Darth Hater

With the implementation of Group Finder and the recent release of Free-to-Play, we've decided to make some Flashpoint guides. Over the next couple weeks, we will be adding new Flashpoint guides until we have them all. Hit the jump for our thoughts on how to approach the various bosses seen in this Flashpoint.

Overview

Flashpoint: Hammer Station
Level: 15-21
Hard Mode: No

Where is the entrance?
If you are not using the Group Finder to teleport there (which there is really no reason to not queue just for the commendations alone), you can find the entrance to the instance on either fleet at the Mission Departures elevator in the Dropship Bay option. You will have to go to the appropriate console to start the quest.

Useful Crew Skills

Scavenging

You can activate a drill that is located in a side room. This takes you straight to the first boss and lets you skip a few mobs.

Slicing

There is an elevator in the hallway just after the first boss. If you can fix the panel, you will skip at least three strong mobs.

Biochem

It is almost never done, but there is a room down the first long hallway that is filled with gas. If you have high enough biochem, you can fix the gas masks and give your group enough time to fight the mobs in the room and get the chest that is inside. Unfortunately, last time I checked it only dropped Green loot.

Karma Choice

After defeating Riflor’s Champions, your group is confronted with the decision to blow up an engineering level. There are only two choices, one that awards 100 Lightside and another that awards 100 Darkside. Neither have any effect on the Flashpoint afterwards.

Bosses

DN-314 Tunneler
  

Quick Notes

• If you’re affected by mining beam, walk in front of the Tank so that it targets him instead
• Avoid the probe droids if they stop themselves in front of you

The DN-314 Tunneler is an odd fight, because there seems to be a ton of mechanics to beating this boss but none of it is entirely necessary.

If you are coming in from the drill tunnel, you should see a box that you can climb on top of. If you are a ranged attacker whose attack can reach the boss where he is standing or the healer, stand on top of this box.

When you start the fight, you will notice that the Tunneler has a basic attack and something called Mining Beam. This beam will choose a target at random. If you are not on the box, just walk so that the Tank is directly in front of you. The beam will then start hitting him instead of you and you can move back. If you are on the box, just eat the damage and let the healer keep you up. The damage does stack, but unless the boss targets you three times in a row or the healer is not healing you, you should be able to live through it. The damage on the beam also causes a debuff that increases damage by the beam by 5%. It will usually wear off before the next Mining Beam is cast though, and can mostly just be healed through.

The real trouble begins when the boss summons probe droids. The droids will begin neutral and will run around for a bit before stopping, at which point they explode and deal damage to anyone near it. If you are on the box, you do not have to worry about these guys at all (see, there was a point to it after all!). If you are on the ground and you see them stop near you, you try to knock them far away from you or just try to get some distance. When the boss gets to around 20%, he summons too many for you to reasonable avoid. It just becomes a matter of burning the boss down and the healer keeping everyone up.

Riflor’s Champions
 

Quick Notes

• CC the Droid if you can
• Kill in this order: Sawbones, Scorch (if you can’t CC), Volcano, Scorch (if you can CC)

This fight is tremendously easy if you have someone with Slice Droid, which at this point should be anyone who is a Smuggler or Imperial Agent. You might also have a Sage or Sorcerer with Force Lift who can get the job done properly. If not, the fight is slightly altered.

The boss group is set up sort of like a player Flashpoint group. Sawbones is a healer and has to go down first. The main boss Volcano is the tank and will put a guard on him, but it honestly does not do all that much. Scorch is the DPS of the group and will use Flamethrower that does very moderate AoE damage at close range. If Scorch is not CCed, you should kill him second. Otherwise, leave him for last and kill Volcano next. Scorch’s Flamethrower is interruptible if you have the ability.

Environment Note: Asteroid Bridge
  

At one point, your group will encounter two Boss Turrets by a ledge with a bridge. Note the color of the bridge before you cross it. When the bridge is blue, it means that you can go across. When it is red, it means that the bridge is about to disappear and you would best get off it post-haste.

Battlelord Kreshan
  

Quick Notes

• The Tank should point him towards the computer console at the back
• Avoid the bombs the boss throws on the floor
• Move out of Sweeping Gunfire
• Kill the adds

Battlelord Kreshan is the first real challenge players will encounter in the game, as it requires a smart or at least aware Tank and the team’s collective “Stay out of the Fire” ability.

First, the Tank should run around Battlelord Kreshan at the beginning of the fight so that the Tank’s back is facing the console that is at the edge of the room. The reason for this is twofold: Kreshan will use an AoE knockback that will push everyone a decent distance and to control the direction of Sweeping Gunfire. The AoE knockback can potentially knock you off the ledge if you are positioned poorly. The console will always protect you from this if you are directly in front of it. Secondly, Sweeping Gunfire is always cast in the direction of whoever has aggro on Battlelord Kreshan, and once he casts it, he will keep fire in that direction. If you get him to fire at the console, it’s unlikely that anyone else in your group will be affected. Also, immediately move out of the Sweeping Gunfire once he casts it.

Kreshan will also throw grenades at the party at random. You have a decent amount of time to get out of it, as there will be a big red indicator beneath your feet when it lands and will start glowing. It is imperative that you get out of the blast radius as it will likely do catastrophic damage to you at low levels.

Kreshan will also periodically cast “Call Reinforcements” that will summon two weak adds at a time. Luckily, the adds jetpack right by a ledge. Keep an eye on your mini-map to see where they are coming, and if you are a class with a knockback you can knock them off the ledge to their doom. If they do manage to get out of range, however, the DPS should burn them down as quickly as possible.

And that’s it! Always remember, as the late Battlelord Kreshan will often tell you, your weakness is in your blood!