Mawk's Heroes and Villains Guides: Mace Windu

Mace Windu: Force Guide

Overview: Mace is a strong character. His health is normal. His saber is stronger than normal. His force powers are Push and saber throw. His dash is fairly weak and only works well sparingly. To make up for this, he has a devastating aerial attack.

Mace Windu has a normal pace. He will walk faster than the slower villains already described. He can outrun almost all the villains due to his sprint being normal speed, which means he can also catch up to most of them too.

Mace's dash is kind of a laugh. His dash is unlike anyone else's and it does not hit very hard. It is very easy to miss and it rarely stuns. When he is sprinting and goes into his dash, he jumps forward a bit and does a squatting double swing. This alone does not do much damage, but you can follow it with a normal combo, which does a lot of damage. I truly wouldn't recommend doing his dash, it makes him sit in one place for a bit and you usually end up dead unless you do it when they are facing away. But if you insist on doing it, click when you are at least 2 saber lengths away from your enemy. You should end up landing on top of them of they don't move and doing your squat double swing. Follow up quickly with a combo and you should be ok, as long as they don't start swinging. Sometimes if you start the click while you are right beside the enemy, his leap forward gesture actually knocks them down. I have yet to master it.

I classify his saber as stronger than normal for two reasons. The first is that he completes his combo quicker than the other pushers. The second is that it hits through block 90% of the time. Both of these will be a value to you. His combo is just a couple swings then a flip around move to finish. The finishing move is what kills them. If you have played Mace you will have at some point attacked two people at once. If only one is close enough for the beginning of the combo but you hit both of them with the finishing blow, both will die. This doesn't happen on all the characters so it is a unique advantage. Being so fast to complete compared to say Luke's, it means you have a less likely chance of being killed from behind. The less time you spend killing someone the more alive you will be, which is why I classify Mace as a strong character.

Where Mace's true power lies is in his push. I'm not saying push is all that powerful, because it can be very buggy and wind up getting you killed a lot. The thing that makes Mace's push powerful, is his follow-up earthquake slam. Before I go into the slam let me reiterate a couple points about push. I have mentioned these in more detail in previous chapters, but if you're just joining, here we go:

First off, push is best used at an even level or at an above level. This means you should be even with your foe, or above your foe for it to work the best. If you push someone who is above you all they will do is go flying and they can continue jumping. When you push someone on the same level as you, ground level usually, they will be stunned. Avoid as much as possible pushing someone directly into a wall if you are even with them. This will most likely cause what I call a wall bounce, which makes the enemy recover faster. As you go into them to finish, they will back-swing and you will die. If you must push someone who is close to a wall, try doing it above them, you're usually safer that way.

So in essence, the best place to push someone is on a roof, but mace is more valuable than most of the other pushers on ground level because of his slam.

Mace's slam takes practice! When I was first trying it I was missing like crazy. You will too so don't be frustrated. Once you learn your distances, you'll find how easy it is. I will describe the distances as best as I can.

To begin with, ground level pushes are your friend. When you successfully push someone when you are on ground level, you will have a few precious seconds to kill them. Many Maces just go up and saber combo, but for that extra quickness and flair, use the slam. When you achieve a push do not jump right away. You need to take about three steps first and then jump. Do not sprint for this jump because you will most likely miss. As you are in the air with a normal jump, you want to point your reticle so it is just behind the fallen enemy. If you aim for hitting them straight on, you may not get the best affect. This is a point blank area affect, so the damage stems from you and goes into a small radius around you. When you slam at just behind them, you will kill almost everyone in one hit. If you kill them in a single hit they will go flying and die. If you do not kill them in a single hit, be sure to start clicking so you can finish them with a combo.

There will be moments where you push someone just at the edge of push range and do not have the time to finish them properly. In these cases you must decide whether to do the slam (with risk of being sabered) or just land and finish them with your combo. This is like an internal clock that I cannot count for you, but you will know what I mean when you get there. If you do happen to miss your slam due to timing and have to begin your combo, try not to move forward. If they recover and you are just finishing your slam, they may have a chance to backswing you. So just begin your combo where you are standing.

