# Droid Commander Player Field Guide

> *"Armies of flesh grow weary, falter under fire, and bleed. Steel obeys without hesitation, endures without fear, and strikes with mathematical precision. In the right hands, a squad of droids isn't just an escort—it is an unbreakable formation."*
> — *Senior Droid Commander Vaelen Voss, Kuat Sector Overwatch*

---

## Welcome, Commander

Welcome to the comprehensive field manual for the **Droid Commander**, SWG Secura's premier tactical pet-command profession. 

Whether you are an engineer seeking to orchestrate mechanized warfare, an ex-military officer commanding elite battle droids, or a mercenary tactician turning the tide of the Galactic Civil War, the Droid Commander allows you to command up to **seven specialized combat droids simultaneously** through an intuitive, real-time command console and dynamic tactical team doctrines.

This guide provides everything you need to know: from summoning your first Vanguard tank to orchestrating multi-squad artillery barrages, toggling between **Balanced**, **Defensive**, and **Offensive** team doctrines, understanding dynamic slot scaling, and mastering your combat directives and expertise specializations.

---

<p class="callout success">[Live] The Droid Commander Update is live as of v1.8.0. It is also on the Test and Experimental servers. Update through the launcher to get the matching client.</p>

## Droid Commander Update [Live]

A full pass over the profession: the squad console now behaves, group rules are clear, every expertise rank does something, and the capstone abilities have real cooldowns and do what their descriptions say.

### What's New

#### Squad console
- **Deploy button fixed**: DEPLOY sends out your whole squad and RECALL stows it. While the droids are on their way the button shows a pending state instead of cancelling itself.
- **Slot states**: each slot now shows one of `STOWED`, `DEPLOYING` (the command was sent and the droid is arriving), `ACTIVE`, `IN COMBAT`, `INCAPACITATED` or `MISSING` (the droid control device is no longer in your datapad).
- **Battery bar colors**: green at 60 percent or more, yellow from 25 to 59 percent, red below 25 percent.
- **Cleaner window**: the console refreshes smoothly while open, and its text now comes from the game's own string tables.
- **The `G` key**: it is assigned automatically only when nothing else already uses it, and the assignment is saved for characters with a custom key map.
- **Commander-only**: only characters who have started the profession can deploy, save or select a squad.

#### Squad size and group rule
| Situation | Droids allowed |
| :--- | :--- |
| Solo, or grouped only with your own droids | Your full squad, up to **7** (at least 3; 4 with Deploy II, 6 with Deploy III, 7 with Deploy IV or Deploy Max) |
| Grouped with at least one other player | At most **3** combat pets (the server droid limit) |

- Extra droids go back to your datapad with a message. The check runs a few seconds after your group changes, so joining or leaving a group never leaves you stuck with too many droids.
- The grouped limit of 3 applies to all combat pets for every profession, not only droids.
- Your own droids joining the group never count as another player.

#### Capstone abilities
| Ability | Cooldown | What it does now |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Synchronized Overload | 90 s | 3,500 base energy damage in 15 m. Enemy armor now reduces it, and it deals half damage to players. |
| Tactical Readiness | 300 s | Heals your active squad droids for 30 percent of their health. It is a heal only and no longer claims to reset other cooldowns. |
| Overdrive Battery | 120 s | +25 percent damage and +20 percent haste for 20 s. There is no critical chance bonus. |
| Expose Weakness | 60 s | The enemy is marked **Exposed** for 30 s and takes **10 percent more damage**. You and your squad keep the accuracy and armor bypass bonuses. |

- **Formations** (Phalanx and Pincer) now buff your squad only and are removed when you recall or your last droid falls. Cooldown 10 s.
- **Target Mark** now works on NPCs. A marked enemy takes extra damage from your squad.
- **Damage stacking**: the combined Droid Commander damage buffs are capped at +60 percent, and total armor bypass is capped at 50.
- **Calculated Ambush** now gives 10, 10 and 15 critical chance per rank (it was far higher, which made first hits automatic critical strikes).
- **Weapons Free** (`dc_vg_barrier_1`) is the single, correctly named free-fire ability. The unused duplicate has been removed.

