished it.
- fluff
  
  from what i am gathering, yes, you must have the line finished.
- SPK
  
  All i know is no one will do the H4 at the end of the Binocs Quest line i would solo it but its like the Section X Heroic cant be soloed needs ppl pushing consoles…
- kiz
  
  yea i have the macro binoculars quest complete and i have have not found him yet ether
David W

OK, so do we have to do the Heroic 2+ to advance the story? By this, I mean are we screwed if we’re not able to do it?
- neckrosiss
  
  theirs really no way you wont be able to do it. unless they nerf the companions (which they probably will) if you have half of your gear rating 216 and about a level 20 influence with a companion you can solo it.
  - Trent
    
    That wasn’t his question. I’m in 208 gear with a max 10 influence comp and I cannot complete the H2, and it appears that I cannot progress my story. This is horrible and I’m hoping that I can bypass it until at least have the gear reqs.
    - VedaRa
      
      You don’t need to do the FP to progress the story. And if you are at Ch9 in the story, that is all until 2016.
      - Trent
        
        Ah yes I see. The way the mission progresses to the H2 version makes you think you need to do it, but really you just go to your contacts window and move on to the next one. A touch confusing at first but makes sense.
      - David W
        
        OK, now that helps a lot. I thought I had to run the FP for each planet to advance the story.
    - Sibakero
      
      What’s your class? DPS? heals? The reason I ask is I’ve done Heroic Star Fortress twice now, both just me(Jugg Tank) and lana as heals. Lana was level 9 influence. The very 1st time, I clicked the terminal which gave the buff by accident, really didn’t want to because I wanted to try getting the one and only achievement, didn’t die once and was never close to dying at all. Lana was only in heal mode on Praetorian, Ephermis and Exarch. I was also in a mix of 208(about 6 mods), 3 216 mods, the rest was still 192(set bonus) and 198. Still have my pre 4.0 relics and earpiece/implants. I honestly dreaded the 1st time cause Dulfy said it was a bit hard, especially exarch, but, I really found it rofl easy… got the mount that 1st run as well ;P
      
      2nd run, had more 208 and 216’s, so didn’t get the buff, and actually killed Praetorian and ephermis with Lana as DPS. Just barely on Ephermis though..
      
      I’m not being condescending, but if you’re having a hard time with the heroic mode, maybe it’s because you’ve got the wrong type of companion on. The buff is ridiculously helpful…
      
      Oh, legendary status as well, so that could have helped…the Healing mode of comp is insanely OP..
      - Trent
        
        What buff?
        
        I’m a madness sorc in ~208 gear, had Lana (L7) on healing. I couldn’t defeat the woman doing the solar beams on the third instance part. Too many adds, golds etc.
        
        dawgbone
        
        When you first enter the fortress, there is a clickable terminal right near the entrance.
        If you need to get your influence rank up, do a bunch of the planetary heorics first. What I did was do all of the planets first (took down the shields). Then started on the star fortress heorics after I did all of the planets. You’ll get a bunch of gifts from the rewards. Stack as many as you can into one companion.
        On the pub side, I found Lana got a lot of high influence gifts as rewards. By the time I took all the planetary shields down and started on the heroic star fortresses, she was up to 13 and I beat the first one in all 198 gear (no set bonus) with the buff. I was a sentinel DPS with Lana as a healer.
        
        neckrosiss
        
        or he could just get one person to group with him. its really not that hard and bio could not have made the fp easier so he has no reason to complain. i mean you don’t even have to do the fp it really doesn’t add anything to the story.
        
        Aeorro
        
        Try keeping them “bumped” to the side of the room and spam lightening AOE (while Lana keep’s the Exarch occupied. She should be fine as long as you keep the adds busy). Also try to keep the droid whirlwind parked and away from the AOE. The lightening keeps them stunned most of the time so you won’t be taking too much damage and you burn them down pretty quickly. Between the waves, use the debuff on the Exarch then hit the console when it become active. Might take a few waves to get it.
      - Robert Kristian Johansen
        
        When it comes to comps being OP, its either that or they suck imo. Everybody used Treek before patch for this reason… Companions are alot better at 65 then at lower levels though. Going to try a solo hc run on my main merc today and see how that goes.
  - David W
    
    Well currently my highest influence is 12. Guess I better see what gifts I have in my legacy bank
  - Valenjinn
    
    Even with a level 15 one you’re able to, but will take more time.
- Michal Brunclík
  
  or just form a group with 1 other and bring 2 comps and u will do it easily
- wtf
  
  How are yall not able to beat Heroic mode? I solo’d it in mostly dps pvp gear and with an influence of 6. And I had absolutely no trouble. With Comps as OP as they are, you should have no trouble doing it on your own, let alone when you’re grouped with another person and both have comps out…
  - David W
    
    I haven’t tried yet. I was asking if it was possible.
  - Aeorro
    
    Are you sure you’re not meaning solo mode and not heroic X2 mode?
Satyriasis

Is the Star Fortress Commander speeder bind on legacy? i ask because i want on a certain toon and i think you can only get one as its a legacy achievement.
- Satyriasis
  
  Also, is the walker bind on legacy or pickup?
- DarthPalidin
  
  If you go into your achievements, you can right-click the speeder icon to add it to your learned mounts on each of your characters. Same as the Ziost achievement speeder.
Annjul

I heard that completing the heroic unlocks new missions but after doing 80% of them i say its bull… so theyre only for achievements or rewards, you dont have to finish them. Kinda pity its all we got for the next few months
Dôt

Hyra Dram spawned here on the alderaan fortress. i noticed this map wasnt on your list. https://gyazo.com/5d0bc3f1d2c1f3533c973b488706839a
Varnarok

Okay so I just did the Shroud quest line because someone said you needed to complete it before you could see the probes outside. I had done around 20 or so runs previously trying to find it but without any luck. I complete the quest line and go into another Star Fortress without learning my macrobinocular skill and find nothing. I learn the skill and I see it on the first floor of the first Star Fortress I do.

So there you have it. You need to do the Shroud quest line AND learn your macrobinocular skill from the item you get in your Mission Items inventory.
Neroth

I did those shroud mission a while back and have the macrobinocular ability, but I have had no luck finding the probe. Is it a particular window or fortress I have to look out of, or is it all random?
Amo

CONFIRMED
I just solo’d the star fortress in heroic mode and got the “The One and Only” title and achievement.
– I wasn’t bolstered
– I had no Alliance help/buffs
– I ONLY used the siphon debuff on the Exarch
– I put my companion on passive when the Exarch was at 5% health so that I got the killing blow.

It took some doing but it worked.
- John Kosto
  
  Do you need to deliver the killing blow?
  - Amo
    
    I read in previous posts that you MUST have the killing blow in order for this to work. I didn’t take any chances and made sure that I did. Not sure if it matters.
    - Lodinn
      
      It does. I had to do heroic 5 times cause of kiting the boss to the fire too much while Talos kept delivering the final blow. Ugh.
- Aeorro
  
  What’s your class and which companion did you use? Also, what’s your gear stats if you don’t mind sharing?
  - Amo
    
    I play a Scoundrel Scrapper. I’m equipped with 208 PVP gear (Exemplar). My companion is HK–51 (lvl 25). Hope that helps.
- Ancaglon
  
  Also got the Achievement on Shadow in Tank spec with 208 MH and the rest mostly 216 crafted/comms gear, with rank 11 C2-N2 as healer. C2 died at about 10% left on the boss (I think it was due to the radiation from the broken window), so it really was solo at the end. I used Heroic Moment extensively throughout the FP (since with all companions unlocked it has a 5 minute cooldown with a 2 minute duration, so only 3 minutes out of every 5 did I not have it, at least while C2 was still alive :))
Poopies

The “don’t use buff terminal” achievement. Is it only for solo mode or can you get it for heroic too? Been doing it without for heroic and nothing lol
- Poopies
  
  Edit, been doing it in heroic mode with a friend. I mean is it only available if you do the heroic solo.
  - Jaako
    
    yes and you have to do heroic ALONE. If you take friend with you and not click terminal it won’t count for achievment. Goal here is to get some gear and run thru heroic alone without buffs
Holyfrog

I finished all the heroics last night. That was a lot of work. I don’t want to do that 7 more times. It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to do all those heroics to get the supplies, that is just time consuming.
Monkeylizard

Are ppl seriously having troubles with Heroic version of Star Fortress? U can even solo it without companion, was hoping for a bit of challenge there. Exarch has too low dmg output, too low hp pool, u can kill it in 30s or less.
- randy191993
  
  Oh look, someone who wants to seem important by talking bullshit.
  - John Kosto
    
    He probably did the solo version and didn’t even notice
    - Monkeylizard
      
      Sure matey. Let’s see your 3% operations first. Truth is if you find star fortress heroic in any way challenging you’re simply bad at this game.
      - John Kosto
        
        Right, 54% on Operations and I will send you a screenshot of my One For All achievement if you’re still interested. Doesn’t change the fact that you are full of shit.
        
        The Exarch in Heroic Mode has a health of 430k HP. Even if you could sustain a DPS rate of 4.8-5k per second on a live boss with interrupts, stuns etc, that would take you at least 90 seconds. Having said that, you can’t sustain a DPS like that, first because no one can, and second, because you are obviously trolling, and in reality you probably parse a little over 2k
        
        Monkeylizard
        
        Do you realise that now u can parse 7k? Not there yet myself, im at 6,5k, and saying no one can get parse numbers on live boss is total BS and its how nabs explain their lack of skill. Didnt say i kill it in 30s with no companion out. And then u have alliance caches which are ridiculously overpowered. So ye u can kill it in 30s or less. And 100% here with NiMs cleared prior 3.0
        
        Lodinn
        
        430k over 30 seconds is slightly over 14k dps. Not even with alliance crates (even with only relic one), not even with opening for over 15k for 10s or so, nor with dps companion. That’s simply bs mate.
        Also, go with “nabs explain their lack of skill” on a boss which jumps up and untargetable for the duration.
        GG, trolling too fat, go back to the cave you came from. Or bridge, whatever.
    - randy191993
      
      yeah that’s possible. If that’s the case he’d be right.
- Sarigar
  
  Splendid tale, frater.
Cipher Nine

Noooo I spent all my gifts on Theron, and then found out you can’t take him in there 😡
- Keeper
  
  “Excellent work Cipher Nine, if we’re ever in need of your brilliant foresight and intellect we will be sure to let you know. But for now, please enjoy the cleansing blaster massage the Death Squad has prepared for you. Traitor :[.”
  