The slam is also very useful when you have stunned someone below you with a push. When you jump you can aim your jump with your directional keys, be sure to aim yourself at their heels. If you are jumping from a higher distance you have to be extremely precise because you only have a couple seconds before they recover. And since you are jumping from higher you have a longer distance to travel.

If you push someone into a wall, I would never recommend the slam. The walls make it tough for you to land properly because they move when you touch them. In these cases you may also want to push twice to avoid them recovering quickly, and finish them with a saber combo. Sometimes it takes more than one push and don't let the complainers get you down, for there will be people who say, "I can't believe it took you 3 pushes." I suggest ignoring these comments or just saying, "Sometimes that's what it takes." I also use "Well if the first one did the job I wouldn't have had to do more." The longer you play the game, the more you will get use to the arguments and you will have canned responses. You can always tell who the veterans are vs. the newer people, because the newer people always insist on a running commentary of each of their deaths.

Anyway back on topic.

You will have block wars with Darth Maul. There are three tricks to beating someone in a block war. The first trick is making sure you put up your block after they do. They will run out of stamina before you (a full energy block lasts 10 seconds). The second trick is to make sure you swing first, if you get close enough for sabers. If Maul attacks first he will puncture your block and achieve a knockdown, which spells death for you. If you attack first (and this only seems to work as mace) the game makes them stuck in their block, so you just need to finish your combo. Now their block may hold, but I have found it is a very small percentage. The third trick is to not to push. When they push and put up their block quickly afterward, they have just used 1/3 of their energy. If you do not do this in return, they may try to push again. Now everyone knows that occasionally push goes through block. This happens at certain angles or at low energy. Assuming that you do block their push twice, they will be out of energy very soon. Wait for it and push for a victory.

There will be moments when you go against a decent maul that won't try to push either and will just begin advancing toward you. This means they are ready to attack first so here is the trick to winning. Begin to backup like you are going to distance yourself. They will start advancing. As soon as they begin, switch to moving forward. This will surprise them if you are close enough and they won't have a chance to move so all you have to do is saber them. This usually only works when you are both just out of saber range of each other. The further you are away the more this tactic won't work.

As a pusher be sure to use roofs to your advantage, and always stay hidden. After you complete a kill, but sure to put your block up right away and turn around to make sure nobody is coming. The mini map will show you a certain radius but if someone is sprinting from behind, you may not be able to react in time. Once you are clear switch locations. Always relocate after a kill. As a hero pusher, you have the easiest time doing this because you don't have to worry about being pulled. Use the roofs and be sure to get off the ground after a kill as soon as possible.

Mace Vs. Fetts: Mace has it pretty easy against the Fetts. One thing you must not do is chase a Fett all over the map. You will end up being flamed, and then shot and rocketed. It's easier for a puller, but harder for you. The smart Fetts stay above you and swoop down to flame and not land. You can't do much with push if they are above you or not grounded. So, surprise is the trick you want to use. If a Fett sees you, just forget them and go find another fight. If they don't see you, jump behind them with slam, or sneak up on them with saber. Saber throw is great for when they are on the spires, and if they are focused on aiming they not pay attention to their health.

Mace Vs. Maul: Well I pretty much mentioned most of the tips I use against Maul as mace. I'll just reiterate that you do not want to let them attack first in a saber fight.

Mace vs. Chokers: Be as evasive as possible by using roofs and buildings to hide you. If you are above them and do not get a push off, move very soon because the floater chokers can jump up and choke you as they are floating. If you see a Vader floating toward you be sure to push as soon as possible. There is no point in waiting for them to kill you. If you know a choker is near and you need to get away, be sure to spring. If you do end up getting choked, spam your roll just in case they run out of energy before they get close.

Now there is a little trick that is caused by lag that you can use to your advantage. If you and a choker are facing each other with block on, there will be a slight moment when you can push them as they are about to choke you. Their block will drop for ? of a second and their arm will reach to choke you. You can push at this moment and you will choke for a second but they will be pushed. This takes timing, and don't forfeit your life often to try and do this.

