There are a total of 5 lightsaber stances in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, 3 of which are available at the beginning of the game, Single, Dual Wield, and Double Bladed. Two additional stances, the Crossguard and Blaster stances get unlocked at later stages of the game. The capabilities of each stance vary, and some players may feel more comfortable with one stance over another. It's important to note that the stances by default are very basic and are lacking severely in their potential until choosing the best skills for each stance.
Ultimately, the stance to fight with largely comes down to one's own personal preference. Any of the lightsaber stances available can be used to handle most situations. Some lightsaber stances do however stand out as stronger than others in certain situations. Finally, the skills that can be chosen in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor enhance each stance substantially and improve what each stance is good for. They also provide abilities that can partly fill in the gaps in areas that the stance may be lacking.
Ranking Criteria
The rankings for best Lightsaber Stance are based on a few important criteria:
- Melee Combat
- The majority of combat is going to take place with multiple enemies in a fast-paced close-ranged environment. This means being able to quickly react to attacks and taking down multiple enemies at once is key.
- The majority of combat is going to take place with multiple enemies in a fast-paced close-ranged environment. This means being able to quickly react to attacks and taking down multiple enemies at once is key.
- Defensive Capabilities
- At many points in the game, there are going to be multiple enemies, both ranged and melee, all attacking at the same time. Going on the defense and properly timing attacks is vital to survival.
- Ranged Combat
- Most ranged enemies use weak blasters and are going to be taken out with a properly timed parry. However, by controlling the battlefield, from a distance, and keeping powerful melee enemies away is a good strategy to avoid taking too much damage.
Here are our rankings for all 5 Lightsaber Stances in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, starting with the worst stance.
5. Double-Bladed Stance
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"A highly mobile, energetic approach to combat. Best for dealing with many enemies at once"
The Double-Bladed Stance is really great for one specific scenario, shielded enemies. This is evidenced in the very beginning tutorial as you'll need to reflect a flurry of blaster projectiles back at the target. There aren't a lot of scenarios where this happens again, but it is almost required for those moments. Because of this one reason, it is likely going to be the secondary stance of choice in case you do come across these enemies.
The in-game tooltip says that it is great for multiple enemies, but this is only true for weaker enemies. Facing multiple stronger enemies is going to be tougher as they are going to take advantage of the slower animations meant for a series of quick attacks from multiple sources. Going up against bosses is not going to be the best idea as its attacks aren't going to be very strong, and you may miss your attack window.
The skill tree for this stance leans into more area of effect capabilities and more ranged abilities. The ranged abilities do unfortunately leave Cal completely defenseless when the lightsaber is spinning in a circle away from him.
4. Crossguard Stance
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"A slow, yet highly lethal approach to combat. Powerful swings devastate enemies, but have verly long wind-ups"
The Cross Guard Stance is another stance that players don't initially have access to at the beginning of the game. Strikes from this lightsaber deliver the most damage per swing out of all other stances. It's capable of ripping right through multiple enemy guards with a single swing and taking out a good portion of their health. It has just as good defense as any of the other stances, but the biggest drawback is the very, very slow attack speed.
The learning curve for this stance is higher than the others as timing the slow attacks can be tricky. Identifying enemy attack patterns is going to be crucial if you want to get the most out of this stance; enemies that recover quickly and move often will be a challenge for players using this stance. Thankfully, there are a number of skills that you can invest in to make the weapon a bit faster and also increase mobility.
3. Blaster Stance
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"An unorthodox approach to combat. Couple your lightsaber with a blaster to gain ranged superiority."
The Blaster Stance incorporates the use of a Single Bladed Lightsaber in one hand and a Blaster in the other. When players first unlock this stance, one might be tempted to think that having more ranged combat abilities will make them very powerful. And while the additional range damage options are nice, successful use of the blaster requires hitting enemies to refill the ammunition, reducing the efficacy of a ranged weapon.
The charged shot however is very powerful, sometimes taking down enemies in a single hit! Without any skill upgrades, the Blaster's normal hits are very weak, providing very little damage. If this play-style is one you're looking forward to, start saving up some skill points when you arrive at Jehda and you'll be able to unlock some powerful skills that make the stance much stronger.
2. Single Blade Stance
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"A classic, balanced approach to combat. Reliable in all situations."
The Single Blade Stance is a very well-rounded stance; its basic attacks are not too slow, has decent defensive capabilities, and has a modest range. It's a great starting stance, but without any skill points invested in the skill tree, it doesn't provide any substantial benefit over other stances.
The skill tree for the Single Blade is a very strong choice for those who like the stance. While these new abilities have a bit of a slower attack animation but the Dash Strike and Aerial Dash Strike are some of the best gap-closing abilities to get up close and personal for a consistent and aggressive combat style.
1. Dual Wield Stance
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"A purely offensive approach to combat. Overwhelm enemies with a flurry of strikes. Abort attacks by pressing block."
The Dual Wield Stance is near the top of the list due to the strong array of options available to them. While the in-game description states that it is best for offensive, it has impressive defensive capabilities as well. Without any upgrades, it provides a lot of attacks very quickly. This doesn't come at much of any cost as you can quickly utilize the other blade to guard and block attacks to cancel attack animations and defend themselves.
The skill tree for the Dual Wield Stance really leans into the versatility of the fighting style offering more damage and defensive options as well as some of the best-ranged capabilities. The ability to throw one blade to deal damage while still being able to block is one of its greatest strengths. So not only is it great in melee range, but it also adds ranged damage to its toolkit.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, this list should generally be read as some helpful information on each stance and their pros and cons. It's encouraged that players try out all the stances and not restrict themselves to using what's "the best". Any stance can be used to complete any of the content in the game. There are likely players who might favor one of the lower-ranking stances over another, and it's largely a matter of personal preference.