  (I’m sorry I couldn’t help it)
Formul

Star Fortress Commander has one really lame flourish which opens a little engine part in the back.
Aeorro

(Corruption Sorcerer using Lana) There must be a mechanic I’m missing. She burns down my healer companion (90k health) very quickly even if i’m also healing her. I hit her will all my heroics and barely scratched her health. I’m sitting at about 70k health myself and after my companion dies, I go down quickly as well. Maybe only one attack she did during these fights could be interrupted, which I actively countered. Also, I wasn’t standing in any ground circles. I attempted this fight 5 times switching up strategies with no better outcome. My dampening field buff is up, but I haven’t gotten an opportunity for the siphon (never becomes trigger-able). Any suggestions?
- Aeorro
  
  Additional stats on this fight: Zara Draya, (Alderaan) about 430,00 health and was hitting in the 10-14k range.
- Seth Geco
  
  Which fight is this?
  - Jaako
    
    not true I did H2 star fortress in 192 gear with influence level 8 companion and killed exarch on 2nd try, It was with my mara where I don’t even know rotation.
  - Joost
    
    Not really, I am doing it in pvp gear and it works just fine. Just don’t step in too many AoE and use common sense. I don’t even drop below 80% health. Don’t forget the free buff at the start of the FP though.
- Yuvar
  
  You have to target the Exarch before you can use the siphon debuff.
  
  Granted I have heard people complaining that those portions can become bugged.
  - Aeorro
    
    Solo’d it, seems like getting the companion to 20 was the trick. Makes a very big difference. As far as the final fight, I don’t even have the icon to siphon debuff him. The only time it appears is during the reactor phase after I loot it from a droid.
MikaHR

Did H2 solo with sage in full 190 ziost gear (only 208 offhand) and rank 15 influence Lana
- MikaHR
  
  PS. Balance sage and Lana in heal mode
John’e

Looks like each exarch is going to be slightly different. I did Voss, no mental apperations, but he did channel a heal regularly in the second phase (cast said something about Izax). Since I was fighting as a tank with healer comp, it was difficult to interrupt the heal often enough to out dps his healing.
Kran

Each Exarch has a channel ability based on the “Old Ways” lore you can find in their Star Fortress, in addition to the Impaling Strikes and whatnot. To date, it appears each “Lore” channel ability is a heal or other auxilliary (non-damage) effect.
Facepalming

So pissed off right now.

Geared up, all 208s and 216s, augmented with power, I went ahead and tried to solo the heroic fortress with Vector (operative) at influence 24 (for which I paid a ton) and he didn’t heal me at all until like, 10 seconds into a fight at which point I was dying – and he DPSed in healing stance, drew aggro and didn’t heal himself either, only pulled out that scan when he was practically dead – at which point it was, obviously, too late.

Switched to an influence 13 K’krohl and he healed me easily through that mob, what the hell??

Are old companions broken?? How is an influence 24 healer worse than an influence 13??
- Rob
  
  That’s strange. Could be that you’re better off with a ranged healer… the melee ones seem to draw MUCH more aggro.
- Ancaglon
  
  Did he actually have his weapon equipped? Without a weapon, most of their abilities can’t be used.
  - Facepalming
    
    He did, I made sure of it because I saw the skills were grayed out. It’s amazing how poorly he uses his skills, though.
- Lana Beniko
  
  I noticed the same with Qyzen and Bowdaar. They healed very little and died fast. Switched to a lvl 5 Lana and it went a lot better.
  - Re-evan
    
    Yeah dont use the old comps. Grade goes like this:
    old comps
    Force Awakens comps
    Star fortress comps
    - Liquor
      
      So Lana and Scorpio are better than “Major” Pierce, Hemdil, Choza, and Nico? Is that because Lana and Scorpio are “Main Characters” and those others are “Followers”???
      - Re-evan
        
        No they heal much better, while still putting out good damage.
Secundum

@ Dulfy, the bracers don’t drop off of Paladins-they drop off of any Green drop (most commonly Knights, but sometimes basic enemies).
Ricozaid

Did Heroic 2 Solo on my first run, no buffs (I didn’t know about them), Lana rank 12 healing, 204 gear no augments (I’m lazy and have too many characters). 896 Presence. Infiltration Shadow. Died twice. Stealth, Mind Maze, Phase Walk, Force Cloak make a huge difference. Got the “The One and Only” title and achievement as stated in a below comment (I just checked).
- Ricozaid
  
  Ran it again, this time with the boost, much much easier, only died once.
Paul Desroches

Hey Dulfy, long time reader of your guides, did the Macrobinocular quest to get it, yes you do need it for sure (used your guide, ty again) found another spawn location for the droid, he does seem to be random if at all. Hope this helps everyone!
- Re-evan
  
  Do I need to be on the toon that finished it or can i just grab the mission?
  Also is it RNG if it appears at all
  - Paul Desroches
    
    It’s a legacy title, so as long as one toon that did the macro quest (dont need the seeker one) did it, they will all get it. But whoever is going to look for it, needs to have finished the Macro quest like in it’s entirety, as you then get the skill to use them outside of that quest line
    - Re-evan
      
      welp gunna need to do KotFE on another toon then.. At least I don’t have to go nuts trying to look for it, thanks.
    - LibertyORdeath
      
      so let me get this straight. If you did not finish the macro quests you cannot see the droid?? How do you know???
      - Paul Desroches
        
        While I do know with 100% certainty, my guild in nor myself could see it anywhere, and ran it multiple times with just the first quest for the macrobinoculars). I completed the quest and got it first run. So I’m 99% certain.
        Said guild’s also found the info that said you need to complete it on reddit.
        
        LibertyORdeath
        
        OK thank you! I just needed confirmation. I too tried several times without any success. But as you said, I have am to complete the macro quest myself.
        Thanks again!
Atromnis

Solo’d Heroic Star Fortress today. Vanguard, had all the 208 common data crystal Boltblaster armor, Supercommando PVP Weapon, Ear, Implants, and Relics. Had M1-4X healing me, at rank 20. My presence stat with him is 1685. The entire thing went easy-peasy. It took about 45 minutes (ish) to complete, did the bonus objective and went looking for the droid out in space (didn’t find it). The only time I ever dropped below half health was phase 3 of the Exarch fight. Good luck to everyone attempting it, I can hear my brother bashing his head on the keyboard out of frustration after 2 hours of attempts.
- Rob
  
  I have solo:ed all 6 in heroic mode, also as Vanguard and M1-4X healing. Only have him at rank 12 though. Never once been close to death or even in danger… One time I had a phone call during one of the reactor fights and stood idle for over a minute. M1 kept my health steady, at the same time as he was being pounded by one of the gold stars. I’d say Bioware seriously needs to up the difficulty, or atleast implement a 3rd level that is challanging.
  - MikaHR
    
    Why would they ramp up anything? You have HMs if you want difficulty/gear grind, this is content tied to story, and in the end, ive been soloing H2s/H4s on level since launch
- Yuvar
  
  I don’t know why people are having issues with these, i’ve soloed all 6 heroics on a PT DPS with an influence rank 20 healer healing me and only died once, just save your heroic moment for the 2 champion mobs and the ambush where the droid is in solo mode and you will be fine, the Exarch fight is cake with or without your heroic moment, never dropped below 80% hp in all phases of that fight.
confused achievement hunter

I soloed the h2+ with the alliance buffs on without problems, then I tried again without the buffs for the One for All achievement, but at the end of the fight it didn’t grant me it.

What do I have to do exactly? I know that I must not click on that giant console right at the beginning that gives you the 4 alliance buffs and I haven’t clicked on any alliance crate either (The ones that gives you temp abilities with 2min cd such as sentry turret for example). The only things I clicked were the yellow items during the last part of the fp (That shield you use before you jump from one platform to the other and that other thing you need to use on the boss in the small rooms to make the consoles clickable). Do the yellow mission items count towards the achievement aswell? I mean, do I have to complete the flashpoint without using even those? If so, I think I can live without bothering about the shield as I haven’t noticed any gamebreaking issue running past the platforms without it, but how the hell do I make the console clickable if I don’t use that sort of rifle on the boss to stop its channeling?
- Atromnis
  
  No, it seems to me you did everything right. It might have been bugged.
- Lodinn
  
  Set your companion to passive at last few % of the Exarch. If it’s not you who lands the last hit it won’t work out. Had to do that annoying forever-lasting solo heroic 5 times to get the achieve (2.5 hours just wasted :/)
Darth Ji’inx

@Dulfy

The Star Fortress Commander has a mount flourish where it opens a panel on the back.
Thorwyn

Just soloed Alderaan Exarch with 192 and 198 gear, T7 healing 😛
Jeffry Kufchak

I solo all the star fortessess without the buff from the begining with a rank 20 lana and fully augmented 216s with a 220 main hand and 220 off hand on a marauder. never die or drop below 75% hp
SWTOR Middle Class

Need help – I followed this guide and did Alderaan first. My quest log says to complete the H2+ FP: the Star Fortress. I go and talk to the NPC that it tells me, and I choose Heroic, and it gives me a second H2+ quest and will not let me access. I have logged a few times, and it still has me in the same place. I have also reset phases. So basically I have Aderaan: Destroying the Star Fortress, and H2+ FP: The Star Fortress in my log.
- Zakuak
  
  Same here. I talk to NPC and it gives me a second Heroic..Each attempt to enter the area gives me some long dialogue box stating “You have a version of the mission on a different difficulty blah blah”. I’dropped the xecond H2, tried regular story mode again…logged. Grrrr
Kutlu Can

i ve completed heroic 2 mode as solo.. and i killed exarch without any buff but i didnt get the one and only title. what is that am i missing?
- p4v7
  
  There is a comment below explaining it.
- Re-evan
  
  Per comment below, comp cant do killing blow. Set them on passive right before she dies
  - Kutlu Can
    
    Okay i’ll give it a try. However i cant remove alliance buffs by right on clicking them. Is this a bug or is there anyway to start heroic 2 mode without buffs?
    - Naq
      
