Fuzzy's Flight School

## Author

Fuzzyisacoolkid.

Welcome to **Fuzzy's Flight School**, a SWS guide created by the Starfighter Pilot **Fuzzyisacoolkid.**

I've decided to write this guide to break down how I fly so others can take what I do and adopt parts of it into their own personal flight styles. This guide will attempt to break down all the lessons I've learned through flying, identifying my weaknesses, using referenced material, and talking to other pilots about how they are achieving results I have been struggling with. This doc has been in the making with notes and tips & tricks I've discussed over the last 2.5 years.

At this time, I still consider myself nowhere near the skill ceiling, for SWS.

If you have any questions about this guide, suggestions for improvements, or requesting some 1-on-1 coaching feel free to find and message me on the official **Star Wars Squadrons Discord** or the **Squaddies Cantina Discord.**

## Acknowledgements

Squaddies Cantina - This is my home discord server for Squadrons. I love you guys. Feel free to swing by and have fun with us!

Murder Hornets (MH) - Friends that pushed me to become a better pilot and convinced me to become one of them.

Fencar - Being an amazing Starfighter pilot and sharing your knowledge early on.

Rhifox - For being the first thing I found when I was digging into why I couldn't drift like anybody else as the skill ceiling started to suddenly rise.

Timebomb - First for making all sorts of useful how-to videos. Also for finding me and recognizing I had some skill but needed some coaching and pointing me towards resources to improve my skill.

Alcomisst - For creating some awesome data resources that he openly shared on Discords & Reddit. This information has been shared and used by me and has helped a many starfighter pilot improve.

iLorhin - For taking time to talk to me about the struggles I was having with support and talking me through some things and sharing with me some very useful videos.

## Important Guides & Videos

**Fuzzy's Flight School** assumes that you have a basic understanding of the game mechanics and dives deep into the knowledge that can be built up through the following references. If you haven't read through or watched these videos, I highly suggest that you do before continuing on with the rest of this flight school.

### Rhifox's Driftipedia

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wIYcXxzsnSRZ6-mMbdN\_GWRcxhhSefKj/view

This is one of the first docs to dive deep into boost drifting and is where I started learning how to manipulate starfighters to my will. While there is contention on where Rhifox got the source of her information, or if she's even the first to document it, her coverage and documentation was thorough and widely available throughout the the SWS community.

### Driftipedia Explained by Timebomb

DRIFTIPEDIA - DRIFTING AND POWER BREAKDOWNSWS Starfighter Pilot Timebomb has created a comprehensive YouTube video that dives into Rhifox's Driftipedia.

### Zero Throttle Boost by Timebomb

Why Zero Throttle? Squadrons 2022Timebomb at it again and explaining Zero Throttle Boost.

### Boost Gasping by Fencar

Boost Forever on ANY Ship! - Step-By-Step Boost Gasping Guide!Any early video about boost gasping by the ever famous SWS Starfighter Pilot Fencar.

### Boost Skipping by Timebomb

What is Boost Skipping? Squadrons 2022Timebomb at it again with a short video on describing how-to perform boost skipping and how it differs from Boost Gasping.

### Shunt Charging by Fencar

Shunt charging is a power management ability only available to Empire Starfighters without shields. This mechanic allows the Starfighter to take all energy that has been generated in one power system bank and moves it to another power system bank (EG: Weapons → Engines). This mechanic does not depend on which power system you are generating power in!

UNLIMITED POWER- SHUNT CHARGING TECH - Star Wars- Squadrons Guide-2Fencar goes into the Empire's strongest differentiator, boost gasping!

### Multi-Drifting by Fencar

THIS IS NOT A HACK - Multi-Drifting TechYet another video from Fencar where he describes how to Multi-Drift and some of its usages.

### Advanced Power Management Mastery (APM)

The following videos are both from the perspective of support. But lemme tell you, these descriptions are so perfect for mastering APM that it translates to every ship build that allows for boost chain timing. Support may be the hardest Starfighters to master APM timings where all other Starfighters have more relaxed timings and are far more forgiving. If you can master APM with a support, you'll be able to adapt everything easily to every other Starfighter. Except for A-Wing which struggles to perform after all the nerfs.

Support Hobbes stylezHobbes (AU) goes into detail about how he flies support and manipulates APM. The descriptions he gives in this video really helped things click for me on how to manipulate timings and use all visual and audio queues that SWS provides to master APM.

Basic Support TipsLorhin does a great job here explaining how they fly support and mastering APM to do so. However, don't let the context of this being support take away from the lesson of how to master APM.

### Dead Drift Times for Engines

SWS Starfighter Pilot Alcomisst has generated many very useful data tables, graphs, and more for various things in SWS. One of the most useful things he's generated, to me, has been his Dead Drift tables.

