SWTOR Best Strongholds [Ranked]

The Coruscant Apartment's main room with a beautiful skyline.

Updated:

06 Dec 2019

So you want to settle down in Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Here are how the 8 currently available player homes, Strongholds, stack up.

First introduced in 2014 to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, Strongholds are the game’s version of player housing.

For a modest price (sometimes), players from both the Empire and Republic could buy lofty apartments in Coruscant and Dromund Kaas, moisture farms on Tatooine, or even swanky bachelor/bachelorette pads on the high rolling Hutt planet of Nar Shaddaa.

Customizable to an almost nauseating amount via “hooks”, the Strongholds could be used for parties with your friends and enemies, roleplaying, or even for just extra storage as you build your perfect home in the shell provided. Here are the current Strongholds ranked from worst to best.

8. Umbara

All Aboard!: Live a life on the run on the Umbara Mobile Base train house.

Located on the shadowy planet of Umbara first introduced in the Clone Wars animated series (some of the best episodes, mind you), the Umbara Mobile Base is perhaps the most unique of the Strongholds, though that plays to both its benefit and detriment. The Stronghold itself is a train zooming around the Umbaran landscape, providing a one of a kind environment and scenery as trees and rings whip by you.

Umbara Mobile Base Pros

Moving/dynamic environment provides a truly unique background for the Stronghold
Cheap credit-wise for the first section, with reasonably pricey second and third expansions
Roomier than expected in each train car and some room on top of the cars

Umbara Mobile Base Cons

Narrow, gray, and kind of boring on the inside of the train
Farming for special credits (Alliance Recon data) to even unlock the ability to buy is convoluted, extra grinding
Only 3 cars long so the base overall feels very small when compared to the other Strongholds

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 5000 credits
Expansion Costs: 1 million credits/1200 Cartel Coins (CC) for first expansion; 1.2 million credits/1200 CC for second expansion
Required 60 Alliance Recon data credits and 10000 Credit purchase needed to unlock access to purchase the base

7. Dromund Kaas

Dark and Gloomy: A perfect setting for pensive Sith Lords or plotting Imperial Agents.

One of the original Strongholds introduced in the game, the Kaas City Apartment is a home for all Imperial players. Set in the towers surrounding the capital city of the Imperial homeworld, the apartment overlooks the city and jungles and is perpetually locked in a storm that provides an appropriately moody atmosphere for Sith lords.

Kaas City Apartment Pros

Fairly cheap to purchase initial apartment section as it’s meant to be an introduction for new players
Atmospheric with rain and lightning raging outside
A large number of expansions, all of which can be unlocked for a reasonable sum
Fairly roomy given that it is intended as an introduction

Kaas City Apartment Cons

As an early Stronghold, it has a fairly basic layout even when completely unlocked
No starship docking bay
Can be fairly gloomy and is primarily set indoors except for the balcony

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 5000 credits/50 CC
Expansion Costs: 1.44 million credits/3500 CC for all 9 expansions
300+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 50
Players from the opposing faction must be smuggled in for 1000 credits

6. Coruscant

An Apartment Downtown: With the whole planet being a city, every apartment is downtown.

The mirror of the Kaas City apartment, the Coruscant Apartment is an introductory Stronghold for newer players. Set high in the skyline of the famed Republic capital of Coruscant, the apartment boasts an impressive view filled with towering capital buildings, speeders zooming by, and the ships dotting the skyline. The soft tones of the planet make this a beautiful and relaxing spot for any discerning Jedi.

Coruscant Apartment Pros

The ambiance and atmosphere are beautiful, warm, and welcoming
Fairly cheap for the initial purchase
Expansion is reasonable and includes a balcony with a wonderful view
Roomy and large considering it is an original Stronghold

Coruscant Apartment Cons

Simple layout as it is intended for new players
Small when compared to the later Strongholds
No ship docking bay

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 5000 credits/50 CC
Expansion Costs: 1.44 million credits/3500 CC for all 9 expansions
300+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 50
Players from the opposing faction must be smuggled in for 1000 credits

5. Manaan

Sealab: Get your fix of Knights of the Old Republic nostalgia with this underwater abode.

The Manaan Stronghold is the first on our list that comes in at an entirely level in terms of size, scale, and price. Set on the planet of Knights of the Old Republic fame, the Stronghold replicates the clean and simple aesthetic look of that game perfectly. The facility is set above the bright blue waters of the planet while the rest of the structure rests below the surface. Below the waves, the bright and open atmosphere is replaced with a closed chamber with viewing ports into the mysterious waters.

