R2-D2 and C-3PO

They are great for stealing enemy technology in the galactic map and giving you new units to work with. They are also great for spying on enemy systems, to see the number of units you will be fighting (it does not tell you what units though). Apart from that, these two are not very useful in a combat situation. In a ground battle, they can repair your damaged vehicles which can be useful and they can also hack into and convert enemy turrets to your side. Unfortunately, they have to get close to the turret to do it and so that leaves them open to damage.

Han Solo and Chewbacca

Another nice team. The great thing about this unit, is you get two people for the price of one. By bringing one unit, you cause double the trouble and use both Han and Chewbacc separately.

On the ground, Han and Chewbacca can both bring down enemy infantry units, with their blaster and bowcaster respectively. They also each have an ability to counter enemy units as well. Han has the EMP Blast ability which will shut down nearby enemy units or turrets for a period of 45 seconds. He will have to be in the middle of a group of vehicles to take advantage of this to its full effectiveness. In itself it is not that useful which is why you will have to follow up with another bunch of units which will be adequate for destroying the disabled units before they activate again. Han also has the sprint ability, which will allow him to move quickly towards a location. This is a great ability to use as an escape if it looks like he might die.

Chewie has the Capture Vehicle ability, which can be used to take over enemy armoured units and convert them to your side just as he does in Return of the Jedi with a pair of ewoks. You will lose Chewie as a ground unit but the new unit you capture will be given full health (in the single player campaign anyway). And if you want to, you can always leave the captured unit and use Chewie as a ground unit again. This ability is best used against AT-ATs. Firstly because, it is the only unit which really needs to take a beating before getting destroyed so you save yourself the trouble of doing that yourself; it is a great way to frustrate and anger the enemy commander. Secondly, it has tremendous firepower which will be very helpful in eradicating the enemy.

In space, Han and Chewie both pilot the Millennium Falcon. Like any other heroes fighting in space, they are good for destroying enemy fighters and bombers quickly. The invulnerability ability on the Falcon temporarily renders the YT-1300 immune to damage.

Kyle Katarn

The developers of the game obviously gave a tip of their hats to the creators of the Jedi Knight series when giving this Expanded Universe character a place in their game. Katarn will not be using a lightsaber here like he does in the JK series because EaW is set before the man discovers his jedi abilities.

Like most heroes, he can take down infantry units quickly with his blaster. He also possesses two special abilities. The Thermal Detonator ability to toss at enemy vehicles (just make sure the vehicle does not move if you want to have a chance at hitting it) and structures. Like Han Solo, he also has the sprint ability.

Captain Antilles

The guy who later gets his neck snapped by Darth Vader in ANH on the Tantive IV. He did not seem like he was made of much then, however, he seems to be a different man altogether when you play the rebel campaign. He commands the Sundered Heart, a heavily modified corvette. Like the corvette, the Sundered Heart is great for destroying enemy fighters and bombers quickly and has the Engine Boosting ability. In addition, it has the immensely useful Weaken Enemy ability which drains energy from enemy capital ships in a specific radius you have chosen.

Red Squadron

Although this appears to be no more than a squad of X-Wings, it is a great deal more. Red squad is much more effective at taking down enemy fighters. In addition, like in Vader’s squad, Luke Skywalker will always be the last man remaining (no wingmen regeneration though) and has the Lucky Shot ability to do considerable damage to enemy capital ships - perfect to use on shield generators and hangars of Imperial Star Destroyers.

Commander Ackbar

The opposite of the Empire’s Captain Piett, Ackbar commands a Calamari Cruiser, Return of the Jedi’s Home One. The cruiser’s two special abilities are the standard Boost Shield Power ability you find on other Calamari Cruisers and the Concentrate Fire ability. The Concentrate Fire ability allows his ship and any nearby friendly ships to concentrate all fire on the targeted ship of your choice. One pretty stupid thing though is the fact that unlike any other calamari cruisers, Home One has a visible shield generator which makes it vulnerable to bombing runs. Bizarre, considering Ackbar as a hero is meant to be tougher to kill than regular calamari cruisers.

Obi Wan Kenobi

Contrary to what the movies seem to point out, Obi Wan Kenobi has an active part in the Rebellion in EaW. The old hermit is not quite as invulnerable as Darth Vader in the game, being an older man, and takes more damage from blaster fire and enemy vehicles. However he has his Force Heal ability to compensate. This ability will heal Obi and any close infantry units from a considerable amount of damage when used. Note that he also heals nearby infantry automatically every few seconds. This is all great if you are using an army of infantry units in your battle. You can let the enemy units try and kill Obi Wan, while your other forces (Plex soldiers for example) pick them off. If anyone takes damage, you can take advantage of the healing ability. Obi Wan, being the good light jedi that he is, also has the Force Protect ability to protect a chosen unit from getting too much hampering for a precise amount of time. When engaging in a lightsaber duel, Obi Wan will have to have a considerable health advantage over Vader or Palpatine if you want him to beat them.

Mon Mothma

The middle aged lady that has been causing Palpatine problems from the start. She has no combat abilities whatsoever, but like Palpatine will reduce the cost of unit building on the planet she’s on by 25% on the galactic map. When in a battle, she gives rebel units a morale boost which adds to their defence. This is actually best used in a space battle, where like a fleet commander, she will take residence on the biggest ship and will be less in danger. On the ground, she is extremely vulnerable and just sits in a non moving landing craft or structure.