      Just don’t click that computer.
- Tim
  
  Just out of curiosity, what level is your companion?
  - Kutlu Can
    
    senya inf level 16
FuyoBC

I noted there is a weekly star fortress mission to do 6, the terminal is approximately opposite Lieutenant Marklo and you can see the triangle icon on the map locating him in the post but I don’t see anything about this here (P.S. Massive Kudos for the work you do Dulfy!)
- Naq
  
  This quest seems to bug out if you don’t finish it, and cant be obtained again the next week, but also doesn’t appear in your mission log.
Noomi

Did anyone find the Shroud achievement? oOr more locations?
- Vellin
  
  Here’s one of the locations. Solo SF. I tried to jump so you could see the droid + the location on the map.
Naq

I should have checked back here, I have been soloing heroic mode for a while, never gotten the achievement, turns out I am letting my comp get the killing blow every bloody time….So frustrating to have done this so many times, and its such a simple thing. I’ve been scouring the place making sure everything was dead, I’ve forced myself to only use one companion incase it was counting a companion swap as another player, I’ve been making sure not to accidentally kill them with the fire dot from the windows, I’ve been keeping my companion one spec the whole time incase that was bugging the thing out, when all I needed to do was hit passive. Tonight, this achievements reign of misery ends…even if its way too late to care.
- Re-evan
  
  Well done. I don’t have the guts to try that out 0.0
  - Bryan
    
    It’s simple, kind of a joke…
    - Re-evan
      
      Thank you for that humble bragging moment.
      - Bryan
        
        It wasn’t bragging, it was complaining. They dumbed down combat so much that it’s boring and not worth playing… pretty sad 🙁
Rasmus Sundgaard

Will there, be uploaded pictures of the 4 Exarch armors?
Kate

Ive noticed you can smash the glass in several places, but there doesnt seem to be a use to it. thoughts?
wakadocka

Just got the Eternal Empire Recon Walker–SO freaking bad ass!
Paul

With regards the “Both feet on the ground” achievement. Do all Exarch’s do the force lift? I’ve just completed 3 heroics in a row. Although I see them casting Impaling Spikes and although I remain close to them, I’ve never had force lift used on me, so I cannot dispell it.
- Jimbo
  
  Just wait till the stun at the end of Impaling Strikes, as soon as your CC break lights up during that channel just hit it.
jo

Anyone else having a problem with the star fortress decorations not being donatable to guilds? Same for the achievements from the heroic not being purchasable for guilds?
- FuyoBC
  
  I found that buying one on the GTN then merging the 2 removed this issue, but obviously not for every item. It is annoying!
Neece

The MCR droid was found behind a bonus boss (HOTH SOLO MODE) in the top corner where I’m pointing. Odd part was I had to actually stand behind the machine there and look out the window to see it. Very sneaky! Also you have to have completed the Quest Chain for the binoculars to even see the droid. So don’t waste time on a toon that hasn’t completed it but has it in the mission inventory (does nothing). Happy Hunting!
- Dark Schneider
  
  So how do you know the quest line will not work if you didn’t do the other binoculars quest prior before?
  - Neece
    
    Sorry to reply late didn’t see this, I tried it on about 5 other toons to check. Never showed and spent HOURS trying! Just because I was bored and had nothing better to do!
Annalee

I was able to solo Heroic mode with 190-level gear–it just took a while. Tank-spec Jedi Guardian with T7 healing (influence rank ~15).

So if you really want to give it a go and don’t have 216-level gear, you may find it possible as long as you’ve got solid influence on one of your companions. As long as I kept threat off T7, he was able to keep me pretty much fully healed–I just had to stay on top of all the adds so they didn’t kill him (with only one AoE in my rotation (Force Sweep), that was a challenge).
JRP

On my Smuggler-Gunslinger, on the Begeren Colony Server, I got told to talk with Sergeant Ahkar instead of Lieutenant Marklo when starting the Star Fortresses series.

Has anyone else encountered this?
- Liam
  
  Yea, he’s the Pub-Side one. There’s an Imp Side NPC and a Pubside NPC
Rob

i’ve found that after you start the Gearing up; *contact name*, if you grab all the heroics first, complete them, than turn them in, you get a chest for each to unlock at the respective alliance contacts and get influence for each. should help in leveling up ranks with them faster.
Joris Windels

Paladin advice: they seem to mostly show up behind the locked Doors you sometimes encounter. If you do not want to miss any, just remember to always go unlock those
sentientomega

With an imminent 50% nuke-nerf to companion healing, as well as nuke-nerfs to tank comps’ self-heals, will these H2+s still be soloable for the no-alliance-buffs achievement without having to get radiant crystal gear and a healer comp to Rank 50?
- REam
  
  I did the solo heroic mode today with fully unaugmented 204 pvp gear and healer comp rank 20
  without much diffuculty, on a sniper toon I advice you to do it tomorrow just to be safe of the nerf batxD
  - sentientomega
    
    Well, apparently Treek is getting buffed, not nerfed; fortunately, she’s account-unlocked for me, so I may well just wait and use her. 🙂
    - Zsadist Payne
      
      Has this been confirmed? The reason I ask is because the 4.0.2 patch notes say all comp HP’s, damage out and healing have been “reduced”. Also the common thought is/was Treek was no longer going to “uber”
- Jimbo
  
  I just easily soloed them, 198 geared Watchman Sentinel with a level 10 healing companion, not using the buffs.
IanG

I just did a heroic for the first time solo and the reward was 5 common crystals not glowing. It even says that in the quest info.
y2z

Just soloed the heroic and accidentally clicked the weapons cache (turret one), no One and Only title…. 🙁
Furiant

Just did this tonight for the first time. Sage seer in mostly 208-216 gear, with 45 Senya in tank mode. Senya died near the end (I wasn’t catching the impales I think) and I thought that was it, but I kept up the DoTs and ran around killing the apparitions and eventually it went down. Should go smoother next time if I keep up on the interrupts. Just so much happening in that fight.

One thing to note is that when shutting down the terminals, my companion would not make the mag jump with me. I had to dismiss her, then jump, then call her. On the second jump, the captains and trash came pouring out of the room and I had to kill them all myself – it was a little dicey.
garch

first off, each star fortress gets hard as you go along. and you dint say a word about them healing them selfs.
- garch
  
  in other words, after each star fortress you clear, the next one you you do is harder. and then the last boss will start healing him self. So don’t get all a head of your selfs because you soloed the first one or two.
  - Click
    
    Where did you get this information? All of the Fortresses were roughly the same for me.
    Also, only Voss Exarch heals himself.
    - Paul Halczenko
      
      So, I’ve attempted H2 solo three times since the nerf of 4.0.2. On tuesday night the 17th I did the Alderaan exarch with influence rank 50 companion in tank stance as a sage healer, no buffs as I was for the achievement. I did not notice the exarch did healing herself. I successfully completed that (didn’t get the acheivement though because i didn’t land the final blow.) Hard fight indeed and very frustrating to not get the achievement. Then, I tried the Nar Shaadaa exarch last night and tonight. I wiped five or six times last night and four times tonight. Even tried Niko Okarr (at influence rank 50) thinking maybe as a ranged tank it would be better. The Exarch was healing for sure. I think it was healing after Impaling Strikes if I did not interrupt the cast, but Niko was taking so much damage it was hard to be totally sure when the healing was occuring. One minute I’d be dps’ing the exarch down to 60% and then after burst healing Qyzen or Niko up he would be back to 76% health. I could never get the Exarch below like 48% health. It is markedly different behavior than the night of 11/17, so I can’t attribute it to the infamous companion nerf of 4.0.2
      - Paul Halczenko
        
        Its a cast called Esne’s Avarice that heals the exarch. Don’t recall it on the first one I did on Alderaan having it but Lesin Tyn of Nar Shaddaa definitely has it. it comes about every 20 seconds (wasn’t paying close attention) so the cd on a sage interrupt is too long for it to be stopped every time. In fact its impossible for a sage to interrupt both impaling strikes and Esne’s Avarice so best to kite IS and use the interrupt on Esne’s. Either way I couldn’t get him lower than 48% and that’s during a heroic moment. This is also only with Niko on healer stance and me doing all the dps which isn’t easy as a sage healer.
        
        Pyrochenko
        
        So for sure the Alderaan Exarch doesn’t heal, her cast Scyva’s something is the one that makes the apparitions. Just completed it successfully solo for the achievement with the same makeup as above. Hopefully the rest of the exarchs wil be smoother
        
        Click
        
        Ok, maybe I confused Voss Exarch with Nar Shaddaa one, but my point was that each one of them have a unique ability, so you won’t meet another healing exarch.
        I DPSed all of them with Lana (rank 30) as a healer before companion nerf, so can’t estimate how hard it is now, but this “healer” Exarch was definately the hardest one.
Virus

Do i have to complete all Shroud missions to spawn MCR Droid in Star Fortress?
- Sisqi
  
  Yes, someone in the comments below confirmed it.
David W

So anybody know if we’ll have to get the Star Fortress companions to get future alerts? I don’t particularly care about getting these people as companions from doing the heroics, but I don’t want to find that Doc or Kira will end up being blocked because I don’t want to do the H2 Star Fortress.
silencer

Note that you don’t need to reach rank 10 with all the alliance section heads yourself to finish Fully Armed and Operational; you need only have a group capable of activating all four bonus abilities.
pitrus

For One For All, can you use the equipment caches so long as you don’t do it fighting the exarch, or do they void the achievment as soon as you open one?
IAM_AMI

I am doing the Star Fortress on Nar Shaddar and Cannot get to the Platform to beat the Exarch. I have tried to reset and abandon both missions. I went back to Nar Shaddar to get mission again, but it is not resetting. Any Ideas? Is it a Glitch or something I’m Doing Wrong?
TANSTAAFL

Just soloed Heroic Hoth SF without using the buff terminal and no caches, but did not get the achievement or title. Is there more to it?
- DoctorJanus
  
  Did the exact same one 2 days ago, it worked for me. I did set my companion to passive for the last percents of his life though, because you won’t get the title if you don’t strike the killing blow. Also pay attention to the environmental hazards, they can also kill it.
Corbi

Did it as a healer today with Lana as DD. Wasn’t difficult at all. My gear is 220 with some 224 and Lana on 31.
But I didn’t get the achievement/title – maybe i did not the finishing blow (didn’t use buffs).
Nanath