#### Every expertise rank works
These ranks previously did nothing. They now have real effects.

| Expertise | Effect |
| :--- | :--- |
| Shield Shunt Subroutine | +10 percent droid protection per rank |
| Fast Reboot Systems | After combat, a droid repairs 25 percent of its maximum health per rank (checked at most every 30 s) |
| Advanced Phalanx Protocol | +5 percent maximum health on Vanguard droids per rank |
| EMP Corrosion Dart | +5 percent damage on Fire Support droids per rank |
| Emergency Chassis Barrier | The hit that would drop a droid below 25 percent health is absorbed, up to 5,000 damage per rank. Recharges in 120 s |
| Sensor Blind Scramble | 10 percent chance per rank (up to 50 percent) to halve a single-target hit on your droid |
| High Capacity Cores | Your droids' batteries last longer |

#### Balance
- **Droids called from the datapad** are now scaled exactly like droids deployed from the console, so calling three droids by hand is no longer stronger than a full scaled squad.
- **Squad damage** now follows a level-scaled budget instead of one flat number, so the doctrine differences apply at every level. At level 90 the sustained damage of a full squad is approximately 2,913 (Balanced), approximately 2,175 (Defensive) and approximately 3,575 (Offensive). Burst damage is about 4,369 (Balanced), about 3,263 (Defensive) and about 5,362 (Offensive).
- **Burst is limited**: everything you stack on top of a hit (expertise, buffs, Target Mark, Exposed) can raise it to at most about 2.2 times a normal hit.
- **Defensive doctrine**: Vanguard health is now 140 percent (was 150) and Auxiliary health 110 percent (was 120). Defensive Line Infantry and Offensive Auxiliary damage are slightly lower, so each doctrine keeps its own identity.
- **Armor from skills counts once**: Hardened Plating and similar bonuses were being applied twice. Droid armor from skills is therefore lower than before. Please tell us if your droids fall too quickly.

#### Follow-up changes (also [Live])
These were added after the first Test release and are part of the same Live release.
- **Deploy follows the normal Call rules**: DEPLOY now respects the same location restrictions as calling a pet from your datapad. The only place it is blocked is a space station.
- **More from the master skills**: the Droid Commander and Sith master skills now also give +25 Slope Move and +2 Cybernetic Psychosis Resistance.
- **Stronger Defensive doctrine**: Defensive squad damage was raised to approximately 2,175 sustained (approximately 3,263 burst) at level 90. Balanced and Offensive are unchanged.
- **New phase 1 expertise reward**: the phase 1 expertise reward is now 10 Droid Batteries instead of a Ranger item.
- **Saved squads follow you**: when you open the squad console it loads your saved squads and doctrine from the server. A fresh install or a second computer shows your squads without setting them up again.
- **Finding the Chief Droid Commander**: after the Han Solo tutorial conversation, a new Droid Commander receives a quest that points to the Chief Droid Commander in Theed on Naboo. Han Solo's closing line now names Theed.

[NOTE] The saved-squads change needs the latest client. Update through the launcher to get it.

#### Quests and respec
- The profession quests can be completed **once per character**.
- Respeccing out of the profession recalls your squad and clears saved squads and doctrine settings.

### How to Use It
1. Press `G` to open the console and pick a doctrine tab.
2. Drag combat Droid Control Devices from your datapad into the slots.
3. Press DEPLOY. Watch the slots change from `DEPLOYING` to `ACTIVE`.
4. Before a group activity, expect to field at most 3 droids. Extra droids return to your datapad on their own.
5. Use the capstones on their cooldowns: Overdrive Battery and Expose Weakness for a short burst, Tactical Readiness when the squad is hurt, Synchronized Overload for a group of enemies.

### FAQ
**Why did I lose droids when I joined a group?** Groups with another player allow at most 3 combat pets. The extras return to your datapad.

**Does Tactical Readiness still reset my cooldowns?** No. It heals your squad, and the description now says so.

**My droids feel weaker.** Datapad-called droids and some stacked bonuses were stronger than intended and have been brought into line. Tell us what you see on Live.

**Is this on Live?** Yes. The Droid Commander Update is live as of v1.8.0. The Test and Experimental servers have it too.

