While often used interchangeably, strategy and tactics are two different ideas. Strategy generally refers to an ability to produce and sustain a war machine capable of destroying the enemy over a length of time. Topics of strategic discussion include resource management, build orders, expansion, and reconnaissance. All topics of strategy can be applied to either side of a war, as they are values intrinsic to the idea of war.

Tactics, on the other hand, come into play once actual fighting begins. A good tactician can maneuver and manipulate his units in ways that makes them most effective. Tactics describe effective ways to engage and defeat an enemy, using the best tools available. Tactics are generally side-specific, though some generic tactics do exist.

1. Strategy
   1. When first starting the game, most players opt for the "1-3-1" approach. Immediately upon entering the game, tell your TMB/MCV to build oneFusion/Solar plant right next to your starting position. Limiting the distance your command vehicle moves before starting construction will greatly decrease the time you spend getting up and running. Next build three Mineral Extractors on the closest sources of minerals. Finally build a Barracks, again close to your command vehicle, but with room at the base for units to exit uninhibited. This strategy will leave you with around 200 minerals in a 1k/1k game, so be sure to expand slowly at first!
   2. Once you have a Barracks, strategies start to differ. Many players opt to build five or ten quick infantry in order to harass the opponent early in the match. Others immediately build a Construction Droid, in hopes of getting early access to higher technologies. Both of these strategies are perfectly legitimate, but may not work well in certain situations. For example, what use will a 5-infantry attack be if it takes ten minutes for the troops to cross the map to your enemy's base? But if you're playing on a small map with few resources (especially when starting out), building a C-Droid may bankrupt your economy.
   3. Be flexible. If your entire play-style revolves around early rushing and raiding, you'll be handily beat on a large map which allows plenty of time for defenses to be constructed before an attack can be made. Adapt to the map you're playing on.
   4. Constant production of forces is a key to winning. The best players will end the game with close to 0 excess minerals. This shows an ability to keep one's factories producing at an optimal rate without over-taxing your resource system. Just make sure you don't overspend, causing production to slow to a crawl and significantly weakening your war machine.
   5. Know the map you're playing on. This cannot be repeated enough. Know which passages are passable by what units, where the closest metal spots are, etc. If playing a map you've never played on before, insist that Mapping be turned on. Then spend part of the early game scouting out the nearest terrain, noting areas of strategic interest.
   6. Expansion is a key to winning. Unlike Total Annihilation, SWTA has no long-range siege units (yet) that can destroy an enemy's base from the safety of your own. All your attacking has to be done with masses of units, which in turn requires an economy large enough to produce those masses. Thus, it is important to expand your base to both capture more resources and establish forward defense outposts.
   7. Use your expansion to hinder your opponent's. Scatter occasional defensive structures over the map in places your enemy's construction units might wander. Capture resource-rich areas of a map early in the game and defend them well. Doing so will give you a commanding edge over your opponent.
2. General Tactics
   1. Unit control is often the deciding factor in multiplayer games; the player able to effectively control his units in flanking and other maneuvers has a firm advantage over his opponent. Small groups of units which are kept moving and evading can handily defeat a larger force which stays stationary.
   2. Attack early, attack often, and attack hard. Attacking early, with only a handful of troops, can help but your opponent on the defensive and weaken his economy in the vital early-game stage. Attacking often helps to contain your opponent, ensuring he isn't able to beat you by simply out-producing you. Attacking hard, with forces concentrated at specific points, increases the damage your attacks do while minimizing casualties. Five tanks engaging as a group will do far more damage than five solo tanks attacking five separate targets at once.
   3. Although not your most powerful weapon, the MCV/TMB can make very effective weapons platforms in the early stages of the game. Sending in a small infantry attack force backed up by the MCV/TMB is a devastating attack, especially if you use the times between engagements to build scattered E-webs deep in enemy territory. Many players consider this tactic unfair, and thus outlaw it in their games.
   4. Planning an attack is based on the amount of information you have on the enemy. Where is your opponent's base most heavily defended? You'll be sure to stay away from there when attacking. Did he build a large amount of power plants in one area? If you can get to that spot, you'll wreck havoc with his economy. Be sure to scout ahead of time so you know what and where to attack. T-Wings, TIE Scouts, Land Speeders, Swoops, and Speeder Bikes are your best choices for scout units.
   5. Deceiving and confusing your opponent is the surest way to defeat them in battle. Try sending a mass of infantry towards one corner of your opponent's base. Once he panics at the sight of a blob of enemy radar dots incoming and sends his entire defense force to counter it, sneak a smaller group of vehicles to the other side. They will most likely be relatively unopposed.
   6. Once you have finally engaged the enemy in combat, unless you have far superior numbers, you must control your units so as to maximize their attacking ability. The defending side, though they have emplacements designed to eliminate attacking units, lack the ability to be mobile. Exploit this. Lure the enemy away from his defenses and ambush him. Run your units around his static defenses. An E-web blaster is completely useless if nary an infantry comes into range of it.