Ok, so when you’re going for the solo achievement, make sure you set your companion to passive when the exarch is down to around 8% and you’re not near to any of the solar void zones, otherwise you won’t get the killing blow. Also, please remember that these guys can be interrupted and kited if neccesary. Did the Voss one with a not so well equipped burst commando and been moving around a lot with Lana a healing companion, no problem at all. Hope that helps
SupRun

I cleared heroic Belsavis Star Fortress solo easy as a Vanguard tank with Lana (15) as DPS, except for the Exarch fight. It was pretty easy. Healer with healer comp vs the Exarch would almost literally take forever, and it’s not really needed.
- Zsadist Payne
  
  I’ll bet you didn’t do it in 208 gear, not with Lana at Influence 15 you didn’t. You’re either in 216, or 224 gear–my guess is 224–which would then make it “easy”
  - SupRun
    
    Your “guess” is wrong, because I’m in 216 gear with one 220 comm implant, still augmented with old augments, and still have Resurrected Relics.
    Gear means nothing without skill and knowledge of your class.
    Good day, sir.
    - Zsadist Payne
      
      Just as I thought. Of course, in 216 gear the H2’s are “easy”–that’s how you survived with Lana’s influence at 15. Try running that same H2 in the 208’s with a comp at Influence 15–you won’t find it “easy” then
      - SupRun
        
        I must say I really don’t understand your compulsion to try to do whatever you’re doing with your comments on my post here.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        You said the H2 was “easy”. What you failed to mention was you were sporting 216 gear. The SF H2’s are NOT easy in 208 gear. The SF H2’s are NOT easy in 208 gear with a comp INF at 15. And, before you cop a condescending attitude toward others’ strategy, before you call things “easy” why don’t you tell us all how you did it which made it so “easy”
        
        SupRun
        
        I went back this weekend, bought full 208s for my Vanguard for a DPS set, and went VG DPS with Lana as heals. It was still easy.
        
        Nishi Hundan
        
        You’re full of shit.
        
        SupRun
        
        Insults? Okay.
        
        Nishi Hundan
        
        Yep, because you’re full of shit.
        
        SupRun
        
        You are most definitely entitled to your opinions. Have a good day.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Nishi is right. You are full of crap. And we know you’re full of it just by reading the other comments here–we won’t even mention all the LFG spams in gen chat on Odessen to do the H2’s. That being said, I believe in being fair–again, how did you do it? You’re completely avoiding that question
        
        SupRun
        
        Took all the reduced CDs and increased duration of stuns in the utilities. Made sure I burned the golds before the silvers. Didn’t pull 2 or 3 mobs at once. LoS’d stuff. Used defensive cooldowns when neccessary. I didn’t do anything super spectacular. The exarch herself (himself?) wasn’t that hard, just put my back to the wall, and Lana would heal me to full in between Impaling Strikes. Would it be a heck of a lot shorter with 2 people? You bet. But I wanted to test my skills and see if I could do it. And I did.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        OK. Now…you blew a combo of hundreds of comms and possibly hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of creds to deck yourself out in 208’s to prove to us you actually did it….when….we weren’t there to actually see you do it….?? You also haven’t said you captured screen shots/a video to prove you did it in 208’s with Lana’s INF at 208…I’m still calling BS, until I see actual proof you soloed that H2 in 208’s with Lana’s INF at 15. Everything I’ve heard and read says it can’t be done after the comps got nerfed. In a recent patch, the Exarchs were made tougher–you’re not soloing any H2 in 208’s with a comp at INF 15. No way. No how.
        
        My main toons are on Shadowlands. I have 4 Imp 65’s and 1 Pub 65. On JC I have 1 Imp 65. Tell me what server you’re on and I’ll drop the 90 CC’s to transfer over there and watch you do it
        
        SupRun
        
        Of course you weren’t there to see me do it. I don’t care what anyone thinks. If you read my comment, I clearly stated that “I wanted to test my skills and see if I could do it.” I don’t have proper recording software on my computer, I don’t stream or live com or anything like that, and do you know how easy it would be to fake a screencap? Just kill the Exarch in your 220s/224s and then switch all your gear out and say “Oh look I did this in 198s”. Call BS if you want, because I did it just for myself. I didn’t walk around Odessen bragging about it because I don’t care what people think. Your comments mean nothing to me because I know I did it regardless of what you say.
        Therefore, I have nothing more to contribute to this conversation.
        
        Esti
        
        why do you even answer to those idiots? it’s pointless to argue with him. He has no knowledge of class. so probably he would need 220-224 gear to solo this fp. For other people who knows their class 198-208 is enough
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        What I’ve forgotten about my class, you haven’t yet learned Slick. I NEVER said the H2’s couldn’t be soloed in 208’s. What I said was they cannot be soloed in 208’s WITH a comp at INF 15. If you’re going to do run them in 208’s, your comp INF needs to be in the 20’s. I’ve seen as high as 45. Learn to read BEFORE commenting, moron
        
        Enodia
        
        If you look down the comments below, a few folks mentioned they soloed the heroics with a companion of under influence rank 15 and gear 208. One dude managed to get the title with Lana being rank 12 and 204 gear. It really depends on your class, some have it easier for certain heroics.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Yes Enodia, they did. BUT, if you look at the date of the comments, it was accomplished BEFORE the comp nerf and Exarch buff. As it stands now, everything I’ve heard, everything I’ve read, says the H2’s CANNOT be soloed in 208 gear with comp INF at 15. I’ve asked that question on Odessen on both servers I play on. The answer is ALWAYS the same. The H2 can be soloed in 208 gear WITH comp INF at 20+. NOT 15, 20+
        
        Me personally, I haven’t yet tried it. I have 3 65’s wearing 208’s. But, I’ve been gaining achievements and comms with my other lower toons. Plus, ATM my Jugg’s INF with Lana is 22, so eventually I’ll get around to giving it a go, and see how I fare. Warriors/JK’s have some nice defensive cooldowns. Sorcs are loaded, and I’m rather fond of my weasely Operative–I like my chances
        
        Enodia
        
        Oh! Yeah, I forgot about the nerf, haha. No wonder the rank was so low…
        
        Eeer, also, this is kinda awkward, but I only started KotFE after the nerf and the first time I managed to solo the heroic was using 200 – (mostly) 208 gear while Lana was rank 15 as a concealment operative. It was hilariously stupid and took so long (since I basically ran around in circles for the most of fight and couldn’t use my rotation), and Lana died two time. Basically, pretty stressful.
        
        Since I don’t have a tank vanguard, I can’t vouch if it’s really “pretty easy” as the OP wrote. But it IS doable using that gear rating and influence rank (at least as an op), though it really isn’t worth it and basically, yeah, you’re better off using a companion with a higher rank.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Right now, I’m leveling my 2d Operative on Shadowlands–made a LOT of mistakes with my first one, which did not at all sit well with me. So. I rolled another one, taking full advantage of double xp’s. I still haven’t tried soloing any of the SF H2’s, probably will after the Holidays when double xp’s are gone until March or so.
        
        All 4 of my Ops are Concealment–I LOVE that spec. I used the rotation here as a base, then tweaked it to my liking. Also, I juggled the skill points based on how I prefer to approach encounters. My 65 Op is in a mix of 61 blues and 208’s. His INF with Lana is in the teens IIRC–haven’t logged in with him in days. He’s chillin in the Black Hole on Corellia.
        
        So–now, down to brass tacks. You were able to solo an H2…not even in all 208’s….with Lana’s INF at 15….hhmmmm….you kited him, which is good because if you stand still, you’re burnt toast. We wear medium armor, so we have to be aware of AOE’s and channeled big-hitters. On the other hand, we DPS Ops do have the shield probe, and we can off-heal. Plus, if things go tits up, we can always vanish, bail outta there, regroup and reload then have another go at him.
        
        The OP is full of it. I don’t believe a word he said–his story has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. He has zero credibility. Especially after he wouldn’t back up his talk. You, on the other hand–I salute you. Also, I stand corrected. Which contradicts everything I had heard and read–not the worst thing in the world. Plus, I’m not afraid of dying in the fight–hell, I expect to the first time. Even though I know what the Exarch is going to do, as well as have an idea of when, there’s still the matter of timing it all properly–slug it out with him enough times, eventually I will win.
        
        Thanks for the correction, and the info–both are very much appreciated
        
        Mackinlay
        
        Are we talking about soloing the H2s WITH the 4 buffs, or without them? Cause with 4 buffs, soloing the H2 Star Fortresses as a sorc with Talos as healer at 12 or 13 inf in mostly 208 gear (i still have a 190 saber and 160 relics lel) is not really that difficult. Maybe it’s the class though, sorcs are and have always been OP
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        First and foremost, Sorcs are NOT OP–I don’t know where you came up with that nonsense. I know this because I have a 65 Madness Sorc, in a mix of 208 Outlander gear and 61 blues, and need to get around to finishing Rishi with him. I have no easier time with him than I do my 65 Vengeance Jugg, my 65 Carnage Marauder and/or 65 Vigilance Guardian.
        
        Secondly, no one has said whether or not they used the buffs. I’ll use the buff first few times through just to get how I want to approach it nailed down. After that, I’ll go for the non-buff achievement
        
        Kestral
        
        You sound pretty obsessive about all this.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Not at all, no. I’ve already run the H2’s 7 times (6 times in groups) in the past 2 days. Got both the Nautolan and Gormak comps, the only ones I want.
        
        People love to come on boards like this, and brag about how supposedly great they are–I did this. I did that. 90+% of the time, it’s complete BS. Especially when a person refuses to back up their talk. How did a Vanguard tank get past the Exarch Amubush? Homeboy couldn’t say. Plus, anyone who’s actually run the H2’s knows you can’t pull just one mob–they both jump you as soon as the fight starts. Vanguards do not have a way to disable one gold Zakuul Knight, so both are teeing off on him at the same. As are the snipers So again, how did that not turn into a complete wipe in the 208 gear he said he used? His stated strategy for defeating the Exarch? Doesn’t and wouldn’t work. You have to kite him–or, at least keep moving, otherwise he’ll make quick work of you and your 208’s. Nothing he said adds up. Nothing. He’s lying. Period.
        