With his permission I am sharing the updated images here, but I strongly suggest to visit his SWS sub-Reddit post, Graphs - Drift Values For All Starfighters and All Engines, and take the time to read the thread over and gain context of the graphs directly from him (Note from Alcomist: The sub-reddit images have a slight mistake in the TIE/D line on the endpoints chart and is slightly incorrect.).

## Basic Flight Concepts

### It's All Patterns!

Squadrons is a game of patterns. Everything comes down to a sequence of practiced button presses.

If you've ever played an instrument, think of it as learning some basic scales for common behaviors (sounds) in situations and practice them over and over again. Each ship & loadout has their rhythm/heartbeat/tempo.

If you're unfamiliar with instruments but have played a fighting game, it's the same as practicing move + combo chains.

### Zero Throttle Boost/Under Throttle Boost (ZTB/UTB)

ZTB is probably one of the biggest things to learn for comp play. It enables you to move fast and chain everything together. Mastering this while maintaining control is where you'll start to become those pinballers you can't hit. The best part... you'll start to be able to hit other pinballers with more ease!

### Always Be Boostin (ABB)

A concept born flying my B-Wing high with SWS Starfighter Pilot [SQ] Sirrah Foxxsu. This is a combination of boost gasping, dead drifts, ZTB, and more. My personal flight style has me nearly always in motion and almost never coming out of a drift or manual throttle controls to line up shots. Being outside of a boost drift makes you vulnerable to sustained fire.

## WARNING

This is prone to shunt lag.

Chaining Shunt Charge Boost Drifts so fast that you're getting a Boost Gasp. This is my primary form of getting around in a Tie Bomber and Tie Fighter. It's also why I prefer standard lasers on the Tie Bomber since the power generation with standards lasers is faster than a jet engine generates engine power.

## Note

I've found that this works best with starfighters with weapon generation preferring loadouts and power generation being set to weapons.

For me, this means I follow the following pattern excessively quickly:

```
Convert Power Engines → Boost → Drift (hold) → Convert Power Weapons.

```

This breaks the normal pattern of:

```
Convert Power Engines → Boost → Drift → Boost → Drift → {...} → Convert Power Weapons.

```

But just because I favor the first pattern doesn't mean that I won't use the second pattern to mix things up in the middle of a pursuit or a turn-fight to change up my predictableness and hopefully creating an opening for me to attack on.

### Shakin' Dat Ass

Combing ZTB and ABB (+ SCBG on empire), I like to make sure that I'm zig zagging across the field. Even if I'm only moving myself a half meter one direction before correcting to head back the other direction to form a straight line. If you've got a control setup that allows for multi-drifting, you can add this in without having to worry about your boost reserves as much!

### Rolling is important

I'm almost always rolling. Combining rolls with your pitch & yaw can allow you to perform impressive maneuvers. Rolling one direction while pitching and yawing in the opposite is going to allow you to pivot turn so quickly that you'd g-stall in any other game. If you've got pitch & yaw on your x/y axis like I do, you can even draw shapes (a C, or J for example) while rolling and cut around objects while boost gasping for some incredibly tight maneuvering you only thought A-Wings and Tie Interceptors could do.

### Shield Skipping and Boost Skipping are Important but not needed

Advanced power management unlocks Shield Skipping & Boost Skipping. I strongly recommend learning the timings for these. However, it is not needed. MH-Veggiebooty uses BPM (Controller on PS4) and has recently unlocked some beautiful evasion mastery through ZTB and a few evasion classes with me.

### Why I don't don't use a throttle

I don't use a throttle and have opted for a Keyboard & Stick setup (HOKAS). The reason why is in short due to ZTB & ABB. I spend so much time in a dead drift and zooming towards people at off angles like **Richard Bong** that if there's any time that I need to be above 0-Throttle, I will go to 100 throttle.

### Why I only use shield balance and not forward, back, and balance

Mental load that's unneeded. Spam shield balance while taking fire and all your shields will be used no matter where it comes from.

### Why my stick only has 4-5 buttons mapped

Once again this comes down to mental loads. The stick will be moving a lot rapidly. The mental load to remember everything the stick needs to do is excessive while flying in fast paced battle while also rapidly moving your fingers around makes you prone to confusion and button flubbing. Taking it down to aiming, maneuvering, and firing basics is key to success.

### Respirator Check!

Using your flight suit's respirator to take a hit from the reserves of Sulfur Inhaler. Many starfighter pilots have been known to mix spice into their respirator's sulfur inhaler charges.

## Advanced Flight Concepts

### Advanced Power Management (APM)

#### Why APM?

It unlocks both shield skipping and boost skipping. Additionally, due to being able to remove the last two pips of

## Important

See control settings. Maximize power is required for APM to work to its full potential.

power from engines enables longer dead drifts with even higher maneuverability!

#### How to boost & shield skip?

It's all patterns!

While I went over the patterns for SCBG above, APM is where things get complicated.