Mace Windu: Non-Force Guide

Mace Windu is a strong No-Force player. His block range and his quick combo are his main tools but players who are adept at quick "nulls" and backhands add more tactics to this character.

As everyone knows, Mace has normal health and his movement speed is normal. His speed gives him a slight upper hand when going against slower characters if used correctly.

If you are dueling with Mace you'll want to avoid giving free openings. Keep your finger on the block button because your enemy knows you most likely won't be dashing them. This will make your opponent more aggressive toward you. Many dueling Maces win their battles by having patience and not giving the enemy a reason to attack. If you sprint around a lot as Mace you won't do as well as someone with a powerful dash. You want to bring your enemies in closer so you can get them with your powerful combo.

Mace's combo is one of the quickest in the game, just a couple swings and then bam it finishes with a final spin-around. You want your enemy to get close to the combo not only because it will harm them, but it usually knocks them down too. If you're facing a higher health opponent and they take the full force of your combo, they are often stunned but still alive. The knockdown can aid you in finishing them off at that point. His combo has a small hole in it, between the two swings and the final spin hit, so be aware of that gap.

There are a couple basic tactics you can use to pull in the average duelist, the first being fake sprint. If you act like you are sprinting toward them, they will then react in some way. On average, they will move to the side and get closer to you. If you do this a few times they may think they have an opening to dash you, but keep that block handy. If your block lands when they attack they will either stand there, or they will roll away. Standing there means you can kill them quickly, rolling away means you need to use a follow tactic that even the best players die from. More on the follow tactic in a bit.

Another way to pull in your opponent is by doing short jumps. Single jumps that do not tax your energy but make your enemy thing they can get in close enough to take you out as you land. While dueling with Mace, the less time you're in the air the better. If they come in close get ready for an attack. Try to land before they get there. If you feel that they will get there before you land. Jump a couple more times to get away. The bigger the distance the better (tougher against Vaders though).

Once you do have your opponent in close, you'll want to either kill them or stun them, or both :). Your combo is your best but for an easy killing blow. Sometimes your opponent will sprint in acting like they are going to dash but stop and start their combo. Try to angle yourself away from their saber and perform yours, it will usually kill or stun with damage. The enemy's back is usually the safest spot to attempt to combo when they are mid swing. Depending on who you are fighting, like a Maul or Grievous, you may get sucked into their combo from behind so be careful. Just watch for the holes in their combos or wait for them to finish and have block down.

When they are close you can also attempt a backhand or two, angle yourself so they are slightly to your right and behind you since your backhand is swung along your right side. This gives you a higher opportunity of knockdown. If you do stun them you can finish them off with a combo or a slam.

"Nulling" on Mace is pretty easy too. Many people nowadays interchange "null" and stun too easily, so I will go back to my old standby of what I defined "null" as before the community knew it as that. I always called it a sidestep click. In essence it's a single click instead of your full combo, but not head on to provide a better chance to take less damage.

If your opponent in a duel is coming at you with a dash, sometimes all you have to do is move to the side slightly and single click your mouse. This seems to work very well as Mace and you can get an instant knockdown too. Finish up with a combo or slam. Now depending on lag and the characters you are facing this will not always work. It's tougher on a Vader for example, so try backhand instead.

Before I get into the following tactic, you'll want to at least attempt Mace's dash here and there. It sometimes works well and sometimes leaves you open for a death. To explain the dash better I'll quote myself: "...he jumps forward a bit and does this squatting double swing." That is the extent of his dash. However you can follow it up with a combo and that is where the value comes in. If you time his little hop close enough to an enemy you can surprise them. You'll appear in front of them swinging and finishing up with a combo. Granted all they have to do is move away to avoid this, but you can take out the enemy who was planning on you waiting for them to attack.

His dash also has a slight knockdown feature if you get good at it too. It works best when your opponent is rolling or when their back is to you when you dash. But this is where the follow tactic comes in handy with mace.

