SWTOR: So you want to play an Imperial Agent
Espionage! Subterfuge! Classy accents! Such is the life of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Imperial Agent. If a career full of clandestine operations and lots of assassination sounds like a good time to you, then the Agent is your class. Agents can fill one of two roles: ranged DPS and healing/melee DPS hybrid. Whether you prefer to keep your friends alive, shank an unsuspecting opponent, or put a blaster round in someone's head from a mile away, the Agent's got something for you.
Did I mention the sexy accent? Mmm.
Flavor
Ahem, at any rate. Imperial Agents can choose from one of five races: Human, Zabrak, Cyborg, Rattataki, and Chiss. Once your character is created, you find yourself on the (absurdly scummy) planet of Hutta, where you are tasked with carrying out a cloak-and-dagger mission for the Empire while maintaining your cover identity: the mysterious mercenary known as the Red Blade.
Of course, the mission doesn't go off without a few hiccups, and it's up to you to decide whether you blindly follow the Empire's orders or make your own arrangements.
Function
The Agent is a primarily ranged class focused around using blasters, explosives, and dirty tricks to take down enemies. From levels 1 to 10, you'll find yourself with a variety of neat ways to dispatch your enemies. Early abilities include blaster rifle shots, hand grenades, flashbangs, and the class's define feature, cover.
The cover mechanic in SWTOR is simple but effective. Pressing the F key or the middle mouse button will cause your character to take cover. If there's nothing around behind which you can actually take cover, your character will simply drop to one knee and improvise. This is important because there are some abilities that can only be used while you're in cover (such as the extremely powerful Snipe and Explosive Probe abilities), and staying in cover also gives you a defense bonus against ranged attackers.
At level 10, you get to choose your advanced class. The choices for the Imperial Agent are Operative and Sniper. The Sniper does what it says on the tin: It uses a sniper rifle to shoot from long distances, often with devastating effect. The Operative is an entirely different beast. Stealth is his middle name, and many attacks revolve around dirty tricks like backstabs and cheap shots. But the real treat that the Operative brings to the table is the ability to heal. Operatives can use Kolto Infusion to bring teammates back to health or remove poisons and other toxins from them to ensure they're in top fighting condition.
Final thoughts
The Imperial Agent is perfect for any player who doesn't care about fancy lightsabers or Force powers, someone who just wants to get down and dirty. Empire loyalists will find plenty to love in the Agent's storyline, although even if you have a distaste for the faction, it's hard not to love the suave, James-Bond-like class. Whether you want to play a support role or just wanna perforate some skulls, the Agent can make it happen.
More resources
Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally here, and the Force is with Massively! We've prepared a Hutt-sized feast of class introductions, gameplay guides, lore roundups, and hands-on previews to help you navigate the launch period and beyond. And don't forget our weekly SWTOR column, the Hyperspace Beacon!