        I tried to solo the Nar Shaddaa H2 with my 65 Veng Jugg. He has 2 216 pieces, the rest 208’s. Lana’s influence was at 23. I was able to take the Paladin myself, a really fun fight. I got my ass handed to me at the Exarch Ambush point, again because Juggs have no way to disable one Knight. I popped all my defensive cd’s, and even my heroic. While I was working on taking out the weaker snipers first, both golds were going to town on me. Lana’s heals couldn’t keep up with the amount of damage I was taking. After dying several times, I got past the ambush. I finished the H2 with a marauder who was having the same trouble I was. We teamed up, and we got it done.
        
        I want to solo the H2’s. I want to know how people were able to do it. If someone says it’s “easy”, I want to know how and why it was “easy”. What gear? What strategy? It has nothing to do with knowing your class–I’ve leveled 5 Sith Warriors and 2 JK’s. I know how to play the class. The H2 Ambush solo is NOT an ideal fight for a Jugg/Guardian. That’s not opinion. That’s fact. Sure, if you’re in 224 gear, with a comp influence at 40? Yeah, it’s an absolute faceroll for you. For anyone. For Juggs in 208’s with a comp influence at 23? The ambush is a whole other story
        
        SylvaeDragon
        
        Uff man, you are very emotional about this, which tells more about you than an actuall OP. If he said it was “easy” then it was easy for him, doesn’t automatically means it is easy for everyone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion without being forced to prove it.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        In order to be emotional, I would have to care what other people do–I don’t. Nothing any one has done, or claims to have done, directly affects me in the least. “Nice try” is usually said here, but your comment is more pathetic than anything else.
        
        First of all, the OP is lying–that’s already been established.
        
        Secondly, if a person claims to have accomplished a certain task, that’s NOT an opinion–it’s a claim. A claim which is wide open to scrutiny. You should learn the meanings of terms BEFORE using them in public.
        
        Thirdly, as I have already stated, I want to know how people were able to solo the H2’s–what gear? What strategy did you use to get past the Praetorian and Exarch Amush. I want to know so I can do it. As a Merc or Sin, it’s definitely doable. What about as a DPS Jugg? DPS PT? Marauder? It’s blatantly obvious you can’t answer those questions
        
        Jo Jameson
        
        I solo’d h2 aldeeraan it just now with a Marauder annihilation spec in augmented 208 gear and 1 216 piece. Lana as companion, influence level 12.
        
        The praetorian wasn’t hard. At all. Don’t think my health dipped below 60%. It was tedious though. Just burn him as normal, avoiding his circles. Mobs are quickly dispatched with dual saber throw followed by force Eden and smash to spread the dots. Rinse and repeat till over.
        
        Only fight that required actually ingenuity was the 3rd array. I cc’one gold, burned the other down. Killed mobs as the came and simply kept the remaining gold cc’d the entire time.
        
        When the exarch did the annoying aoe that follows you around, I just ran back outside. It won’t follow you there. Did have to use my heroic though to power through it.
        
        The actual fight with the exarch was raiser than the 3rd shield array. Had to use heroic moment again. But I didn’t really strategize much beyond selectively timed defensive abilities.
        
        I don’t know if that other guy did it and don’t really care. But it’s not impossible.
        
        Also forgive my typos as I am on mobile
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        My marauder is Carnage, in all 208’s. Still have to finish Yavin–yay….
        
        How did you get past the Exarch Amush? The 2 gold Zakuul Knights, with the 2 snipers shooting at you at the same time? No droids in that fight, so nothing to CC. Plus As soon as the fighting starts, both Knights are clobbering you, and both snipers are shooting you. Again, ALL, at the same time. What did you do in that instance? BOTH Zakuul Knights have well over 100K health. DST, Force Rend–which was nerfed in 4.0– and Smash won’t save you. So again, how did you survive?
        
        It is possible to solo the H2’s with a comp INF at 10 or below. Mercs/Commandos, Scoundrels/Ops and Sins/Shadows have an easier time because they can incapacitate 1 target first, then focus on the rest. Sorcs/Sages can as well, courtesy of Whirlwind/Force Lift. Juggs/Marauders don’t have that option. Neither do PT’s/Vanguards. Maybe certain classes simply cannot do it solo. I don’t know. I don’t want to believe it, thinking there has to be a way. Having a 65 Madness Sorc, I know DOT’s add up quick, especially when you’re able to continue reapplying them, as Sorcs can do at will with Affliction and Creeping Terror–2 golds…both going to town on you at the same time? No amount of DOT’s you can lay down will save you, not happenin
        
        Jo Jameson
        
        There wasn’t any particular strategy involved for that fight to be honest. I’ll take better notes the next time I do it, but I don’t recall having to pull out any special stops for that encounter.
        
        The gold’s aren’t the problem in that fight. The vast majority of the damage comes from the weaker enemies and they can be killed in about one good combo from a mara. Force Saber -> Force charge, Force rend + rupture, Smash to spread the dots to the whole group, then berserk for auto-critical. While all those sweet dots start going critical, you can refocus on one gold and burn till completion.
        
        As someone who has a Sorc, the DOT caused by Mara’s is much much higher. I love sorcs but maras out-damage them by quite a bit. Soloing it is basically a DPS race, so while I don’t doubt it’s impossible for some classes, Marauder’s can definitely solo it.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        I 100% agree with you, the snipers are the biggest problem. No doubt. They need to go first. What usually happens to me is I’ll take down the snipers, dying the first time in the process. I’ll then die again taking down one Knight. Once I get the last guy alone, it’s a faceroll. BUT, there has to be an easier way for the Juggs/JK’s/PT’s/Vanguards in 208’s to solo past that fight–I just can’t figure out what way that would be. It has to be in the defensive cooldown management, what to pop when which is my dilemma. For Juggs, Saber Reflect gives you 3 seconds, Saber Ward 12, IIRC Endure Pain is 10 seconds and there’s one more which activates when your health goes below 40%, but that has to trigger within a certain number of seconds or you lose it. Force Choke is always a fun one to use, and can buy you the last few seconds if necessary. So many ways you can go–for the Oricon H2’s, if you were in good gear you didn’t need so much as Saber Ward for the most part. Those purple 55 mods you could get from the vendor on fleet would see you through. Pick your spots, make sure to jump the elites when they were alone–good times there.
        
        This weekend I may respec my Marauder to Anni–she ran as Anni for a while, like 30 levels ago. The gold Jungle Wampas on Rishi make nice test subjects–just enough HP’s to trigger a proc or 2 before flatlining
        
        Shameful
        
        This whole argument has made my head hurt, i don’t even remember why i came here now.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Nobody but you cares your head hurts. Nobody but you cares why you came here
        
        benji
        
        208 commando with 3 pieces of 216, lana is now at 17. I have done all 6 H2’s have my mount and titles. They are a joke to do if you have a CC. The praetorian is afk easy, I just stand there and blow him up if I miss an interrupt on him calling more adds I just knock them off the edge. It’s really really easy you take no damage from him.
        
        The exarchs are also pretty easy. Clearly a lot of people don’t seem to understand how to clear through the rooms with the knights and robots etc. You kill them you loot the items you use the items on the exarch to drain his power, he drops down starts spamming the machine you can click on the machine it powers down he moves on to the next room. Use the shield on cooldown you take less damage from his abilities.
        
        The last room before you fight the exarch is the hardest, but it’s doable if you burst down 1 knight, CC the other, kill the robots he spawns loot the items and avoid all the red crap on the ground. Drain his power, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 go’s to drain his power. That’s the hardest part just takes practice. Once you get to the exarch he is easy avoid his crap run around and pew pew.
        
        Get your influence to rank 10 with all the alliance at the base and use get the buff in the first room when you drop down into the star fortress. It helps. You can also find the caches around the fortress and get usable items to help you throughout. Calling people liars because you are bad at the game is dumb.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Calling people who lie liars is accurate–you’re another one who should learn the meaning of terms BEFORE posting in public.
        
        Once again, as someone who has leveled 5 Sith Warriors and 2 JK’s, what I have forgotten about that class you haven’t yet learned.
        
        As a Commando, the Exarch Ambush IS easy–it should be. It better be. You first Concussion Missile one Knight, then burn down the 2 weaker snipers first, which if your rotation is solid, both should be dead no later than at the end of each rotation. Your shield and self-heals negate the active Knight beating on you. Plus, you should be far enough away from the dazed one to push the active one off you if necessary. By the time your CM wears off, the first Knight should be dead, or very close to it. Tell me again how to play a Commando–I must be missing something….
        
        Now genius, tell me how a class like Warrior/JK, like PT/Vanguard none of which have the CC ability of our Commandos/Mercs have, can easily defeat the Exarch Ambush–I can’t wait to hear this….
        
        Enodia
        
        Without buffs (and the caches for some folks), since it’s for that One and Only title/cheevo.
        
        Enodia
        
        I wouldn’t say the OP is full of it, it’s completely possible for the whole thing to be easy for ’em. My sintank friend said the Exarch fight was quite a breeze too while not using any buffs and their companion being around that rank, but getting to the Exarch itself on that last level was the problem (which is very fun and easy as a concealment operative).
        
        Also, apparently a few folks said that you can still get the achievement while using the caches, making the whole fight go down way faster and easier. Shame I can’t test to see if it’s true.
        
        milomonkey
        
        ZP , what’s the best companion for a trooper DPS with 208 gears ? a healer comp with 20 influence or a tank comp with 20 influence ?
        
        i got aric jorgan at 25 influence , is it enough for H2 ?
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        You SAY you did it. What you SAY is not jiving with what we know to be true. Plus, you won’t prove it. I even said I would spend my own CC’s to watch you do it–you refuse. You’re lying. Plain and simple. You didn’t solo ANY H2 in 208’s with comp INF at 15 after the comp nerf, especially not with the newly buffed Exarchs
        
        Tyranic Sangreal
        
        Im not going to say he is totally lying as I just did H2 SF Hoth on my Assassin in DPS spec with Lana at 19 and Im wearing a few 208 pieces and mostly 200 gear otherwise, now what I will call BS on is it being Easy as I died several times throughout the dungeon(3 I think). Died once by getting knocked off the platform in the Preatorian fight, once while destroying the third terminal before the Exarch(got overwhelmed by mods) and once while fighting the Exarch.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        Sorry for the delay in responding Ty–just saw your comment.
        