Time and time again you will see a player dash roll dash roll, or combo roll combo roll. It becomes such a habit for them to roll after they have missed, that you can exploit it if you are quick enough. If you are able to block or avoid an opponents attack, get ready to sprint. You have to react very quickly, following whatever direction they decide to roll which is usually left or right. If you go after them too late, they may come up from a roll with their block on. They could also start backhanding like crazy or comboing. Once you get the hang of chasing a roll you'll know the timing. If you are not going to get the kill back off or you'll probably be stunned by a backslash.

Anyway chase them and you can either start comboing where they are finishing their roll, or you can dash them as they are rolling. The dash will most likely stun them if you time it right (the actual swing hitting them). Now this is all depends on lag too. If you are facing someone with 40+ ping lower than you, you'll have a very difficult time getting them by the time they stand up. It never hurts to try though.

There isn't a way to describe Mace's slam timing. You just have to learn when and where to jump over time. It's best to learn the distances by playing force, but in no force you can use his slam to your advantage too. If a character is low health, you do not have to hit them directly in order to finish them. The slam does a bit of AE (area effect) damage, or splash damage. You can also use it to finish someone if you won't be able to make it quick enough to combo them before they recover. So let's say you stun someone but you rolled away not knowing you stunned them. By the time you sprint in and try to combo they may be up and backhand. Try the leap-slam and finish them that way instead.

In full map Mace is strong if you use him wisely. You most likely will not win ground level battles against Mauls, Grievous', and Vaders. So use the maps levels to your advantage. Make the enemy come to you as often as possible.

You will always want to keep an eye on your mini-map. The silly deaths are the ones where you aren't paying attention. Whenever you are moving to a new area do a quick circle and look for those dots. You can see a red dot easier if they are in your awareness cone. You can still see them outside the cone but not as well, so keep one eye on the mini-map at all times.

I discourage leaping to buildings where enemies are as Mace. The reason being if you leap to a building they are on and you slam, you are leaving yourself completely vulnerable if you miss. If you leap to a building and don't slam, you have a chance of being dashed before you can get block up. So if you do not want to die a lot, avoid jumping to roofs where enemies have a clear shot at you (flat roof east side of Mos Eisley).

In each no force guide I have mentioned the use of backhand against aerial attacks, as always use this as much as possible. Not only does it stun the enemy but you may go unscathed. Sometimes you do take some damage, be it lag or bad timing, but if you're full health you generally won't die if you land the backhand. Be careful though of if you backhand your opponent off the ledge, they may not be stunned depending on how they fall. I can't quite explain this properly but it's generally a wall bounce effect like in force. It shows them fallen and stunned but they recover faster. This happens the most of they go head into a wall after being backhanded off a roof. If they get flung off and continue rolling on ground level, you can generally catch up and finish them off before recovery.

I always like to change directions up while using Mace full map. You can frustrate your enemy by jumping up to a roof when they come down, or jumping down when they go up. You can also act like you are running away around a corner but come back real quick and surprise them. If they are waiting on a roof for you to jump up and give them free opening, do the same right back, don't fall into their trap. I usually circle their roof a few times often changing which way around I'm going then just get up on a different roof and wait for them. It's very pointless to jump to a roof where an opponent is waiting for you to do just that. It's much easier to throw them for a loop for a little bit so they know you are not going to fall into the traps.

Keep your awareness up, because most of the time you won't just be going 1v1. You will always be fighting multiple people. Mace's combo does extremely well against multiple people. Sometimes your enemy will rush in thinking he'll have you just as you're finishing his teammate, but will be stunned by your final hit. That's their messup, so kill them too. Try to get twofers, because if you're on a roof and two jump up at you while you're swinging, you're likely to do some damage. Avoid the Mauls and Grievous' head on, because they will most likely get you with their long reach. These are the characters you want to combo their open back while they aren't paying attention. Sometimes starting the combo before you get to these guys is better too, they have an uncanny nack for single-click-throwing-you forward-stun. So if you hit them with the final there, you can avoid being hit in Mace's combo gap.

If you want to survive a little longer, just play a bit more defensively with Mace. Avoid using his slam on an unstunned opponent (unless really low health) and keep your eye on the mini-map.