JK2 full force saber only tactics/move guide by
mediablitz\DSbr.FlashRam
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This guide is intended for basejk2 full force saber only. I know that much of the community now plays with tweaked servers and 0 force regen. I find this rather boring and mindless, so this tutorial is for people who wish to play the game legitimately.
Basic Moves
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Pull Kick - The single most important s/o ff move in the game. This is achieved simply by pulling the opponent and double-tapping jump while pressing the forward key. There are scripts for kicking, but I can tell you from experience that a script will never defeat someone who has mastered true kicking. Why? Quite simply because a script is too fast and as a result, has very little range. A master kicker will instantly know that you are using a script and will simply keep his distance. By double tapping jump slower, you can get much more range on your pull kicks, and completely dominate a scripter.
Truth be told, however, the best full force duelers would use the script for counter kicking, and legit kicking for everything else. As much as one might bemoan the use of scripts in a game, it's a fact of life that there is simply no way to stop someone from using it, so it has basically become a legitimate part of the game. If you use a kick script and never learn real kicking, you will only ever be an average kicker. Counters to this move include pushing, strafing, and rolling. As you grow in experience you will learn how to avoid pull kicks. It's also worth noting that if you swing the saber with red style, you cannot be knocked to the ground by a kick. In the event that you are knocked down by a kick, holding down on the jump button will cause you to quickly bounce back up.
Throw Pull - When you pull an opponent, their guard is dropped, and they are unable to block attacks. As a result, you can throw your saber, and then pull right before the point of impact for instant and unblockable damage. This move is best countered with strafing and rolling.
Throw-Pull-Kick - This is also sometimes called "PTK". A nice move for CTF, not as good for dueling. Dueling is largely about conserving force, and this move simpy uses too much force to be effective in dueling most of the time. This move is achieved by throwing your saber, and then pull kicking before the point of impact. This move is countered the same as the aforementioned moves.
Grip Kick - Grip kicking is easy to learn, and not very hard to master. To achieve this move you grip your opponent and look at the ground while kicking. This move is easily countered by absorb, and can also be countered with push and pull (pull is more effective, particularly if you pull kick out of the move...but the decision to add the kick should be made with your current force pool in mind). An experienced grip kicker will have many tactics to attempt to foil your pull. These include moving the opponent to the side, up, kick, side, up, kick, and up, down kick, up, down, kick. Players have invented countless grip kick tactics in search of the "unblockable grip kick".
Lightside Tactics
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The two main strengths of a lightside based dueler is that they can block force attacks with absorb, and can heal themselves without depending on being near the opponent. Fighting toe to toe with a darkside player of equal skill will get you beat rather quickly, so a lightsider must use his head. Running away when low on force, using the clock, etc are all valid tactics for the lightside dueler (only an idiot would stand there and let himself be drained by a darksider).
Lightside vs Darkside - The main thing you wish to do vs a darkside opponent is keep him from draining you. One tactic is to pull throw right off the bat to get rid of his shields, and then simply attempt to run out the clock by running and hiding from your opponent. Cowardly? Perhaps. Effective? Sometimes. The key thing to remember vs a darkside opponent is that you can heal no matter where you are on the map...for a darksider to heal, they must drain you. Conserving your force is a must. If you run out of force and get grip kicked, that's all she wrote. Intelligent players will also find many ways to use lunge and mindtrick. There is very little reason to take points in saber offense or saber defense, so use those points on other things, like mindtrick. Be sure to max out jump, push, pull, absorb, and heal. You will also want at least 2 points in saber throw. A lightsider must almost always play defensively.
Lightside vs Lightside - First of all, there is no reason to use absorb vs another lightsider. It just wastes force. The only time I would use absorb vs a lightsider is if a drop my saber during a throw. One must be somewhat aggressive when dueling a lightsider, but not overly so. If you blow your force wad early in the match without finishing them, you will be on the defensive the rest of the match vs a good player. As always, try to keep your force pool above 30 at all times. PTK only when you are certain you can finish them quickly, otherwise you probably just wasted force.
Darkside Tactics
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As with lightside, I see very little reason to take more than one point in saber offense. As with lightside be sure to max out jump, push, and pull. Take 1 - 3 points in drain depending on your tactics. 1 or 2 points in lightning, and 3 points in grip. Also take at least 2 points in saber throw.
Darkside vs Lightside - Unless the lightsider is extremely skilled/clever, this will be an easy match. Play aggressive, drain often, and try to keep them low on force. Try to stay close to them at all times and keep them from healing.
Darkside vs Darkside - There are so many tactics to darkside vs darkside that I couldn't possibly list them all here. One common mistake is to play overly aggressive. A smart player will gladly absorb a ptk just to get you low on force. Level 1 lightning is a nice thing to have, and excellent for long distance attacks to drain shields or health. Alot of times, it's wise to simply use the clock and try to get a last second win.