        You raise a very interesting point, as I myself have been wondering what the real difference (if any) is between 15 and 19. I will go out on a limb and say there is a HUGE difference between 19 and 20, because at INF 20 is when my Jugg began romancing Lana. Unless I miss my guess, it would be the same for Senya or Koth depending on whether or not one chose the flirt options then entered into a romantic relationship with that particular comp. I’m going to have to try that with my BH–he was my free 60. Mostly, I use Senya as a tank, and Lana as DPS. I do not use Koth, at all–I find him very annoying, and would love to blast his worthless carcass out an airlock.
        
        As far as the OP goes, I do not at all believe a word he says. First, he said it was easy. Then, he said he bought a set of 208 gear to do it again, which makes absolutely no sense at all whatsoever–and, it was still easy. Then, when I said I’ll spend my own CC’s to watch him do it, he’s too cowardly to tell me what server he’s on. Finally, when I compared the strategy he said he used to what people who posted soloing an H2 on youtube, (which I should have done much sooner than I actually did) it’s not even close. He’s a bold-faced patch-eyed liar. Period. I have no doubt he did solo the H2. I question it being easy. I question how he said he did it. I question in what gear he said he did it. I question Lana’s INF being at 15 at the time he did it.
        
        milomonkey
        
        he said he used lana as dps , then he said lana healed him… im confused.. i want H2 to be easy but how to get a DPS comp to heal
        
        milomonkey
        
        “easy as a Vanguard tank with Lana (15) as DPS … Lana would heal me to full in between Impaling Strikes. ”
        
        Just curious how a DPS companion can heal ?
        
        Zsadist Payne is a dumb ass
        
        just because you suck and it find it difficult…I cruised through in 190/208 gear…you need to learn to play
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        No you didn’t. I know you didn’t. You know you didn’t. Again, on boards like this people will make all manner of claims–90% of them are BS. Your claim is BS. Try again
        
        Zsadist is a shit cunt
        
        L2 play loser.
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        I literally LOL’d at this–does mommy want the computer back now?
Sebastian Mcdaniel

Would like to note that i just had Conquered Exarch’s Powered Vambraces drop off a trash mob and there wasn’t a Paladin around so i think these can drop from any mob within the h2 mode.
- Darth Ji’inx
  
  yep
Wilmowsky

Tried many times to find Shroud drone – always on heroic – with no result.
Tried on story mode – found it at first attempt
Maybe that will help.
- Darth Ji’inx
  
  Have you finished the Seeker Droid H4?
- Leonardo Prieto
  
  You need to finish the story line of the macrobinoculars?
Overmind

What gear level do L65 H2+ drop and what gear level do Heroic StarFortresses drop ?
- Lamayas
  
  200/208 gear and mods.
  - Overmind
    
    Thanks.
Techne

Ok, the Portable Sentry Turret you can get in Heroic 2+? Think the suitcase machine gun turrets in Splinter Cell, and you’ve about got it. So sweet in a fight.
Jason

I finally got to the point where I was breezing through one of these solo, I think my gear is mostly 216, and Lana is at 20. UNTIL, I got to the third control panel room at the core. Lana goes down in a heap every time, can no longer heal herself, or me for that matter, so as soon as she drops, I drop a few seconds later. Up until that point, very easy. Frustrating.
Nerovar

I don’t get it. I did all of the H2+ solo with my marauder having mostly 204 PvP Gear and Xalek as my companion with influence rank 11. The fights take some time but it’s really not that hard.
- Zsadist Payne
  
  And you got past the Exarch Ambush how exactly? The fight in which you get jumped by 2 Golds at the same time 2 snipers are shooting at you? It’s really not that hard, you say? Then it really shouldn’t be that hard for you to say how you did it
  - kejim
    
    by killing them? It’s really pretty straightforward. CCdisable them as your class allows (i Awed, then Pacified one of them). The turret helps, but i did it without any buffs (inc. panel in the first room) without that much effort.
  - Starscreamer66
    
    I love how you challenge everyone and say they didn’t do it. Has it occurred to you that maybe you just aren’t that good? I haven’t had any issues either with a Marauder, Sentinel (combat specialization even) and PT. It’s all about interrupts, proper use of areas, and cooldown management. If you can’t do it with all 208 gear, I’m sorry. Look up the countless youtube videos of it being done. It isn’t ridiculously difficult. Just takes serious attention to your abilites.
Vengyr

Solo’d the Alderaan one today. I see a lot of discussion needing 208 gear? I had mostly 190, some 188 and one piece that was a 208 helmet I got from a drop, I think. I don’t remember where. I had Lana at Influence rank 12. Was a newly boosted sith assassin. Definitely soloable, the hardest part was the 2nd and 3rd terminals and the waves spawning. Keeping Lana alive was the issue, but I did it using heroic moment.
No idea why the Zsadist guy is freaking out, not hard at all. Managed to get the walker on my kill, sweet!
- Vengyr
  
  oh and I mean the 2+ heroic one. Love the new companion, cool race and funny that he was stranded for twelve years haha
- Zsadist Payne
  
  Freaking out? Hardly.
  
  As a Sin, you can Mind Maze one of the Zakuul Knights in the Exarch Ambush–that makes the fight very manageable. Anyone who’s played the game knows that. Same with the Paladin–MM the trash around him, take it out. Then Blackout, Overcharge Saber, Recknessless, Maul, Low Slash, another Maul, Discharge–did I miss anything? Yes, my Sin is Deception. No. I have not tried an H2 with my Sin, as she is still on Rishi
  
  Now, try that same fight again, only this time as a Jugg, or a PT
Xenerix

I don’t want to be rude or anything but I have to agree with Vengyr, it’s bold to say it’s easy because it is challenging but it’s quite possible to do 2+ H versions with much worse gear. I did Voss with my Vigilance Guardian with half 190/200 and half 208 gear (Lana rank 12). Exarch was pain in the ass with all the healing so it took some time (and 3-4 tries) but it was managable.

But maybe even more funny moment was with my AP Powertech in full 208 gear and Lana rank 13 doing 2+ H Alderaan and accidentally making One for All achievment because I didn’t have enough influence with Alliance Specialists so I couldn’t accept their buff. Hardest part was by far in this case 3rd terminal, Exarch was actually quite easy if you do interrupts properly so don’t give up even with worse gear than this guide suggests.
- Zsadist Payne
  
  How did you get past the Exarch Ambush? As I keep saying, you have 2 gold Zakuul Knights (both with well over 100K health) beating on you while 2 snipers are shooting at you. At INF rank 12, Lana’s heals CANNOT AND WILL NOT keep up with all the damage you are taking from them. As a PT, you do not have Concussion Missile. Your shield lasts 15 seconds before going on a 2 minute cooldown. Kolto Overload? That’ll keep you alive for 1 minute, before going on cooldown for 3. What did you do?
  - Xenerix
    
    I needed to rotate the CDs such as Energy Shield, Unity, Heroic Moment and Kolto Overload. The point is not to hit in panic all CDs at once. Carbonize is amazing for the small adds, the combination of Death from Above-> Carbonize->Flamethrower will kill them with bit of luck. Also note that the silver mob can be stunned with Electro Dart and Lana will occasionally cc one of the gold Zakuul Knight, which also helps a lot.
    
    So basically when we are speaking about the 3rd terminal, with the Explosive Fuel, you will burst one gold Zakuul Knight to about 40% before the first wave of adds come (note that AP Powertech still got one of the best burst in game), then you need to pop some strong defensive, burst them asap (so Lana won’t get aggro), then you will probably need to kill the silver druid, Lana will cc the remaining gold Zakuul Knight around this time, which will help you stabilize the situation a bit. Then the second wave should come but you still have some defensive available and after you kill the second wave, it’s pretty much win, the remaining gold Zakuul Knight alone is not that dangerous.
    
    Another important thing is not to let Lana tank many mobs. By that I mean that she is able to handle the silver druid for example but 2 Zakuul Knights will kill her very quickly, same goes for the small mobs. Just 2 secs of inattention and Lana will be at 20% and in case this happens, she will start to heal herself instead of you and you will die so don’t let this happened unless you order her specifically to heal you but that is plenty of unnecessary micromanagement because of simple mistake. Hope this helps a bit.
    - Marolf
      
      The elite mobs in the terminal rooms are prototype droids, not zakuul knights and therefore a marauder/watchman could stun both of them (you and your companion), leaving you with plenty of time to deal with the adds and especially to deactivate the terminal, but I’ll leave that up for debate.
      
      I’m not firm with the variety of CC or interrupt abilities of a PT, but you can tell your companion which mob to stun by manually activating the ability.
      
      It is harder if you don’t have some heroic moment abilities, like the Orbital Bombartment from finishing the Imp Agent Storyline, which is priceless in this fight. It will knock the small adds off their feet and will kill them most of the time with the last blast.
    - Zsadist Payne
      
      As a Vigilance Guardian, you don’t have Carbonize, Death from Above and/or Flamethrower-try again. Also, there are no adds in that fight–it’s you vs the 2 Knights and the 2 snipers. Your comp stun lasts 8 seconds max, IIRC no more than 5. Same with your ElectroDart, 4 second stun which then goes on long cooldown. Your JK’s Force Stun lasts 4 seconds, then goes on a 1 min cooldown. So basically what I’m seeing is, you don’t know how you got past the Exarch Ambush with your JK.
      
      I could not care less about the 3d terminal. I want to know how Warriors/JK’s/PT’s soloed their way past the ambush.
      - Xenerix
        
        Are are even listening or not? You are saying that I don’t know how to get past and yet I completed it several times? Rly? My gear on my Vigi JK is still the same – 190/200 and few pieces 208. Do you really want me to make a video of me doing the Exarch Ambush (which is definitely not the hardest part of the 2+H Fortress at all) so you will finally stop whining and finding excuses and start actually trying to get past it by yourself?
        
        Zsadist Payne
        
        This is priceless. Thank you for the good laugh, especially on a rainy Friday afternoon.
        
        Honestly, I haven’t tried it in weeks. Wasn’t planning to any time soon, either. I need to finish Rishi with my Sin, Sage and Scoundrel. And, need to knock out Yavin with my Sorc and Marauder.
        
        Had you actually bothered to read through the whole discussion–which we both know you didn’t–you would have seen where I said the key to winning that encounter is, in fact, in cooldown management:
        
        “BUT, there has to be an easier way for the Juggs/JK’s/PT’s/Vanguards in 208’s to solo past that fight–I just can’t figure out what way that would be. It has to be in the defensive cooldown management, what to pop when which is my dilemma.”
        
