SWTOR Badge Scoring Guide

SWTOR Badge Scoring Guide by Felnadir

When players play a warzone, they get badges for completing various objectives. One can very readily filter the experienced players from the newer ones by looking at the number of badges received. Players scoring 5 or less will receive a silver star and essentially distinguish themselves as having played a poor game. Much better players will score eight or more in a game.

Since the badges earned in the course of a warzone directly calculate into more valor, xp, credits and most importantly warzone tokens, let’s examine how to maximize those badges and top the charts.

First, most players have a tendancy to look at their overall damage done and biggest hits. I don’t know why this represents the metric people care most about, but let’s put some things into perspective. A player can get 1 badge for scoring over 2.5k damage in a single hit. Additionally, he can get another badge for doing a total of 75k damage. For those with the gear to manage it, players do recieve an additional badge at 300k total and 5k in a single hit.

2.5k single hit
75k damage
300k damage
5k single hit

So far, players stuck on doing big damage have earned 2 (exceptionally geared players 4) badges. If in the course of doing that damage the player gets a killing blow on an enemy, he gets another badge. As he continues killing, he gets another badge at 10 and 25 kills respectively. For most players, this total of 5 represents the most badges they’ll get in a match. Some however will get the coveted and extremely difficult to get assassin badge by running off into the middle of nowhere and thereby doing nothing for the sake of his team other than killing an enemy while he’s out in the middle of nowhere. Congratulations on the gold star at six badges.

1 killing blow
10 kills
25 kills
1 solo kill

Seriously though, thanks to this guide, the reader will know the way to get more than 6 badges without sticking it to his team by constantly running off into the middle of nowhere to collect his assassin badge.

First off, many players have the ability to heal but then don’t use it. It only takes a 2.5k heal to get another badge. So even those that don’t spec for healing, should try doing their large heal a few times until it crits and thereby pops a badge. For those that do spec healing, one only needs to hit 75k healing total to get the next badge. Although the game needs healers, don’t let the dps have alll the fun: try to cap a killing blow here and there. Drop some instant casts dots and spread some love around. There’s not all that much reason why a healer can’t get credit for players dying too. I pity the healer that works his butt off to keep everyone alive but then only scores 2 badges. Exceptionally well geared players can get another badge at 300k healed and 5k in a single heal.

2.5k single heal
75k healed
300k healed
5k single heal

Secondly, players that roll tank capable toons, REALLY ought to tank some. At the very least, in the course of one life, throw guard on some melee guy who’s going to get burnt down. While he dies, pop one’s damage push off cooldowns, maybe use a taunt and watch as one’s character gets a badge for 2k defense in one life, 5k defense total and then a little bit later, 10k defense in 1 life. That’s three additional badges just for helping some a teammate not die as fast as he otherwise would. For those that make a habit of guading players in need, like healers, huttball runners and that awesome dps on one’s team, expect to get another badge at 50k total defense. Coupling these tank specific badges with the killing badges above will get one easily into the 8+ badge territory.

2k defense in 1 life
10k defense in 1 life
5k total defense
50k total defense

Finally catching badges isn’t only about killing some random guys, healing some random guys or even shielding some random guys. There’s actually badges for doing something that helps the team as a whole. I’m not talking about scoring with the huttball, or capping nodes, for some reason these actions don’t count anymore (in previous beta builds they did). But for those who guard a captured node or presumably kill and heal/shield huttball runners, expect to get something called “Defender Points” (not to be confused with the previously mentioned tanking stuff). Defender points when accumulated to 1k give a badge. Triple that amount and get another badge. Since, defender badges happen to those players that actually guard stuff think about that the next time one desires to leave a node unprotected. Those guys who spend an entire warzone zerging around chasing that oh so coveted assassin badge could get two badges just for guarding a node or a door. Go figure.

1k defender
3k defender points

In conclusion, don’t be the guy that only scores 5 or 6 badges by games end. Don’t zerg around aimlessly chasing that assassin badge. Defend a node, throw some heals or guard someone. Sure, some people get really excited to hit 400k damage in a warzone (I’ve seen videos, players can hit that). Honestly, I can see trying to do that on occasion just to do it. But ultimately, players that want the badges that in turn will give them the tokens to buy pvp gear, really ought to focus on first winning the match, and secondly maxing their badges using the method above. After all, 8+ badges don’t pay as well in a loss, and incidentally winning a warzone while only getting 5 or 6 badges doesn’t pay very well either.