---

## Profession Overview & Lore Identity

### The Philosophy of the Mechanized Commander
Unlike traditional beast tamers or creature handlers who rely on instinct and primal loyalty, the Droid Commander operates as a **battlefield general**. You do not simply unleash pets to wander and attack—you issue synchronized telemetry coordinates, coordinate concentrated crossfire, order defensive phalanx shields, and call down timed artillery strikes.

```
                    ┌─────────────────────────┐
                    │     DROID COMMANDER     │
                    │   (Battlefield Leader)  │
                    └────────────┬────────────┘
                                 │
     ┌──────────────────┬────────┴─────────┬──────────────────┐
     ▼                  ▼                  ▼                  ▼
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│   SQUAD 1    │ │   SQUAD 2    │ │   SQUAD 3    │ │   SQUAD 4    │
│   Vanguard   │ │Line Infantry │ │ Fire Support │ │  Auxiliary   │
│ (Heavy Tank) │ │ (Assault)    │ │ (Artillery)  │ │ (Field Medic)│
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘
```

### Key Character Attributes
- **Archetype**: Tactical Combat General & Pet Specialist.
- **Armor**: Like every profession, Droid Commanders can wear all armor types from Phase 2 onward. There is no special heavy armor training.
- **Weapons**: Pistol Mastery, Carbine Mastery and Rifle Mastery expertise. There is no melee or heavy weapon training.
- **Core Mechanic**: 7-Slot Tactical Platoon Deployment, Dynamic Team Doctrines (Balanced, Defensive, Offensive), Deterministic Squad Control, Dynamic Formations, and the ECE Tactical Directive Engine.

---

## Core Gameplay: The Ultimate Solo Tactician

### The Solo Commander Experience (Intended Gameplay)
The Droid Commander is engineered first and foremost as a **comprehensive solo progression profession**. 

When exploring the galaxy alone, hunting legendary beasts, clearing hostile planetary bunkers, or tackling difficult solo content, the Droid Commander commands a personal **7-droid battle platoon**. You act as your own self-sufficient strike team: your Vanguard holds aggro, your Line Infantry applies relentless assault pressure, your Fire Support droids rain down heavy bombardments, and your Auxiliary droids heal you and your squad (shielding and repair come from your directives).

### Group Content & Multiplayer Balance
To preserve dungeon balance, class diversity, and encounter mechanics during group raids and high-end instances:
- **Solo Play**: Full 7-droid platoon authorization across all 4 squads.
- **Group Play**: When you group with another player, you can field at most 3 combat droids. Extra droids return to your datapad on their own (the Droid Commander Update below describes the change).
- This ensures that dungeon encounters remain challenging, server performance stays silky smooth during 8-player operations, and group compositions value dedicated player tanks, healers, and damage dealers alongside the Commander.

---

## The Droid Commander Console (press `G`)

The heart of your platoon management is the custom **Droid Commander Console**, fully rendered with high-tech Aurebesh telemetry and optimized for both **1080p** and **4K Ultra HD** resolutions.

```
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| [ BALANCED TEAM ]  [ DEFENSIVE TEAM ]  [ OFFENSIVE TEAM ]          [ RECALL ALL ] [X] |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  SQUAD 1: VANGUARD        SQUAD 2: LINE INFANTRY          SQUAD 3: FIRE SUPPORT       |
|  +-----------------+      +----+ +----+ +----+            +---------+ +---------+     |
|  |  [3D PREVIEW]   |      |3D  | |3D  | |3D  |            | 3D      | | 3D      |     |
|  |  Droideka Mk II |      |B1-A| |B1-B| |B1-C|            | Probot  | | Dark Trp|     |
|  |  HP: 100% [ACT] |      |    | |    | |    |            |         | |         |     |
|  +-----------------+      +----+ +----+ +----+            +---------+ +---------+     |
|  [ TOGGLE SQUAD 1 ]       [ TOGGLE SQUAD 2 ]              [ TOGGLE SQUAD 3 ]          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  SQUAD 4: AUXILIARY DRONE                                 [ SQUAD TELEMETRY ]         |
|  +-----------------+                                      * Active Units: 7/7         |
|  |  [3D PREVIEW]   |                                      * Doctrine: BALANCED        |
|  |  Medical Droid  |                                      * Platoon DPS:  1,960/s (example)     |
|  +-----------------+                                      [ SAVE ]    [ DEPLOY ]      |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
```