   7. Concentrate your fire on individual units. Rather than let your units' AI's decide which enemy to shoot at, tell them specifically. When 5 infantry meet another 5 in battle, it is not a simple 5 on 5. It is 5 on 1, 5 on 1, 5 on 1, 5 on 1, and finally 5 on 1. Surrounding small groups and then picking your targets is a very effective way of concentrating your fire.
   8. Few players realize the real strengths of infantry. Infantry can be crammed into small spaces and can deliver massive amounts of damage in short time. Vehicles on the other hand are heavily armored, but otherwise lack much of an offensive punch. The most effective attack groups are those that use vehicles to draw fire while infantry deliver the real damage. Without vehicle support, however, infantry are all but useless.
   9. One major advantage of attacking is that your enemy is caught in a tight position where their very existence is threatened. They will do whatever they can to defend their base. You, on the other hand, are on the offensive, and while winning the battle is important, it will not necessarily mean life or death. While you are attacking, continue to build your base. Expand, reclaim ruined units in the battle, and build your economy further.
   10. If you have failed in your attack, remember, retreat is always on option. It is much better to withdraw your units than let them fight to the last man inside the enemy base. There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity; it takes a good commander to realize the point at which a battle can no longer be won.
3. Imperial Tactics
   1. TIE Crawlers are the strongest ground unit in the game. Less expensive and with better armoring than either Rebel repulsor craft, the TIE/C should make up the bulk of your ground forces. They are fairly slow, however, and a good Rebel player will use his speed to run circles around your Crawlers. But for straight-ahead brute-force attacks, the TIE/C can't be beat.
   2. Flame and Repeater Soldiers are much more powerful than either of the Alliance's infantry. Flame Soldiers can inflict massive amounts of damage in short time if allowed to close with their targets, and Repeater Soldiers can use their long range to their advantage by dancing around enemy troops. Try mixing both Soldier types with a company of TIE/C's. While the TIE/C's soak up damage, the Soldiers dish out the real damage. Flamers also do special damage to Rebel Mobile Proton Torpedo Launchers!
   3. Imperial Aircraft, while not as powerful as their Rebel counterparts, are still an essential part of your campaign. Use TIE Interceptors to patrol through an enemy base and draw fire from AA troops. Then order your TIE Bombers to attack vital structures like Air Bases, Repulsorlift Plants, etc. Assault Gunboats are also very effective at tearing up ground troops.
   4. The ATST, as you'd expect, blows all other units out of the water. It has outstanding armor, a powerful anti-armor laser, and good speed. Surround one or two of these with a host of infantry and ATPT's, and you're set.
4. Alliance Tactics
   1. Hovercraft are the fastest ground units in the game. Use their speed to your advantage by sneaking past enemy defenses to destroy infrastructure. Beware TIE Crawlers, as they easily tear through groups of T1-A's which are left on their own. To defeat groups of Crawlers, circle them with your T1-A/B's, harassing them from afar while their slow turrets try to keep up with your hovercraft.
   2. Z-95 Headhunters are an essential part of any air raid. To penetrate enemy air space that is guarded by AA turrets, first scout the area with a T-Wing. Upon finding enemy AA emplacements, quickly order one Z-95 (per tower) to attack that tower. The Z-95 will hit the tower with its Mag Pulse Warhead, disabling the tower. Meanwhile, your Y-Wing bombers should be on their way to destroying the enemy's Air Base or Vehicle Plant, taking advantage of the disabled tower. Alternatively, the tower itself can be destroyed, removing the need for the Z-95 to remain in the area.
   3. A-Wings are similar to Hawks from Total Annihilation. They very fast and hard to hit with AA fire, making them powerful deep-territory raiders. To maximize their effectiveness against a single target, tell them to Hold Fire while on their attack run. Note that this will disable their Concussion Missile launchers.
   4. Land Speeders are highly underrated, especially in multi-player. Their radar and invisibility on radar make them the ideal unit for spying on enemy movements.
   5. Mobile Proton Torpedo Launchers are incredibly powerful tools that need much skill to use correctly. First, at ALL times must you protect them from harm, as they explode in a giant fireball if they take too much damage, often destroying other launchers in the vicinity. They key to using them effectively is to keep some Trackata 1-A hovercraft or ATPT walkers back as protection while using infantry and Hovers to extend your line of site. Be sure to watch your radar for flank attacks!
   6. Beware constructing too many Scanner Jammers, as they can quickly drain your power supply. If you're running out of power, turn Off your jammers (press Control+R to see where they are) and tell them to Stop; if they are moving or activated, your energy will be drained!
   7. Try getting an early V-Wing produced as soon as your Repulsorlift Plant is created. Your enemy might not be expecting an air attack so soon and may not have any air defense!
      
5. Recommended Maps
   1. Water maps and maps with limited build space are not recommended for a decent gaming experience. Both sides do have units that can traverse water in one way or another, so maps with some water do not need to be avoided altogether.
   2. Starfish Isle: a very challenging map, as attacks can come from land, sea, and air. A very fun team map for multiple teams of two.
   3. Biggy Bigs: another large map of islands separated by an impassible abyss. Aircraft are the way to go on this map, so be sure to defend against them well.
   4. Red Triangle: a classic TA map home to fast-paced battles. If you lose the battle for the mainland, don't give up! Retreating to one of the islands is a very effective strategy, and can end up greatly surprising him when he sees your legion of TIE Crawlers rising from the ocean depths!
   5. There are dozens of great maps out there. These are just some of our favorites. Don't be shy to try out new maps on your own!
      
   6. Be sure to visit Section VII, Frequently Asked Questions for information on how to use Third-Party maps with SWTA.