Thanks to a free giveaway of Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) on Epic Games, Padawan-level novices are out there disregarding objectives, abilities, and stamina bars from Geonosis to Ajan Kloss. There’s hardly been a better time to offer advice to new and returning players.

Some new players just want to know how to pick effective Star Cards. Some are desperately afraid of becoming the youngling to Anakin’s merciless lightsaber. They’re going to learn, one way or another, which moves have the punch to leave them a Force Ghost. That’s one of the game’s major hurdles: figuring out what’s liable to suddenly and unexpectedly kill a player. It’s dangerous out there on the Battlefront.

10 Blaster Bolt Deflection

Lightsabers can block blaster bolts, but not all Heroes have the same talent for it. Dooku, in particular, has little deflection skill. Luke, Darth Vader, and Obi-wan can direct hostile firepower back to its source with stamina and accuracy. Yoda’s Unleash of absorbed damage can be a very unpleasant surprise.

How to counter deflection: semi-automatic weapons are harder to send back at their users than rapid-fire blasters. It’s dangerous, but concentrated blaster fire can overwhelm a Hero’s stamina and leave them open to damage. Explosives, which can’t be blocked by lightsabers, are perfect versus Jedi.

9 Anakin’s Retribution

With high starting health, a Hero-slaying Passionate Strike, and impeccable hair, Anakin really is the Chosen One. Never is this more clear than when he uses Retribution. Activated after he and nearby allies have taken sufficient damage, Retribution gives enemies a window to escape before absolutely slaughtering them.

How to counter him: it’s obvious. Take the time in which Anakin is visibly charging Retribution to run away. Or prevent Retribution from ever happening: prioritize killing Anakin quickly. Playing Count Dooku is also wise, as Dooku is a duelist specialized in killing other Heroes.

8 Enforcer Explosives: Watch Those Wrist Rockets!

Horrifically deadly things that go boom come standard with almost every Enforcer, who constitute some of the game’s best Reinforcements. Wookie Warriors have Thermal Imploders, Death Troopers have Sonic Imploders, and Clone Commandos have Anti-Armor Attachments. The Enforcer grenades tend to have relatively lengthy timers, but huge blast radiuses and devastating effects. Rockets (like the infamous wrist rocket) deliver direct, heavy damage on a point.

How to counter them: there’s a theme with countering deadly abilities. Just get out of the way. Dodging is the standard way to evade explosives, but specialized tools like the Officer’s Squad Shield and Defuser can do the trick as well.

7 Darth Maul’s Spin Attack

Spinning is a good trick. It throws a furious Sith, who deals extremely rapid damage with his dual-bladed lightsaber, right at his enemies. What often follows is a sudden and deadly assassination. The Spin Attack is also a very good follow-up to Maul’s Choke Hold, which throws and knocks down foes.

How to counter him: Darth Maul hits hard, but his health bar is relatively thin. Flanking him, concentrating fire, and frustrating the Sith assassin with well-timed dodges can waste his stamina and lead to his death.

6 Palpatine’s Chain Lightning

This one’s obvious. The guy has unlimited power. The Emperor’s Chain Lightning may be the most deadly to average troopers (who will be instantly killed by it in most circumstances), but his regular lightning attacks and other abilities make him an excellent crowd-killer. Palpatine’s lightning can kill enemies who aren’t even in his line of sight.

How to counter lightning: like with other Heroes, it’s a good idea to shoot Palpatine from long range. Focus fire on him before his lightning chews up everyone’s health. When playing a hero: don’t ignore the Emperor for other targets. Remember that Lightsabers can block his lightning attacks.

5 The Heavy’s Sentry

This isn’t to be confused with the Officer’s Turret, which can provide good support fire, but doesn’t rain hell like a Heavy with their chain gain revved up. The Heavy’s sentry turret hardly loses efficacy at medium and long range, can easily wipe out multiple enemies, is one of the best weapons in the game, and looks cool as hell.

How to counter it: well, a Heavy can hardly move while using Sentry. This means they’re vulnerable to grenades and concentrated return fire. Getting in close can also be useful, as it will be easier to flank and damage the Heavy. Lightsaber block turns the Sentry’s strength against the user: the constant stream of blaster bolts is very easy to deflect back at hostiles. Jedi should be wary, though: the Explosive Sentry star card ruins this counter.

4 Force Push

It’s certainly appropriate that the Force itself makes this list, given it’s supposed to be the most powerful thing in the Star Wars universe. Force Push abilities, which many Heroes have, are effective against both Troopers (to stop them laying down blaster fire) and Heroes (to render them defenseless to lightsaber strikes). They have relatively short ranges and potent directional effect.

How to counter Force Push: new players, especially those who played the older Battlefront 2, tend to struggle with one of the major changes in the reboot. Jedi need to block during lightsaber duels. They need to block a lot. Throwing oneself at an enemy Jedi and spamming lightsaber attacks leads to stamina exhaustion and death. Standing without blocking means being completely vulnerable to Force Push-type powers. The other method of avoiding being Force Pushed? Keep a distance from the enemy Force user.

3 Cable/Shock Spin

One proud Star Wars tradition this game holds up: adorable product placement characters excelling at vicious murder. Ewoks will wipe out notorious villains. Little rolly ball droids can dominate the battlefield, and never more so than when they begin spinning like broken toys from hell. Cable/Shock Spin dominates tight spaces and massacres nearby enemies.

How to counter it: as with other heroes, it’s wise to maintain distance and concentrate fire on BB8/BB9E. This means lightsaber Heroes can have some trouble dealing with the little balls of death. Finn, with his powerful buffs, makes concentrating fire on BB9E all the easier.

2 Lando’s Sharp Shot

Lando, the wily rogue, has a few ingenious tricks up his sleeve. His Smoke Grenade blinds enemies while Lando remains clear-sighted; his Disabler excels at trapping enemies. But it’s his Sharp Shot that deals sudden and lethal damage, enough to immediately kill all targeted regular Troopers. What’s more, it locks onto enemies and is practically impossible to evade.

How to counter it: the ability locks onto enemies. It can’t be countered. Killing Lando quickly, giving him no opportunity to use his powers, is the best way to deal with him.

1 Bossk

This isn’t an ability. It’s Bossk. Just Bossk, as a character and everything he can do. His rifle can be used as a sniper, shotgun, and grenade launcher. His proximity mines are devastating; his Dioxis Grenades spread wickedly deadly poison and, with the right Star Card, heal his injuries. Bossk has few weaknesses.

How to counter him: nothing assures a win, but firing on Bossk from long range can even the odds and deny him his tools. As a Hero, using Force powers or a shoulder charge (think Chewy or Han) can interrupt his brutal weapons fire. Standing off from him at mid-range just tends to make a player an easy target for his explosives and poison gas. With it looking like there’ll be no future adding of fan favorites to Battlefront 2, Bossk may just go down as the most nightmarish character in the game.

NEXT: Star Wars Battlefront 2: 5 Amazing Vehicles You Need To Use (& 5 That Suck)