### Accessing & Using the UI
1. **Open the Console**: Press the default hotkey `G` (rebindable in the keybinding options). Only characters who have started the Droid Commander profession can open it.
2. **Instant ESC Dismissal**: Close the window instantly at any time by tapping `ESC` or clicking the `[X]` close button.
3. **Dynamic Team Doctrines**: Switch seamlessly between three specialized battle formations using the top tabs:
   - **Balanced Team** (Standard 1-3-2-1 formation)
   - **Defensive Team** (Fortified 2-2-1-2 formation with Dual Medics)
   - **Offensive Team** (Heavy Bombardment 1-2-3-1 formation with Triple Artillery)
4. **Dynamic Flow Resizing**: The squad window automatically re-packs and scales its layout dynamically when switching doctrines. All 7 slots fit cleanly within the viewport without any awkward dead space or scrolling!
5. **Tactical Hover Tooltips**: Hover your cursor over any team tab to see an instant military-tactical readout detailing combat bonuses, armor ratings, DPS limits, and special protocols.
6. **Universal Drag & Drop**: Drag any combat **Droid Control Device (DCD)** directly from your Datapad into any squad slot. Assign *any combat droid* (Droidekas, Battle Droids, Dark Troopers, Probots, Assassin Droids, Medical Droids) to any slot!
7. **Interactive 3D Holograms**: Each slot features a fully rendered 3D hologram of your slotted droid.
8. **Real-Time Telemetry**: Monitor individual droid health bars, energy shields, and active states (`STOWED`, `ACTIVE`, `IN COMBAT`, `INCAPACITATED`) live from up to 150 meters away. The Droid Commander Update adds two more states.
9. **Dynamic Master Button**: The main command button at the bottom automatically alternates between **DEPLOY** (green, when units are stowed) and **RECALL** (yellow, when active units are in the field).

---

## The Three Team Doctrines & Combat Bonuses

SWG Secura allows commanders to configure and switch between three distinct military doctrines. Each doctrine redistributes your 7 available droid slots across the 4 squad branches, dynamically adjusting damage output, survivability, and battlefield abilities:

```
========================================================================================
                          DROID COMMANDER TEAM DOCTRINE MATRIX
========================================================================================
```

| Parameter | Balanced Team | Defensive Team | Offensive Team |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Tactical Role** | Versatile / Standard Combat Operations | Heavy Fortification / High Survivability | Maximum Firepower / Heavy Artillery Strike |
| **Squad Formation** | **1 - 3 - 2 - 1** (7 Droids total) | **2 - 2 - 1 - 2** (7 Droids total) | **1 - 2 - 3 - 1** (7 Droids total) |
| **Squad 1 (Vanguard)** | 1 Vanguard | 2 Vanguards | 1 Vanguard |
| **Squad 2 (Line Infantry)** | 3 Line Infantry | 2 Line Infantry | 2 Line Infantry |
| **Squad 3 (Fire Support)** | 2 Fire Support | 1 Fire Support | 3 Fire Support |
| **Squad 4 (Auxiliary)** | 1 Auxiliary (medic) | 2 Auxiliary (medics) | 1 Auxiliary (medic) |
| **Combined DPS Cap (old flat values)** | **2,000 DPS** | **1,500 DPS** (*Reduced DPS, maximum sustain*) | **2,500 DPS** (*Peak burst & sustained DPS*) |
| **Base Innate Armor** | +1,000 Kinetic & Energy | **+1,600 Kinetic & Energy** (*+60% baseline*) | +500 Kinetic & Energy (*-50% baseline*) |
| **Vanguard Bonus Armor**| +1,500 Kinetic & Energy | **+2,500 Kinetic & Energy** (*Impenetrable wall*) | +1,000 Kinetic & Energy |
| **Health: Vanguard** | 120% Max Health | **150% Max Health** | 100% Max Health |
| **Health: Line Infantry**| 80% Max Health | **100% Max Health** | 70% Max Health |
| **Health: Fire Support** | 60% Max Health | **75% Max Health** | 50% Max Health |
| **Health: Auxiliary** | 100% Max Health | **120% Max Health** | 80% Max Health |
| **Special Protocol** | Automated Emergency Triage (Commander below 75% health) | Two Auxiliary medics, each healing on its own | Three Fire Support droids for maximum area pressure, plus Automated Emergency Triage |

---

### Doctrine Detailed Breakdown

#### 1. Balanced Team Doctrine (1 - 3 - 2 - 1)
- **Designation**: Standard Combined-Arms Platoon
- **Formation**: 1 Vanguard, 3 Line Infantry, 2 Fire Support, 1 Auxiliary Drone.
- **Combat Identity**: The quintessential all-rounder loadout. Offers a healthy balance of single-target assault fire, sustained artillery barrages, reliable tanking, and a dedicated field medic.
- **Ideal Situations**: General questing, exploring new planets, clearing standard dungeons, and solo bounty hunting.