        Yeah, I said that. Me. The interesting thing is, I’ve seen people pop their heroic early, opening with Orbital Strike and Force Storm. I’ve always waited until my comp was below half health–may try it at some point, just to get that 5 min CD started early. Pair that with an early Saber Ward, leaving Saber Reflect, Endure Pain and Enraged Defense in reserve…hhmmmm….
        
        A couple more components are using Vengeful Slam with the Bloodbath proc for the extra DOT and Threatening Scream, which may not work on the Knights–have to see about that one
Vergil

So with the Star Fortress Commander speeder, that can only be obtained on one character correct? Since you can only get the achievement once?
- Fusion
  
  No you can go on other toons, go to achievements and redeem it by right clicking it, maybe left i forgot which
Marolf

I managed to solo the SF’s with a Vigilance Guardian and a MM Agent. The latter was quite harder then the former. Both are/were in 190 green gear, except implants, earpiece and offhand, which i could afford in 208 and my Companion Lvl 10. I used my herioc moments on occasion. In the excarch ambush they are quite useful, but not necessary.

The golden Knights are completely controllable.
Your Jedi Vigilance / Sith Juggernault has some good CC abilities, you can blind them all for some seconds, your companion can stun, lift, whatever 1 of them for a longer period.
You can switch the target and push him away for some vital seconds. You can start the fight by telling your companion which knight he should stun (if not he will pick one randomly, so watch your aoe, because damage breaks this precios stun).

You have a lot of defence cooldowns, saber ward, saber reflect e.g., use them if need them. You can interrupt their abilities, at least the one you are fighting with.

Stun one gold at the beginning, kill the next sniper with single target damage, force jump to the other one, focus on one knight. It is possible, even for a class that is more suceptible to damage, but a guardian/jugg is imho always hard to wear down and does a fair amount of damage.

Do you have acces to the legacy abilities unity or sacrifice? Handy defence CD’s als well. Marauders can avoid damage spikes, snipers entrench and so on.
- Zsadist Payne
  
  Once again, your comp stun is no more than 8 seconds, Force Choke/Force Stun is 4 seconds, which then goes on a 1 min cooldown. Saber Reflect is 3 seconds, then a 1 minute CD. Saber Ward is 12 seconds, then a 3 minute CD. Endure Pain, once it’s used up goes on a 2 minute CD. Now, for simplicity’s sake, let’s say the comp stun is a full 8 seconds. As soon as your comp stuns one knight, the other will come rushing over while both snipers start shooting. Within that first 8 second window, 1 sniper is eliminated. Conventional wisdom says to take out the other sniper next. At this point, you now have 2 Gold Knights beating on you (comp stun is still on CD) and the remaining sniper shooting at you. We’ll remove the weakest link next, while the 2 Golds are still beating on you. Here, you can pop Saber Ward–which I would save–or Saber Reflect and Endure Pain. You Push 1 off, then Push goes on a 1 minute CD. You tee off on Thing 2, while Thing 1 closes back in. About now, your comp stun should be ready buying you another 8 seconds. Now, here is where the rubber meets the road.
  
  Anyone who plays Veng/Vig knows we clip the remaining few tenths of a second off the end of each Ravage/Blade Dance. We use Shatter every 11 seconds to proc our free Ravage. We have Vengeful Slam and Sweeping Slash for AOE. Our opener/rotation is about 18 seconds long, again proc’ing Ravage and Vicious Throw. We do indeed have our interrupt, and can use Choke/Stun as another one. The problem is, those Golds have well over 100K health each. They hit HARD. Even with a set bonus–Malgus, Eradicator whichever one you may have/prefer–you’re still taking quite a lot of damage. Your Heroic heals you for 2 minutes, before a 5 min CD.
  - Marolf
    
    True numbers, and they are hard hitters, no question about that.
    Except for the Voss Exarch, this is imo the hardest fight in a SF.
    
    Call me lucky then, but I can confirm, that it is doable in solo mode, adding an Defence Guardian to my list. I successfully cleansed Alderaan, Belsavis and Voss with my C2-N2 lvl 15 yesterday.
    
    I found the Vigiliance’s runs to be easier than the ones with the Defence Guardian, because of the greater damage output.
    
    Do you aim for the “one for all” achievement?
    If not, can you use the Specialists boxes, which means you have to kill the paladins and bonus bosses as well in order to get to them? Especially the mobile gun turret comes very handy. But still, they are not mandatory.
    
    Maybe It is because I focus more on CC abilities, then on pure damage rotation, maybe because imo a melee comp as a healer is somehow more helpful to you than a range one, maybe because i never raided an therefore my utilities are pure solo specced, i don’t know.
    They appear, saber reflect, stun the nearest Gold, focus on sniper one. Meanwhile gold 2 arrives, stun runs out, blind them, no aoe, sniper 1 should be dead, jump to sniper 2 and kill him. both gold come to you, focus on one and interrupt his big hit ability. Push him and leap on him right afterwards to make gold 2 run after you. If available, stun, blind gold 2 via target swap, pop enraged defense on cd, use your heroic moments (i have all 8, so that is useful as well). Every second they can’t attack is precious. I no you too will prevail.
    
    apologies 4 tl:dr
    - ZP
      
      In all honesty, I was my own worst enemy. At first, I rushed into the H2’s without at all knowing what I was doing. Didn’t know about the Alliance buff. Didn’t know a damn thing. My Jugg was my first 65, the first toon I finished KOTFE with. So basically, I was running around lost and blind.
      
      Secondly, I went by what I was being told on Odessen without checking into it all for myself. I was told, on 2 servers, some classes couldn’t solo the H2’s in 208’s with a comp INF at 10, so that’s what I went with–we all know that was/is wrong. After I learned it was possible to solo the H2’s, it became a question of how to do it. Right now, I’m not even sure I want to do it. After you ding 60, you can run the weekly heroics, which give you comms and crates. I usually don’t even start KOTFE until 65. So from 60-65, I’m stashing crates to use later, as well as loading up on glowie comms for 216 gear. Again, my Jugg being the guinea pig and learning everything and more of what NOT to do. He’s now in mostly 216’s, and his INF with all of the Alliance contacts is 15+, so soloing the H2’s won’t be an issue, whenever it is I eventually get around to actually doing it. I don’t see going after the unbuffed achievement being out of reach either–decked out in all 216’s, mainhand saber with all 43 mods. There can be only one…
      
      As far as how you did, TYVM for posting it. I like your approach. My Jugg is Veng spec, my JK runs Vig–even my JK has a few 216 pieces now. I was curious if Awe/Threatening Scream would work on the Golds, because if it does that buys you 45 seconds I think, which is more than enough time to burn down both snipers. Plus, in that time, your Endure Pain and Saber Reflect are just about off cooldown, with a med pack, Saber Ward and Enraged Defense still in your pocket. I LOVE using Vengeful Slam, too–okay damage, and a mighty fine filler.
      
      I’ve seen people use the turret, especially against the Exarch, but I never knew how/where to get it–on the other hand, I never really looked for it either…I guess I should… I only need to kill one Hoth Paladin to clear that board, and get the achievement…for 2 weeks, I’ve had the SF Weekly…on 3 different toons, Jugg, JK and Commando….haven’t yet started it…with any of em…my now 58 AP PT is an ABSOLUTE BEAST though
      - Marolf
        
        Awe/Threatening Scream would only reduce your aggro on the Golden Knights. Other than that, nothing would happen, because the damage reduction only applies to human players in PvP enviroments, so no benefits using it in this fight.
        
        There are always 4 stashes randomly places all over the Star Fortress. Always 1 for every Specialist.
        
        AFAIK there will always be 1 stash next to each Paladin and 1 inside the bonus mission room, leaving you with 1 stash placed anywhere else on the SF, but always before you step into the Exarch ambush.
        Your best bet is to clear the map.
        
        I need to correct myself:
        Safe your saber reflect until there are only the Golds left, so they smack their own faces. Otherwise you would waste it on the snipers, because they shoot faster.
        It is more appropriate to start with enraged/focused defence as your defence CD, as the healing is bigger than the damage you get.
        Don’t panic, be a Fonzie and you’ll be fine.
        
        ZP
        
        I didn’t think Scream/Awe would freeze the Knights, but was hoping–oh well.
        
        The Alliance stashes were another item I knew absolutely nothing about at first. So now, with my JK and Commando, I’m giving all the crates I get to my Alliance contacts first–once I have them all above 10, I’ll start working on the grabbing the comps. Again, both already have at least 1 216 piece plus I am not at concerned about the Ambush with my Trooper–he can CC 1 knight right out of the gate. Plus, he has his own self heals and shield on top of the Alliance buff AND a top shelf adrenal? As the Road Dogg says, yo ass bettah call somebody!
        
        I usually cover the entire map, making sure I don’t miss a Paladin or the bonus quest. I already found all the texts, getting that achievement and title.
        
        The way I start any solo boss/gold/champion fight is charge, enrage, saber throw (the reason I do it that way is so that opponent doesn’t first leap to me) shatter ravage impale scream sunder vicious throw (proc’d) ravage THEN pop saber reflect and endure pain, then back through the rotation. If there’s a crowd, I’ll pick an ugly then charge in enrage vengeful slam sweep saber throw then finish off contestant #1 before another slam and sweep. Also, I learned (the hard way) stims weren’t enough of a boost in that fight, so I bought the best adrenals GTN had at that time–again, this was weeks ago, and I haven’t yet tried running through it again. I probably will when I have Hylo and the Alliance gang all above 20 INF. Lana should be above 30 INF by then. Nico, Pierce and Scorpio all will probably be close to there, as they are all above 20 now.
cavilatrest

Do you have to have completed the Macrobinoculars quest to be able to get the Ever Watchful title?
- Terrorus
  
  Yes, you do. You need the Macrobinoculars to do it.
- Aiko
  
  Well.. not completed.. just start it.
- DancingHare
  
  I have the ability and I still can’t find the probe, I’ve tried four different planets. Not sure what I’m doing wrong :/
Christopher Luther

“EPHERMIS druid.”

Watch out for his Wild Shape ability!
Iyana

I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but I found a good way (for anyone with a ranged ability) of facilitating the “ambush”/console rooms around the reactor before you get to the Exarch. When I started doing this with my operative, I had a 20+/- companion on heals and ~208 gear.