## Note

HOTAS, HOKAS, HOSOS, or Mouse + Keyboard recommended.
APM is not recommended on a controller unless you have a programmable controller. Although possible, and some players on controller excel with APM (EG: Nomasnomad), conversations with them has been of lamenting the binding frustrations for maximize being limited to combo-hold and not a button tap.

To navigate from one power system to another while leaving that first system without power, you must first switch power to the remaining power system before switching to the target power system, as quickly as possible.

For example if you want to go from engines to shields then back to engines you would do the following.

```
maximize weapons, maximize weapons, maximize shields, maximize weapons, maximize engines

```

Congratulations you just boost skipped as long as you remain in engines long enough for the engine's to fully engage which will be announced by a unique beep from the power system. Soon as you hear that beep, get ready to repeat the pattern to have completed a shield skip!

Feel free to switch up the patterns to favor weapons generation when you need a little extra juice to weapons. Be mindful to keep your shields topped off though to unlock those shields that just won't drain abilities for yourself.

### Engine Braking

Engine brake is a maneuver performed while in a dead drift for speed control. To perform an engine brake, while dead drifting, move power systems generation to engines momentarily to reduce speed before switching power back out of engines to continue the dead drift.

### Air Braking/Drift Braking

Air braking is a maneuver to perform while dead drifting by utilizing the timing delay to reinitiate a drift during a multi-drift for speed control. The delay timing for a multi-drift is ~1.5 seconds. This allows you to release the drift momentarily to reduce your speed, correct your vector, and then reinitiate the drift.

### Quarter Pivot Turn

A quarter pivot turn is utilizing an engine brake or air brake while in a drift in the middle of a pivot roll. The sudden deceleration of the brake while maintaining the maneuverability of the dead drift momentarily allows you to snap your turn at accelerated speeds. This allows you to quickly turn a fight around to become the predator instead of the prey.

## Fuzzy's Controls & Settings

### Import Configuration Settings

```
   Throttle Input Mode: Steps
   Throttle Steps = 100
   Throttle Down to Stop Boosting = Off
   Drift Input Mode: Hold
   Power Management: Advanced
   Disabled State: Hold (Spam can be faster... but more often isn't thanks to server delays.)

```

### Flight Controls - Keyboard & Stick (HOKAS)

#### Keyboard Controls

```
   1 - Maximize Engines
   2 - Maximize Weapons
   3 - Maximize Shields
   4 - Convert Power Engines
   5 - Convert Power Weapons

```

##### Power Management

```
   W - Throttle Forward
   S - Throttle Backward

```

##### Throttle

```
   W - Throttle Forward
   S - Throttle Backward

```

##### Combat

```
   Q - Left Aux
   R - Chaff

```

##### Combat Targeting

```
   T - Select Target in Front of you
   F - Cycle Target
   G - Target "Attacker"
   B - Acknowledge Ping

```

##### Targeting Systems

```
   Z - Target Enemy Squadron
   X - Target Objectives
   C - Target Missiles (Currently testing if this will allow me to target turret mines that aren't coming up with target attacker)

```

##### Important Comms

```
   V - Regroup
   H - Request Help
   Y - Text Chat

```

##### For Fun Comms

```
   J - Brag
   O - Boo
   U - Thank
   I - Cheer

```

##### Combat Controls

```
   Main trigger - Primary Fire
   Secondary Trigger - Right Aux
   Left hat right direction - Balance Shields
   Big Button - Ping
   Missle Fire Button (Under the safe shield) - Left Aux (I rarely use this and prefer the keyboard binding)

```

##### Axis Controls

```
   Pitch - Y Axis
   Yaw - X Axis
   Roll - Z Axis (Twist)

```

#### Flight Response Curves

On PC, many flight stick drivers have built-in response curve managers. For those that don't there are applications like Joystick Gremlin & Joystick Curves (currently unavailable/broken installer due to parent domain being down).

Below are the curves that I use. I use the same curve for pitch and yaw and a separate curve for roll.

I can hear some of you now, "But Fuzzy, why do you max out early?!?!" Well, SWS is a fast paced action arcade sim. I can't tell you how many people I've heard that have broken their flight sticks, or can hear people's flight sticks bottoming out over comms and grimacing at the abuse that those poor sticks are taking. Setting a response curve that gives you maximum response before the stick bottoms out gives you a buffer zone to prevent yourself from ever needing to have your stick hit that maximum and add extra life span to your flight stick. Not to mention, the tighter range allow you have better control over your micro movements.

## Fuzzy's Favorite Starfighter Loadouts

### New Republic

#### A-Wing

I'm an A-Wing n00b and have no advice on how to fly this star fighter.

### Empire

#### Tie Interceptor

I'm descent at T/I, however I have not formed any real preferences outside of using Micro-Thrust & Standard Lasers.

#### Tie Defender

I'm descent at T/D, however I have not formed any real preferences outside of Micro-Thrust. I tinker with this Starfighter and change all other components depending on the team I'm going against.