#### 2. Defensive Team Doctrine (2 - 2 - 1 - 2)
- **Designation**: Fortified Phalanx & Field Hospital
- **Formation**: 2 Vanguards, 2 Line Infantry, 1 Fire Support, 2 Auxiliary Droids.
- **Combat Identity**: Built for extreme survivability against deadly world bosses, high-damage champion spawns, and swarm encounters.
- **Twin Vanguards**: Two Vanguard tanks share frontline threat and damage absorption, backed by **+2,500 Vanguard Bonus Armor** and **140% Health scaling** since the Droid Commander Update (it was 150%, see the update above).
- **Two Medics**: Slotting two Auxiliary units gives you two medics. Each one heals on its own schedule, so one can cover the squad while the other is on cooldown.

#### 3. Offensive Team Doctrine (1 - 2 - 3 - 1)
- **Designation**: Heavy Artillery Strike Force
- **Formation**: 1 Vanguard, 2 Line Infantry, 3 Fire Support, 1 Auxiliary Drone.
- **Combat Identity**: Pure, unadulterated devastation. Boosts the platoon's combined damage cap to **2,500 DPS** (a +25% increase over standard).
- **Three Fire Support droids**: Three artillery units add area pressure with rocket salvos and suppressive fire.
- **Tactical Vulnerability**: Lower innate armor (+500) and reduced health scaling mean you must manage threat carefully—if enemies bypass your lone Vanguard, your glass-cannon artillery line can be overrun.

---

## Auxiliary Medical Healing Protocols (Tiers 1–7)

Auxiliary Droids deployed in Squad 4 do not merely fight—they act as automated field combat medics that monitor the vital signs of both the Commander and their fellow squad units:

### Automated Emergency Triage
- **Trigger Threshold**: When the Commander's health falls below **75%**, the Auxiliary droid automatically pulses an **Emergency Triage Heal**.
- **Two medics**: Under the **Defensive Team Doctrine** each Auxiliary droid heals independently, so two medics mean two heals available.
- **Tier Progression**: Healing scales across 7 tiers chosen by your **Commander level** (not by droid level). Each medic can heal once every 60 seconds:

| Heal Protocol Key | Command Name | Healing Restored | Commander Level |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `droid_medic_heal_1` | Emergency Triage I | **1,000 HP** | below 15 |
| `droid_medic_heal_2` | Emergency Triage II | **2,000 HP** | 15+ |
| `droid_medic_heal_3` | Emergency Triage III | **4,000 HP** | 30+ |
| `droid_medic_heal_4` | Emergency Triage IV | **6,000 HP** | 45+ |
| `droid_medic_heal_5` | Emergency Triage V | **7,000 HP** | 60+ |
| `droid_medic_heal_6` | Emergency Triage VI | **8,000 HP** | 75+ |
| `droid_medic_heal_7` | Emergency Triage VII | **9,000 HP** | 85+ |

---

## Droid Scaling Mechanics: Why You're Balanced, Not Overpowered!

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **Understanding Platoon Balance:**
> When you deploy 7 combat droids, you are commanding an entire army. If all 7 droids operated at 100% standard Level 90 pet stats, a single player would deal over 5,000+ DPS with 120,000+ total HP, breaking game balance. 
> 
> To create balanced, engaging gameplay, SWG Secura uses the **Squad Balance Scaling System (`DroidCommanderSquadBalanceManager`)**.

### How Balance Scaling Works
When spawned as part of your squad, each droid's active health and weapon damage are scaled to match their designated squad role and active team doctrine:

```
[Level 90 Combat Droid]
          │
          ▼
   [Squad Role Scaling] ─────► Vanguard: 100–150% HP, Line/Fire: 50–100% HP
          │
          ▼
  [Reinforced Chassis] ──────► +10% to +25% Max HP Boost (from Expertise)
          │
          ▼
   [Dynamic DPS Cap] ────────► Before: 2,000 / 1,500 / 2,500 DPS   |   Now: level-scaled budget
```

### Key Takeaways for Players:
1. **The Dynamic DPS Ceiling**: Your full squad's output follows a level-scaled budget (see the update above). The older flat figures of **1,500 DPS** (Defensive) to **2,500 DPS** (Offensive) no longer apply.
2. **Individual Durability**: Droids in secondary squads have focused health pools. If you pull too many enemies or neglect your Vanguard's threat, your assault droids can and will be destroyed. You must use defensive directives and repair abilities actively!
3. **Your PCDs in Your Datapad Are 100% Safe**: Scaling adjustments only apply to the temporary spawned creature in the world. **Your actual DCDs/PCDs in your Datapad are completely read-only and never modified.** If you call a droid individually without the squad system, it retains its full original crafted stats.

