A researched Droid counter for a qualifying Palpatine/Mara Jade/Old Ben/Starkiller/Visas Grand Arena defense. The January 2026 archive reports 45 wins and 9 losses for General Grievous, B1, B2, BB-8 and MagnaGuard against that exact five. That's a historical sample, not a Season 84 win prediction or advice for every Starkiller variant.
General Grievous's genuine in-game portrait. It does not depict a recorded Starkiller fight.
Offense: Grievous / B1 / B2 / BB-8 / MagnaGuardDefense: Palpatine / Mara / Old Ben / Starkiller / VisasHistorical 5v5 result · updated research October 2026
01 / WHICH STARKILLER SQUAD?
Match the exact recorded defense
By Imperial Dark Sector
45 WINS · 9 LOSSES / JANUARY 2026
Palpatine, Mara, Old Ben, Starkiller, Visas
These five satisfy Starkiller's standard 5v5 Sith, Jedi, Light Side UFU and Dark Side UFU requirements. One historical matchup table reports this exact Grievous five succeeding 45 times and failing 9 times. Do not project its sampled percentage onto a different battle.
Emperor Palpatine · Sith leader
Mara Jade · Dark Side Unaligned Force User
Starkiller · Core Force Energy threat
Visas Marr · Light Side Unaligned Force User and healer
Replacing Old Ben with General Kenobi changes tank durability, timing and available abilities. Juhani and Visas substitutions may also change required tags. A new Datacron, relic gap or newer Starkiller team cannot inherit the original win count.
01General GrievousLeader · Target Lock and bonus turns
02B1 Battle DroidBattalion stacks and healing
03B2 Super Battle DroidBuff dispel, Buff Immunity and Turn Meter
04BB-8Starting Droid Turn Meter and Secret Intel
05IG-100 MagnaGuardTank and Taunt protection
BB-8 is the Light Side Droid in this historically recorded five, not Droideka or Nute Gunray. Its starting Turn Meter benefit is a key reason this exact variant differs from a standard all-Separatist group. General Grievous's Unique also damages Light Side Droid allies more at the start of his turns, so BB-8 is not risk-free.
Primary defensive threat: Starkiller
GRIEVOUS · B1 · B2 · BB-8 · MAGNAGUARDVS.PALPATINE · MARA · OLD BEN · STARKILLER · VISAS
Secure a useful Droid opening, handle the Jedi Tank and plan around Starkiller's Ultimate before it happens.
03 / ABILITIES THAT CHANGE THE RESULT
Why this is more than a damage race
STARKILLER / TEAM COMPOSITION
The Grand Arena Omicron really qualifies
The specific Palpatine/Mara/Old Ben/Visas/Starkiller defense supplies exactly one Sith, one Jedi, one Light Side Unaligned Force User and one other Dark Side Unaligned Force User. With the proper Starkiller Unique Omicron, allies gain major Speed and survivability; Jedi tanks open with Taunt and can gain Damage Immunity when Starkiller uses a Special.
GRIEVOUS / METALLOID MONSTROSITY
A Droid defeat creates a dangerous bonus turn
With his upgraded Unique, Grievous gains Max Health over successive turns and takes a bonus turn, cleanses himself and resets cooldowns when an allied Droid or Separatist is defeated. This can shift control after B1 stacks expire or another Droid is lost, but also consumes your own roster.
BB-8 / SELF-PRESERVATION PROTOCOL
A 5-Droid starting boost, not a passive decoration
At the start of the encounter, BB-8 grants Droid allies 8% Turn Meter for each active Droid. With five Droids in this specified offensive squad, that creates 40% starting Turn Meter for the Droid allies at the full tier. BB-8 can also share Secret Intel and use Illuminated Destiny as its conditions are met.
B2, B1 AND MAGNAGUARD
Dispel, heal and absorb attacks
B2's Mow Down dispels positive effects and may add Buff Immunity; B1 uses Battalion stacks and heals Separatist allies; MagnaGuard Taunts and can remove buffs. These skills may help break Old Ben's Taunt, but an Omicron Damage Immunity window cannot simply be damaged through.
Understand the format first.
The attack is based on five-unit Grand Arena evidence. Starkiller's 3v3 Unique has different team-composition rules. A 3v3 roster cannot be treated as the same matchup just by selecting a different season on the records picker.
ILLUSTRATED / FOUR-DECISION GUIDE
Work through the opening visually
These are authentic game unit images and conditional battle explanations, not a recording, reenactment or simulation of the documented 45 victories.
Decision 1 / 4Exact historic 5v5 lineup
01 / SCOUT
TACTICAL DECISION 1 / FOUR
Confirm the exact Starkiller support four
The January 2026 sample matches Palpatine, Mara, Old Ben, Starkiller and Visas against the specified Grievous Droids with BB-8.
If the battlefield changes: Old Ben replaced by General Kenobi, Juhani or another Jedi can change the battle materially.
02 / INITIATIVE
TACTICAL DECISION 2 / FOUR
Compare BB-8's start to the opposing Speed
BB-8's Self-Preservation Protocol grants 8% Turn Meter per active Droid to Droid allies. In this five-Droid attacking group it is 40% at full tier.
If the battlefield changes: Starkiller's qualified Grand Arena team also gains Speed bonuses. Your 40% Turn Meter does not guarantee the first action.
