IDS GRAND ARENA / DEFENSIVE SCOUTING FILE
A complete 5v5 Emperor Palpatine defense can hide Starkiller's qualifying Omicron, Mara Jade control, a Jedi Tank's Damage Immunity and a late Force Energy finisher. Scout the exact five rather than treating all Palpatine-led teams as identical.
01 / VERIFY THE FULL DEFENSE
The documented defensive five in the IDS Grievous/BB-8 attack file is Emperor Palpatine (Sith leader), Mara Jade (Dark Side Unaligned Force User), Old Ben (Jedi Tank), Visas Marr (Light Side Unaligned Force User healer) and Starkiller. These four supporting roles meet Starkiller's exact 5v5 four-class requirement when there is no Galactic Legend ally.
Other Palpatine teams may run Darth Vader, Royal Guard, Grand Admiral Thrawn or different support characters instead. Those variants do not necessarily activate Starkiller's four-role Grand Arena bonuses. Juhani or General Kenobi changes Jedi role or durability, and 3v3 uses a more permissive no-more-than-one-of-each condition; do not use a five-unit result for a trio.
Before attacking, inspect relic levels, ability tiers, each active Omicron and the actual Datacron. Defending a different five or a 3v3 trio can change what qualifies. Current Battle Records are a separate source from the mechanics on this page.
02 / THE CURRENT ABILITIES
EVIDENCE 01
At the start of a 5v5 battle, Starkiller needs exactly one Jedi, one Light Side Unaligned Force User, one Sith and one other Dark Side Unaligned Force User plus no Galactic Legend ally. The fully upgraded Unique increases Critical Damage, Max Health and Protection, grants Speed and immunity to Daze and Stun.
Verify current ability text ↗EVIDENCE 02
When the four-role condition qualifies in GAC, Jedi Tank allies Taunt at battle start. When Starkiller uses a Special, Jedi Tanks get Taunt and Damage Immunity for one turn, while Light Side healers have cooldowns reduced. Damage Immunity cannot be beaten simply by adding damage.
Verify current ability text ↗EVIDENCE 03
Emperor Palpatine supplies Sith/Empire leadership and Shock/Turn Meter pressure; Mara Jade can inflict disruptive debuffs while helping set up Empire allies. The qualified Starkiller defense gains extra Speed, so check the exact opening before betting on your own fastest unit.
Verify current ability text ↗EVIDENCE 04
Starkiller builds Force Energy when dealing damage. At 100 stacks he becomes Unleashed and may unlock Size Means Nothing with no Galactic Legend ally: a once-per-battle area attack that Stuns enemies, deals Max-Health-based damage and restores allied Health and Protection.
Verify current ability text ↗Omicron and Zeta bonuses above require the correct game mode, character tier and start-of-battle team composition. Do not assume a modifier applies to a character merely because it is commonly included in that squad.
03 / PRACTICAL BATTLE SCOUTING
Palpatine plus Mara is not enough to conclude the four-role Starkiller Unique is active. Read every fifth slot and the Galactic Legend restriction.
If Starkiller's qualifying Grand Arena Omicron is installed, additional Speed, starting Taunt, counterassist effects and defensive triggers change your first action.
A fast Mara can disrupt the entire offense. Check whether your attacking unit can cleanse, resist, or survive the opening Shock and other debuffs.
Jedi Tank Old Ben can be Taunting and Damage Immune after Starkiller acts. Determine whether a buff dispel, a different target or a wait is the legal answer.
Starkiller may reach Unleashed and use Size Means Nothing, which can Stun the whole offense and restore the entire defending team. A nearly won battle can reverse.
The IDS Grievous/B1/B2/BB-8/MagnaGuard file is a specific historically observed example, not a universal answer. Compare the full five, relics, Datacron and match counts.
These are conditional scouting decisions, not a claim to have replayed a battle or an automatic turn-by-turn win. Record the first triggered mechanic that differs from your plan.
INTERACTIVE / MY ATTACK ORDERS
Describe the offensive squad you own, the defender's dangerous mechanic, your first action, and a fallback. Fields save locally where browser storage is available and never access your SWGOH account.
Local plan is ready to edit.
INTERACTIVE / TRUE BATTLE FORMAT
Use 5v5 evidence for five-unit teams and 3v3 evidence for trios. Match the full defender and attacker, relics, ability upgrades, Datacrons and number of observed battles. The static season labels represent reviewed historical seasons, not future live win rates.
Compare exact five-person lineups, upgrades and sample size.
Open the Emperor Palpatine records ↗INTERACTIVE / FAILURE DIAGNOSIS
Select the first problem you observed, then check the qualifying ability text. This is a local research tool, not an imported battle log.
Starkiller's GAC Omicron grants the Jedi Tank starting Taunt and refreshes Taunt/Damage Immunity after Starkiller uses Specials. Check targets and buff dispels.
SAVE ON THIS DEVICE / BEFORE THE BATTLE
Check only conditions actually verified in the game. Progress stays in the browser if local storage is permitted.
Progress is stored on this device where supported.
REFERENCE DESK / OCTOBER 19, 2026
Character-kit research is distinct from live win rates. IDS does not claim to have replayed specific matches, scanned private rosters, or guaranteed a result. Upgrades, Datacrons and future game seasons may change this advice.
Search all sixteen defensive leaders or examine the other detailed scouting files.
Mentioned in this file