---

## Tactical Directives & Combat Commands

As a Droid Commander, your combat toolbar is packed with active orders that control your squad in real time:

```
[ DIRECTIVES ] ──► [ Direct Fire ]      (Squad Focus Attack + Damage Buff)
               ──► [ Fire Support Salvo] (3x Heavy Artillery Barrages)
               ──► [ Vanguard Taunt ]   (Massive Threat Generation)
               ──► [ Weapons Free ]     (Multi-Target Free-Fire Engagement)
               ──► [ Nanite Field ]     (25% + 4,000 HP Squad Healing)
               ──► [ Phalanx Stance ]   (+1,000 Armor, +15% Glancing)
               ──► [ Pincer Stance ]    (+15% Damage, +8% Crit, +50 Acc)
```

### Directive Ability Breakdown

#### Attack Directives
- **Direct Fire (I–VI)** (`dc_df_1`..`6`): Orders all active squad droids to focus-fire on your hostile target, granting the squad **+5% to +30% bonus damage** for 15 seconds.
- **Droid Target Lock** (`dc_target_lock`): Uplinks targeting coordinates to all deployed droids, granting them **+50 Accuracy** against the selected enemy for 15 seconds.
- **Fire Support Salvo (I–III)** (`dc_fs_salvo_1`..`3`): Calls down **1 to 3 delayed heavy artillery rocket strikes** (spaced 3 seconds apart), dealing **3,500 Energy damage** per impact plus bonus EMP damage. In Offensive Doctrine, this barrage is devastating!
- **Suppressing Volley** (`dc_suppress_1`): Fires a devastating ordnance barrage that knocks down all enemies in a 10-meter radius into **Prone posture** and **Immobilizes (roots)** them for 5 seconds while dealing 2,000–3,500 damage.
- **Weapons Free** (`dc_vg_barrier_1`): Authorizes free-fire mode, dynamically splitting your droids' attacks to engage all hostiles within a 30-meter perimeter.

#### Defensive & Threat Management
- **Vanguard Taunt (I–II)** (`dc_vg_taunt_1`..`2`): Your Vanguard tank bellows an aggressive threat challenge (**+15,000 to +35,000 Hate**), forcing the target to attack the Vanguard droid.
- **Auxiliary Shield Emitter** (`dc_aux_shield_1`): Projects a kinetic bubble across your squad providing **+1,500 Armor** and **50% damage absorption** (expanded up to 20,000 total absorption with expertise).
- **Phalanx Formation** (`dc_form_phalanx_1`): Defensive battle stance granting **+1,000 Armor**, **+15% Glancing Blow chance**, **+10% Dodge** and **+35 Defense**. Expertise can raise these values further.
- **Pincer Formation** (`dc_form_pincer_1`): Aggressive flanking stance granting **+15% Damage**, **+8% Critical Strike Chance**, **+50 Accuracy**, and **-10% Action Costs**.

#### Repairs, Cleansing & Support
- **Emergency Patch (I–IV)** (`dc_patch_1`..`4`): Rapid field maintenance kit restoring **750 to 3,500 HP** to the Commander.
- **Auxiliary Nanite Field** (`dc_aux_nanite_1`): Disperses a cloud of repair nanites restoring **25% Max HP (plus the Nanite Maintenance Field bonus)** to all deployed squad droids. Removing debuffs and damage-over-time effects comes from the Subroutine Cleansing expertise.
- **Recharge All** (`dc_recharge_all`): Recharges the batteries of your deployed droids to 100 percent. It consumes Droid Batteries or Factory Crates from your inventory.

#### Tactical Capstones
- **Tactical Readiness** (`dc_tactical_readiness`): Restores 30% health to all active squad droids. With the Subroutine Cleansing expertise it also removes suppression and damage-over-time effects from them. It does not reset other cooldowns.
- **Expose Weakness** (`dc_expose_weakness`): Scans hostile armor matrices, granting **25% Armor Bypass**, **+10% Critical Chance** and **+50 Accuracy** for 30s. The Test server version also marks the enemy so it takes more damage (see the update above).
- **Overdrive Battery** (`dc_overdrive_battery`): Overdrives squad generator outputs, granting **+25% Damage** and **+20% Combat Haste** for 20s.
- **Synchronized Overload** (`dc_sync_overload`): Executes a synchronized energy discharge dealing **3,500 Energy AoE damage** (15m radius) while boosting damage and action efficiency by **+15%** for 15s.