Firstly, do not run into the rooms. Before you go into each room, put your companion on passive and hit one of the gold guards and run around the corner (one will try and pull you back, just keep running). Wait for them to come to you, activate your companion again and put one of them on CC if you can (slice droid is what I use). Take them both down, then when you go into the room, you only have to deal with the weak mobs and the Photoelectric Droids. Use the grenades or any sort of stuns on the weak mobs as often as possible, and remember to watch out for the beam. Focus on the Photoelectric Droids so that you can siphon the Exarch faster and disable the console. Rinse and repeat.

Another trick for getting through a bit quicker is, when you encounter the large mob that flies up onto the platform just outside the second or third room, put your companion on passive, hit one with a ranged attack, then run back inside the room. The weak mobs will run into the “Sun Beam” on the ground and be killed instantly. The single gold mob will come to you, but it’s an easier kill that way.
Aiko

I just can’t find the datapad in the Nar Shadaa Star Fotress 🙁
ThePatrioteer

I seem to be having a weird time finding any of the bonus missions on the Star Fortresses. When I first started running through them, they popped, now they don’t seem to at all…
Drool Bear

Once you get past Influence Rank 10 all four of your Alliance Specialists, is there any reason to get to Rank 20? We know, to be able to interact with the Alliance Equipment Caches, you have to get past Rank 10 but why should we keep going to Rank 20? Which I think is the highest you can go on those characters, right?
- Dulfy
  
  Not really, you can get a speeder token to buy a speeder I think but that is it.
  - Drool Bear
    
    Well that’s something at least. : ) Thanks for replying.
    - ) ) ) sotmax ( ( (
      
      and cartel coins i think..not sure..
      - Raiffynn
        
        Yes you get 20 cartel coins for completing this achievement as well as a legacy title, crystals and mount tokens.
- Lamayas
  
  There’s an achievement as well as a legacy title. So not much.
- Lou
  
  One speeder from each Alliance member, four in total. Plus, extra Radiant Crystals don’t hurt…make sure you pick them up every two levels.
Phase

Would be nice if this guide told you wether or not you needed to complete the chain quest for the stupid macrobinoculars, I have done like 5 or 6 with just starting the macrobincoular quest and have had no luck finding a droid outside, almost assuming you have to have it 100% done.
- Phase
  
  Update, jumped on a character that had the chain quest 100% done and I found a droid the first Alderaan fortress run I did.
Phil

Is there an way to repeat the star fortress FPs (heroic mode) after having completed them? I missed some of the paladins…. =(
- Vogevio
  
  yeah just go back to the guy by the gate where you pick the mission up.
Finlay Hartshorn

if you destroy a star fortress can you redo its solo mode?
- NinjaRaiden
  
  Yes you can, just walk up to the door and you can reenter (after talking to the NPC doing to selection for Solo mode)
scolarisbellator

little lie from this achievement i see more than 30 minute’s and noting found are you joking about that dulfy im not happy with this this achievement A Shrouded Vigil im not happy about this….
- Secundum
  
  Then you’re just bad at the game. Plenty of us have the achievement.
- snakedoctor
  
  You say that as if Dulfy is somehow responsible for you not getting it.
- Sadriel_Fett
  
  Look out of every window you come across. Sometimes you have to reposition yourself and scan the same window again. I had to move around a few times to get a good scan of the probe that was outside the window of the hanger deck. I could see it outside when I scrolled the view in on my mouse, but the macrobinoculars were having a hard time locking on to it.
Ray Swtor

Anyone else having problems to get wrists from the paladins in h2? I have done all Paladins in H2-Mode, I’m at about 40 Paladin-kills and I haven’t seen one damn wrist yet :/
Craig Chopper Kreskay

trying to farm the paladins for the cheevo, seems if you dont find the paladins you need, you can only reset the mission once to look again. the next time you try to reset you are told you have done this too soon. abandoning the mission and picking it back up again only take you back to the place you last left, and you cant select a new SF to try, only the one you never finished.

i have a few alts that have acces to the SF’s. they get the same treatment.
- Matthew
  
  Just replay the Star Fortress over and over in Solo Mode so you can speedrun. You’ll get them eventually
DarthZ

Can’t seem to get both feet on ground achievement. Any tips? With .4 seconds left I can’t get an interrupt off.
Voltage Golden

Well, every Exarch got a special ability related to idol from devotional text hidden in Fortresses. For example, Nar Shaddaa Exarch Lesin Tyn has an ability “Esne’s Avarice” that heals him, Alderaan Exarch has that weird ability “Scyva’s something” or whatever that spawns Mental Entities.
Matthew

Each Exarch has a special cast ability. Interrrupt priority is on you to decide.
Alderaan: Scyva’s Presence: Spawns 3 adds that give you/comp a debuff that reduces damage/healing done.
The adds die the second they take damage, but debuff only leaves if you kill all 3. Inf 25+ comp can heal through it with no trouble
Belsavis: Aivela’s Flame: 15 sec reduced armor debuff
Near as I can tell, it takes 1/3 of your armor, but even a healing companion can cleanse it
Hoth: Nahut’s Burden: No noticeable effect.
No buffs/debuffs on you or Exarch, no obvious damage/healing done, no idea.
Nar Shaddaa: Esne’s Avarice: reduced healing debuff (15 seconds maybe?)
Also states that any healing you get, the Exarch gets too.
Tatooine: Tyth’s Fury: 15 sec damage buff on the Exarch
Plain and simple, hardly noticeable if your comp is rank 12 or more
Voss: Izax’s (word): Heals Exarch for about 10K
Doesn’t use often enough to be overpowered
- Matthew
  
  Voss: Izax’s Hunger
  Heals Exarch for roughly 40-45K
  
  Still not a big issue to DPS through it
- Grim Reaper
  
  Nahut’s Burden gives you a minor speed debuff (can be cleansed with Sana Rae’s ability, or just not caring. It’s not that annoying)
Matthew

For the people complaining about getting massacred by Paladin’s or Exarch ambush of 2 Knights, it is all about the archetypes.
Knights and Paladins are based around 3 archetypes: Juggernaut, Marauder and Inquisitor
-Inquisitor: Double saber, Thundering Blast cast, low overall damage
-Marauder: 2 sabers, twin saber throw, moderate damage
-Juggernaut: single saber, no fancy moves, high damage
You can’t take 2 Jugg Zakuul Knights at the same time: too much damage output for rank 33 comp to heal through. Jugg archetype Paladins can hit for 8K with “assault,” which is the sith warrior basic attack. Jugg Knights hit for 3-6K with it.
Assuming you don’t get double jugg on the Exarch ambush (like i just did) you can beat them by splitting them up; one hitting you, other hitting the comp.
- Grim Reaper
  
  Or, if you’re lucky and get Bey’wan’s influence up to level 10, get the sentry turret. When the lights above the ambush elevators start flashing, place the sentry turret down. That way the knights (and possibly the Skytroopers too) will attack the sentry, allowing you and your group (or you and your companion) to take care of the knights without risking getting attacked by them.
  
  It’s also useful to have the following legacy heroic moment abilities ready when you get to the ambush:
  
  Force Lightning (Inquisitor)
  Force Choke (Warrior)
  Flamethrower (Hunter)
  Plasma Grenade (Trooper)
  
  Lightning deals loads of damage, Flamethrower can be directed and goes through an enemy , damaging more than just 1 specific target, Force Choke can give you a brief moment of rest as it incapacitates your enemy and Plasma Grenade does a lot of area damage
Lucas

Hey, in the part near the end, with two droids that hook you, 4 that deal damage and one you have to kill to draw power from the exarch, DON’T kill all the 4 damage droids, kill 3 and leave one, that way they don’t come back, it’s far easier. At least for me it was.
Zasz

Too bad that most of the time the fortresses are undobable due to the bugs that either kill your party members at the end at the anchor towers or the exarch doesnt lose all shield charges and wont jump to the end or you just die while jumping to the last platform. Kiss those achievements goodbye.
- Monmoners
  
  So this happened quite often? The one time I managed to team up with another person is the time the Heroic mission bungle up.
  - Zasz
    
    Yes. Not being able to jump across the chasms before the end fight because at least one player dies over and over for no appearent reason, one of the last force fields not opening, boss being stuck before heading up or entrance not allowing people in…
    
    Its embaressing. But we wont see that fixed.
Xegert

Looks like with kotet now, the bosses don’t drop anymore decorations or anything at all anymore. Meaning the Paladins and the final boss.
- Bortmode
  
  I just got a decoration drop off of a paladin.
- Getsune
  
  Only heroic mode is affected, meaning you can’t get the bracers from the paladins and the walker from the exarch right now. I really hope they fix this in January, the Exarch sets are pretty cool.
yellow-power ftw

NO WAY to defeat Exarch with purple 216. I already got blue 240 purple 240 and 3 242 and i straggle to pass the 3 spots (trying to get the ”one for all” achieve)
- Miroslav Bílek
  
  Seriously?… I done all SF without boost with old 208 pvp gear….
R2D3

I finally grouped and this fucking shit wouldn’t let the rest of my group in. but when I did it solo it didn’t take the star fortress off my mission. they done fucked up this game so bad. to a 6 yr veteran the damn thing isn’t even playable anymore.
- Majigh Z
  
  Sounds like you didn’t activate Veteran Mode.
zolushka13

I’m trying to do these again after two years break from swtor, I know it’s beatable, i did them all when this expansion came out but I’m just wonder what heroic 2 now? Is it the new veteran mode?

I’m going to assume it is and try it anyway.
Bradley

That’s, uhh, probably supposed to say “droid”, not “druid”. Whatever, we know what you meant.
Sebastianna

Found https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f03795ad268b613871873a8c0e801b55bfcf42b8d79b24222d4b682835b773d7.jpg Orus Jind at this location.

SWTOR Star Fortresses Guide

How to Start

Battle for the Stars

Solo Mode: Star Fortress

Bonus Objectives

Unlocking Heroic Mode

Resistance Contacts

The Resistance

Gearing Up

The Shield Bunker

Heroic Mode

Basics

Getting to the Exarch

Defeating the Exarch

Conquered Exarch Armor

Heroic Mode Achievements

Secret Heroic Mode Achievements

Paladins

Map of Possible Paladin Locations

Devotional Text

Decorations and other Rewards

Decorations

Titles

Legacy Titles

Mounts

Conquered Exarch Armor

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SWTOR World Bosses Locations Guide

SWTOR Web Content Roadmap