03 / BREAK TAUNT
TACTICAL DECISION 3 / FOUR
Time B2's dispel around protected targets
B2's Mow Down dispels buffs and may inflict Buff Immunity. Old Ben can begin Taunting and can receive Damage Immunity and Taunt again through Starkiller's Omicron.
If the battlefield changes: Damage Immunity is not a normal Protection bar. Wait for a legal target and check status before spending Grievous burst.
04 / FINISH
TACTICAL DECISION 4 / FOUR
Expect a retaliation and a Grievous bonus turn
Grievous can gain a bonus turn, reset his cooldowns and cleanse after a friendly Droid dies. Coordinate Target Lock and B1 support to reach dangerous opponents.
If the battlefield changes: Starkiller's Unleashed and Size Means Nothing can damage and Stun everyone and heal his team; do not over-rely on a historic win percentage.
04 / SIX CONDITIONAL TACTICAL STEPS
How to prepare the real fight
Compare the actual opening, cooldowns and ability tiers. This is an instructional checklist of decisions—not an alleged turn-by-turn transcript.
01
Verify the exact defender five and the Omicron
The historical 45–9 table concerns Palpatine, Mara Jade, Old Ben, Starkiller and Visas Marr, not a universal Starkiller counter. Read the enemy's Omicrons, Datacron, relics and modded Speed.
02
Protect the starting-Droid advantage
BB-8 grants 8% starting Turn Meter per active Droid to all Droid allies. Do not confuse that boost with full Turn Meter or assume the extra Speed on Starkiller's side is irrelevant.
03
Plan your response to the opening Taunt
Old Ben is the Jedi tank in the special Starkiller lineup. The fully upgraded GAC Omicron can grant starting Taunt and later Damage Immunity. B2's Mow Down removes buffs; check its cooldown, reliability and target legality.
04
Create sustained damage, not just scattered debuffs
General Grievous's Daunting Presence weakens enemy Defense and Critical Avoidance, and Target Lock on enemies feeds Droid/Separatist Turn Meter. B1's Battalion assists and healing keep the offensive engine operating.
05
Understand what happens when B1 or another Droid falls
B1 is destroyed when its Battalion stacks expire. Grievous's upgraded Unique grants him a bonus turn, self-cleanse and cooldown resets when a Droid ally dies; that boost does not make the lost teammate return.
06
Watch Starkiller's Force Energy, Visas and the finish
Starkiller may reach Unleashed and unlock Size Means Nothing, a once-per-battle AoE Stun and massive team recovery. Visas can revive a fallen ally under her own conditions. Reassess targets rather than assuming the historical match ended in the same order.
INTERACTIVE / FIRST FAILURE
What broke the Droid attack?
Select the first important problem you saw to understand which ability or assumption changed. The page does not read your game account.
My Grievous Droids did not move before Mara
The BB-8 Turn Meter boost is significant but not a guaranteed first turn. The qualifying Starkiller Grand Arena team gets bonus Speed and can gain control from Mara/Palpatine. Check mods and any Datacron.
Old Ben takes no damage after Starkiller acts
The Grand Arena Omicron grants the Jedi tank Damage Immunity and Taunt when Starkiller uses a Special. You may need a dispel or another legal target, not more raw damage into Immunity.
B2 never removes the critical buffs
B2's Mow Down is a Special with a cooldown. A control effect may stop B2 from acting. Buff Immunity chance and target immunities matter; inspect the actual upgraded ability tier.
B1 disappears and my remaining Droids collapse
B1 loses Battalion stacks on taking damage and is destroyed when they expire. Grievous gets a bonus turn after a Droid or Separatist ally is defeated but the whole team has still lost sustain and assists.
Starkiller drops a Star Destroyer and my team loses
Size Means Nothing is a once-per-battle attack unlocked through Force Energy, with heavy AoE damage, Stun and full ally Health/Protection recovery. A modern Datacron or faster Starkiller can turn the historical sample into an unsafe plan.
05 / VERIFY THE COUNTER EVIDENCE
Do not mistake a historical sample for current odds
In the January 15, 2026 Emperor Palpatine defender table ↗, Grievous/B1/B2/BB-8/MagnaGuard was recorded 45–9 against Palpatine/Mara Jade/Old Ben/Starkiller/Visas. That is an older dataset with its own roster and modifier distributions, not a guaranteed outcome.
Season 84 · 5v5
Compare real team composition, relics, active Datacrons and recorded sample counts.
IDS has not independently replayed the historic match or calculated a present-day win probability. Every portrait is original SWGOH game unit artwork and is illustrative, not a photograph of this fight. Omicrons, Datacrons and abilities can change after editorial review.
Find another Grand Arena offense
Compare the full attack library or see how to build this unusual BB-8/Grievous team.
Emperor Palpatine · Sith leader
Mara Jade · Dark Side Unaligned Force User
Starkiller · Core Force Energy threat
Visas Marr · Light Side Unaligned Force User and healer
B1 Battle DroidBattalion stacks and healing
B2 Super Battle DroidBuff dispel, Buff Immunity and Turn Meter
BB-8Starting Droid Turn Meter and Secret Intel
IG-100 MagnaGuardTank and Taunt protection