---

## Droideka Combat & Special Mechanics

The iconic **Droideka (Destroyer Droid)** has received specialized, authentic engineering within SWG Secura:

```
     [ Rolling Stance ] ────────► [ Unfold / Deploy ] ────────► [ Twin-Turret Fire ]
      High-speed transit           Combat deployment             32m engagement range
```

- **Authentic Twin-Turret Laser Fire**: Droidekas utilize custom skeleton hardpoints (`muzzle` and `muzzle2`) that fire alternating red blaster bolts with distinct sound effects and impact bursts.
- **32-Meter Engagement Range**: Unlike standard melee pets, Droidekas engage hostile targets from long range (up to 32 meters), maintaining their stationary firing posture.
- **High-Tier Stats**: Droidekas excel as Vanguard anchors or Fire Support turrets, featuring built-in shield generators and heavy blaster repeaters.

---

## Expertise Trees

The Droid Commander has two expertise trees arranged on a 7x5 tactical grid: General Platoon (17 expertise nodes, 55 ranks) and Specialization (15 nodes, 45 ranks).

### General Platoon Expertise
Focuses on personal core attributes, squad communication efficiency, droid armor, health, shield reinforcement, and emergency healing.

```
       Col 1        Col 2        Col 3        Col 4        Col 5        Col 6        Col 7
Row 1: [Endurance ] [          ] [Marksmansh] [          ] [ Evasion  ] [          ] [PainToler.] (Base Stats)
Row 2: [Transceiv.] [          ] [          ] [HardenedP.] [          ] [          ] [MultiWeap.] (Foundations)
Row 3: [HighCapac.] [          ] [          ] [Reinforced] [          ] [CombatFoc.] [Precision.] (Scaling)
Row 4: [FastReboot] [RapidTarg.] [          ] [ShieldShu.] [PlatoonEv.] [PointDefen] [          ] (Protocols)
Row 5: [          ] [          ] [          ] [TacticalR.] [          ] [          ] [          ] [CAPSTONE]
```

- **Row 1 (Base Stats)**: Endurance (+50 Stamina), Marksmanship (+50 Precision), Evasion (+50 Agility), Pain Tolerance (+50 Constitution).
- **Row 2 (Platoon Foundations)**: Command Transceivers (-8% Action Costs), Hardened Plating (+800 Droid Armor), Multi-Weapon Prowess (+12% Weapon Damage).
- **Row 3 (Chassis & Criticals)**: High Capacity Cores (+40% Battery Duration), Reinforced Chassis (+25% Droid Max HP), Combat Focus (+6% Droid/Master Crit Chance), Precision Calibrations (+100 Armor Penetration).
- **Row 4 (Advanced Subroutines)**: Fast Reboot Systems, Rapid Target Acquisition (+45k Threat Transfer on target swap), Shield Shunt (+20% Shield Capacity), Platoon Evasion (-30% AoE Damage taken by droids), Point Defense (+45 Melee/Ranged Defense).
- **Row 5 (Capstone)**: **Tactical Readiness** (30% squad heal and, with Subroutine Cleansing, a debuff cleanse).

---

### Specialization Expertise
Focuses on dedicated weapon proficiencies (Pistols, Carbines, Rifles) and specialized tactical directives.

```
       Col 1        Col 2        Col 3        Col 4        Col 5        Col 6        Col 7
Row 1: [PistolMas.] [          ] [          ] [CarbineMa.] [          ] [          ] [RifleMaste] (Weapons)
Row 2: [TargetMark] [          ] [          ] [NaniteFie.] [          ] [          ] [PhalanxPro] (Directives)
Row 3: [EMPDart   ] [SensorBlin] [          ] [ChassisBar] [Subroutine] [Calculated] [Suppressi.] (Upgrades)
Row 4: [          ] [ExposeWeak] [          ] [          ] [OverdriveB] [SyncOverl.] [          ] [CAPSTONES]
```