Manaan Stronghold Pros

Large open areas and an extensive underwater area
Calming views of the ocean and an amazing underwater observatory section
A mix of outdoor and indoor environments

Manaan Stronghold Cons

Extremely pricey for beauty but a lot of empty ocean up top
No access to dailies, just the Flashpoint mission on the planet

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 2.5 million credits/2500 CC
Expansion Costs: 5.875 million credits/4500 CC for all 9 expansions
500+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 100

4. Tatooine

Binary Sunset: Tend to the moisture farm of your dreams on Tatooine.

As classic as Star Wars can get, the Tatooine Homestead is beautiful, empty, and serene. Set in the middle of the desert with the twin suns setting in the background, the Homestead is a beautiful if pricey home for anyone who wants to watch the suns set while they sip on some blue milk. A large assortment of both outdoor and indoor areas, the Stronghold includes your classic in-ground homestead, a docking bay, and a cliffside compound with balcony. Definitely some of the best bang for your credit with a massive amount of open space in the initial purchase.

Tatooine Homestead Pros

Classic environment set in the heart of the Tatooine desert
Pricey but you get a massive amount of free room with the initial purchase
An extremely large area with both indoor and outdoor sections

Tatooine Homestead Cons

No windows in a lot of the indoor sections which can bother some people
Isolated; definitely not for those players who want to be in the midst of a buzzing cityscape

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 2.5 million credits/2500 CC
Expansion Costs: 7million credits/7600 CC for all 7 expansions
500+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 100

3. Yavin 4

Forest Moon: Hide your own rebel cell in this temple surrounded by beautiful and dangerous jungle.

An enormous temple complex set in the midst of the wild and dangerous jungles of Yavin 4, the Temple Stronghold is a beautiful area to behold in-game. Definitely a tribute to how much in design the Strongholds have advanced with each update, the Temple combines outdoor and indoor design seamlessly. Sweeping vistas of the jungle moon with other pyramids dotting the horizon, a monumental temple to explore, waterfalls, and even secret caves, this Stronghold is gorgeous and a sight to behold.

Yavin 4 Temple Pros

An excellent and very natural mix of indoor and outdoor environments create a breathtaking atmosphere
Temple chambers have a lot of vertical space to them
A large area filled with temple chambers, bridges, lookouts, and waterfalls
Lush jungle foliage on the outside with breathtaking views of the jungles

Stronghold Name Cons

As with many of the larger Strongholds, pricey
The ruin being retaken by nature aesthetic is not everyone’s cup of tea

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 2.5 million credits/2500 CC
Expansion Costs: 7 million credits/7600 CC for all 7 expansions
500+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 100

2. Nar Shaddaa

Live Like a Hutt: Glamourous and bright, do your best to keep the Hutts happy on Nar Shaddaa.

Perhaps the most dynamic of them all, the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace is for anyone looking to show off their wealth in the glitziest city of them all. Large rooms with a number of windows and open-air balconies allow you to bask in the bright skyline filled with neon lights and busy nightlife. While expanding it can be costly, the Stronghold is by far one of the most impressive visually and it’s the perfect pad of those looking to flaunt their wealth and prowess!

Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace Pros

Amazing atmosphere; dynamic city skyline with the glitzy Nar Shaddaa
Large and spacious indoor areas for the price
Open areas and windows allow you to take in the cityscape
Cheap when compared to some of the larger Strongholds on the list

Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace Cons

Not for those seeking isolation and solitude
No starship docking bay

Stronghold details

Initial Purchase cost: 250,000 credits/500 CC
Expansion Costs: 10.25 million credits/11250 CC for all 9 expansions
500+ hooks for decorations
Max occupancy: 75

1. Rishi

Island Paradise: Beautiful and expansive, the Rishi Hideout takes the cake for best Stronghold.

My number 1 pick of all the strongholds is also the newest of the bunch. The Rishi Hideout is the culmination of all of the progress made thus far. In a similar vein as Yavin 4, the Hideout is a beautiful combination of massive outdoor areas and a dizzying array of indoor and urban structures. A beach, hidden caves, PVP arenas, trap doors, and essentially what is a miniature settlement all dot this Stronghold. In terms of scale, it is the largest settlement with the most unlockable areas and one of the most expensive. Despite this, the Rishi Hideout is the most impressively dynamic and interactive of all the Strongholds. With this as the new standard, I can’t wait to see what the next Strongholds look like in the future!

Rishi Hideout Pros

An absolutely massive map
An outdoor smuggler paradise with beaches, starship wreckage, and massive tropical structures
PVP or RP oriented with the dynamic setting and arenas
A private beach

Rishi Hideout Cons