Ladies and gentlemen, this match is scheduled for one fall! In the blue corner, weighing in at 200 pounds of pure Force, we have the Jedi Consular. In the red corner, we have the conniving Imperial Agent. Who will come out on top? Well, that's for you to decide, but the folks at BioWare want to make sure everyone is making informed decisions.

In light of that, the studio has released a new Star Wars: The Old Republic video in which a number of devs (verbally) duke it out in hopes of proving that their class is the best class. So jump past the cut and check it out, then decide for yourself who comes out on top (protip: it's the Agent). Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget that you can now preorder The Old Republic peripherals, so if you're in the market for a new mouse, keyboard, or headset, you can declare your allegiance for the Empire or Republic with a new gadget. For the full details, hit the SWTOR official site.

When BioWare gives out so much information about one class, where do you start? We now have confirmation of the Sniper DPS sub-class and the support/healing Operative class for the Imperial Agent. Also, we know more about the Chiss' origins, the Agent's starship, and the Agent class' combat role in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The Chiss hail from the the unknown regions of galactic space, and their advanced Ascendancy evolved independently from the Republic and the Sith Empire. Despite having a grand army these blue-skinned humanoids prefer to handle war through negotiation and espionage. So when the Sith Empire brought its fleet to conquer Chiss Space, instead of being met by brute force as in other systems, the Empire was met by diplomatic messages. These negotiations allowed for the Chiss to become the only true ally of the Sith Empire.

As with any spy for the Empire, the Agent needs the most advanced starship one can find. In this case, we are talking about the X70B-Phantom-class Prototype. The superior technology of this starship prevents it from being mass-produced, so it is only given to the best operatives. The shape and haul keep the craft off most radars, and the navigation system will not be seen on any other ship for the next couple of decades.

Generally, the training for an Imperial Agent will go one of two ways. Secrecy and stealth are the weapons of the Agent, and much like its Republic counterpart, the Smuggler Scoundrel, the Operative can specialize in medical technology as well. However, unlike the Smuggler Gunslinger DPS class, the Sniper's advantage is the distance and precision of rifles instead of the Gunslinger's rapid-fire dual short-ranged pistols.

Be sure to check out the gallery of concept art and screenshots below, and don't miss the Agent's teaser video after the break.