Orbital bombardment/Legends

"Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy!"

- Darth Malak

Orbital bombardment was a military strategy used many times throughout the history of the Galaxy, in which a starship or space-based machine bombarded a planet heavily. Unlike a Base Delta Zero, which completely devastated a planet, orbital bombardment could be made more precise or specific.

Usage
The most effective means of doing this was using several capital ships to target a specific area on a planet. Although such an act was apt to be imprecise and expected to cause collateral damage, some gunnery crews were reputed to be skilled to the degree of pin-point accuracy. Regardless, there were many factions which used orbital bombardment. The Mandalorians were very adept at using this in the Mandalorian Wars. The planet Telos was also attacked by orbital bombardment. Darth Malak used this to attack the planet of Taris, while looking for Bastila Shan.

The Confederacy of Independent Systems bombarded the ecumenopolis of Humbarine in a Base Delta Zero operation during the Clone Wars, melting the crust of the planet.

Orbital bombardment was also frequently used in the Galactic Civil War, and was a factor during the Battle of Kashyyyk. Darth Vader planned to use this strategy against the Rebel Base at Hoth. However, the planetary shield and planetary ion cannon technology of that era enabled planetary defenses to hold off the bombardment. Often, strike teams and special forces would be dispatched to the planet in order to sabotage such defenses prior to the initiation of the bombardment.

While common for the Imperial Navy&mdash;in fact, some sources imply that Star Destroyers were optimized for such attacks&mdash;the New Republic Defense Force was reluctant to engage in orbital bombardment, for fear of civilian casualties. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, however, General Wedge Antilles ordered the Lusankya to bombard Borleias in an attempt to save the New Republic's ground base during the Battles of Borleias, and Admiral Traest Kre'fey also made orbital bombardment one of his standing orders in the prelude to the Battle of Ebaq 9.

Behind the scenes
Orbital bombardment appears in Star Wars: Rebellion as a strategic combat action allowing the player to use a fleet unit in orbit around a planet to eliminate the opponents' ground units located on that planet. This option is called planetary bombardment in the game. In Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, orbital bombardments are available to both the Rebellion and the Empire as well as the Zann Consortium.

Appearances

 * ''Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Shatterpoint
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Star Wars Empire: In the Shadows of Their Fathers
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Destiny's Way