- **Branch 1 (Pistols & Vulnerability)**: Pistol Mastery (+20 Dmg/Acc) $\rightarrow$ Target Directive Mark (+20% Droid Dmg vs Mark) $\rightarrow$ EMP Corrosion Dart (+1,500 EMP Dmg) & Sensor Blind (-30% Enemy Acc) $\rightarrow$ **Expose Weakness** [Capstone].
- **Branch 2 (Carbines & Engineering Support)**: Carbine Mastery (+20 Dmg/Acc) $\rightarrow$ Nanite Maintenance Field (+4,000 Heal Bonus) $\rightarrow$ Emergency Chassis Barrier (+15,000 Shield Absorption) & Subroutine Cleansing (100% DoT/Debuff purge chance) $\rightarrow$ **Overdrive Battery** [Capstone].
- **Branch 3 (Rifles & Heavy Assault)**: Rifle Mastery (+20 Dmg/Acc) $\rightarrow$ Advanced Phalanx Protocol (+1,000 Armor, +20 Defense) $\rightarrow$ Suppressing Fire Barrage (+1,500 AoE Dmg) & Calculated Ambush (+100% Crit vs out-of-combat targets) $\rightarrow$ **Synchronized Overload** [Capstone].

---

## Profession Progression & Titles

As you advance through the four phases of the Droid Commander profession, you earn prestigious military and technical titles:

| Phase / Rank | Milestone Title Granted | Character Title Key |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Phase 1 Master** | **Droid Operator** | `class_droidcommander_phase1_master` |
| **Phase 2 Master** | **Droid Coordinator** | `class_droidcommander_phase2_master` |
| **Phase 3 Master** | **Droid Tactician** | `class_droidcommander_phase3_master` |
| **Phase 4 Master** | **Master Droid Commander** | `class_droidcommander_phase4_master` |
| **Novice Rank** | **Novice Droid Commander** | `combat_droidcommander_novice` |
| **Active Profession**| **Droid Commander** | `combat_droidcommander` |
| **Elder / Senior Veteran**| **Senior Droid Commander** | `combat_droidcommander_master` |

---

### What Each Phase Unlocks
| Phase | Notable commands (in addition to the Deploy ranks and the Direct Fire, Patch and Salvo upgrades) |
| :--- | :--- |
| 1 | Patch, Group All, Recall, Recharge All, Vanguard Taunt, Phalanx Formation |
| 2 | Weapons Free, Pincer Formation |
| 3 | Suppressing Volley |
| 4 | Deploy IV and Deploy Max, Direct Fire VI, Patch IV, Fire Support Salvo III, Nanite Field, Platoon Sync, Telemetry |

Tactical Readiness, Expose Weakness, Overdrive Battery and Synchronized Overload are unlocked through **expertise**, not through the phases.

### Getting Started
The profession quest chain (three solo quests) starts with the Chief Droid Commander in Theed, Naboo.

---

## Commander's Field Manual: Tactical Tips & Best Practices

1. **Leverage the Right Doctrine for the Fight**:
   - **Balanced Team**: Default to this for general adventuring and clearing standard mob packs.
   - **Defensive Team**: Switch to Defensive when facing high-threat world bosses or elite encounters. The **Twin Vanguards** and **two medics** provide very sturdy frontline durability.
   - **Offensive Team**: Switch to Offensive when you need to burn down stationary objectives or wipe large packs before they reach you. Three Fire Support droids give you the most firepower.
2. **Inspect Hover Tooltips**: Hover over the team doctrine buttons in your console (`G`) at any time to quickly refresh your memory on the exact armor, health, and DPS modifiers of your active setup.
3. **Always Establish Aggro with Your Vanguard First**: Before unleashing your Line Infantry or calling artillery strikes, command your Vanguard into point position and trigger **Vanguard Taunt** (`dc_vg_taunt_1`..`2`). This locks enemy attention onto your tankiest unit.
4. **Use Direct Fire for Priority Targets**: Direct Fire (`dc_df`) commands all 7 droids to instantly converge their blasters onto a single target. Use this to burn down dangerous enemy healers, snipers, or boss adds rapidly.
5. **Keep Nanite Field on Standby**: The Auxiliary Nanite Field (`dc_aux_nanite_1`) restores a massive 25% + 4,000 HP across your entire squad. Pair this with **Subroutine Cleansing** to instantly wipe bleed, poison, and fire DoTs off your droids.
6. **Time Your Capstones**: In high-stakes boss encounters, open with **Fire Support Salvo** and **Suppressing Volley**, then use **Tactical Readiness** to heal the squad when it is hurt.
7. **Match Formations to the Situation**:
   - Encountering heavy melee swarms? Shift into **Phalanx Formation** for +1,000 Armor and +15% Glancing Blow.
   - Burning down a stationary boss? Shift into **Pincer Formation** for +15% Damage and +8% Critical strike chance.

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*Good luck on the battlefield, Commander. May your batteries stay supercharged, your targeting telemetry remain true, and your platoon march ever victorious across the stars!*