Fans of acclaimed cult classicStarship Trooperscan take the fight to the Bugs inStarship Troopers: Extermination, a co-op FPS that will have teams of players become members of the Deep Space Vanguard and form humanity’s last line of defense against the alien menace. Like classicStarship Troopers,players can use various weapons to rain hell on enemies.Exterminationadds base-building mechanics, character classes, and special abilities to turn the tide.

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For players who want to become Bug-killing experts,Starship Troopers: Exterminationshows they need more than just the right weapon to do the job. Players need to understand thebest abilities inStarship Troopers: Exterminationto maximize their gameplay experience. However, just which Class abilities should players rely on in the game?

6Heavy Armor (Bastion)

Befitting the role of a battlefield vanguard, the Bastion’sHeavy Armormakes them the best frontline defenders inanyStarship Troopers; Exterminationmatch. This ability gives Bastion much heavier padding and Armor Plates, greatly enhancing their defense compared to other players.

Considering how deadly Bugs can become up close and in more numbers, the Bastion being able to soak damage as part of the frontlines can make them the perfect first line of defense as the rest of the team builds HQ. Of course, the lack of visual “flair” that demonstrates Heavy Armor can make its defensive advantages less apparent to players.

A Bastion with Heavy Armor

5Jump Jet (Hunter)

With the Hunter acting as a forward DPS Class inStarship Troopers: Exterminationgameplay, it’s no surprise that teams expect them to be the most prepared in any combat situation. Thanks to theirJump Jet, Hunters can trigger a nifty jump boost that can take them to almost anywhere on the map much faster than other movement methods.

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While the Jump Jet becomes an attractive prospect for Hunters to escort ore and gas to HQ much faster, this ability is far more helpful in combat scenarios. Like an actual DPS unit, the Hunter can use their Jump Jet to engage and disengage Bugs much faster and use speed to compensate for their instead averaging armor. However, the time between jumps can make the Jump Jet less attractive than High Intensity Speed Training.

4Siege Mode (Bastion)

Defense is key to the Bastion’s gameplay style inStarship Troopers: Extermination, andSiege Modeis the best representation of their battle strategy. In the face of overwhelmingStarship TrooperBugs, the Bastion can use Siege Mode to deploy a small covering wall that boosts their defenses and improves weapon stability. This allows them to aim theirExterminationweapons more comfortably behind a reliable shield that boosts their potent sustainability.

Players can use the Siege Mode for escort missions and extraction, where units must focus on retreat amid the threat of a Bug infestation. While using Siege Mode in these situations does put players at risk, Bastions are also the only Class with more than enough defensive boosts to outlast Bugs in these circumstances.

Using a Jump Jet

3Canister Slot (Operator)

To maximize the base-building mechanics ofStarship Troopers: Extermination, players must gather resources before creating structures that protect them from the Bug menace. While most Classes can carry resources back to base, theCanister Slotof the Operator makes them more viable for these gathering missions.

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Thanks to the Canister Slot, Operators get a special backpack that lets them carry another Resource Canister, doubling their resource output in the match. When appropriately used, Canister Slot can build bases much faster and give the rest of the team more time to accomplish other mission objectives with theirExterminationloadouts.

2High Intensity Speed Training (Hunter)

Given their Assault Infantry classification, the Hunter’sHigh Intensity Speed Trainingis crucial to their aggressive-leaning arsenal. Essentially a Passive that boosts the player’s sprinting speed, High Intensity Speed Training makes the Hunter the fastest among the Classes when running.

This ability is crucial for the Hunter’s combat-heavy tactics, especially when they need to reposition against foes, retreat to camp, or escort ore back to the base. While other movement options are available inStarship Troopers: Exterminationgameplay, the frequency of sprinting usage makes this ability more valuable than the Hunter’s Jump Jet.

A Bastion using their Siege Mode

1Medical UAV (Operator)

Compared to other Classes inStarship Troopers: Extraction, the Operator is the most support-inclined due to its toolkit. This role is also emphasized by theMedical UAV, a unique Operator ability that deploys a drone capable of reviving downed players in its immediate proximity.

Granted, there areUtilities across allExterminationClassescapable of providing healing such as the Heal Beacon and the First Aid Stim that can significantly boost everyone’s survivability. However, the Operator with its Medical UAV becomes the best healer-type unit in a player’s squad, especially if they set their Utilities to include support-heavy items instead of the usual damaging armaments.

An Operator using their Canister Slot

Starship Troopers: Exterminationwas released in May 2023 for the PC. The game is currently in early access.

A unit aiming a weapon

The Medical UAV reviving a teammate