Classes (or Specializations) play a huge role in Star Wars Zero Company, but the game asks you to start assigning them before you have much context for what any of them do. While it’s possible to reclass characters later on, it’s best to have an actual idea of what each will do for you before build for Hawks and other starting characters.
Certain Star Wars Zero Company characters have unique classes that only they can access, but those are pre-assigned, so you won’t have to worry as much about the details. In total, eight standard classes are accessible to all other Operators, each with their own unique benefits.
Assault
Assault is a relatively straightforward class in Star Wars Zero Company, making it a reliable choice. This offers both melee and ranged abilities, along with the opportunity to increase the operator’s movement.
- Bull Rush: Charge into enemies for melee strikes that push them backwards
- Fleet of Foot: Increased First Movement
- Strike the Flanks: Increased Critical Chance against exposed enemies
- Sweeping Salvo (Ultimate): Deal ranged damage against all enemies in a cone
Assault can be a reliable class option for virtually any operator, and works as an effective choice for Hawks to support general battlefield versatility.
Gunslinger
True to its name, Gunslinger leans more into ranged opportunities. While you’ll have to give up the melee side of the Assault class, Gunslinger makes it possible to manage more ranged attacks every turn, even with weapons that don’t normally support it.
- Quick Draw: Fire a sidearm pistol shot with one Action Point
- Keen Eye: Increased Critical Chance for all ranged attacks
- Onslaught: Each attack within a turn grants bonus Blaster Damage
- Open Fire (Ultimate): Fire twice at any combination of enemies
In terms of general vibe, Gunslinger might be the most fitting class for Hawks, and it’s also a great option for him mechanically.
Heavy
Star Wars Zero Company‘s Heavy is what it sounds like, serving as the game’s only true tank option. This increases battlefield survivability significantly, making it easier to maneuver an Operator freely around the battlefield without always hiding behind cover.
- Unstoppable: Gain Stacks of Retaliation, which allow the Operator to counter incoming attacks
- Conditioning: Increased Max Health
- Heavy Armor Training: Increased Defense
- Intimidating Posture: Primary Blaster attacks taunt enemies when they land
- Bulwark (Ultimate): Taunt all enemies in target area and increase Defense
Heavy can be a great secondary class for Kabb once secondary classes become available, supporting his ability to run around the battlefield doing melee attacks.
Medic
If you want to protect your Operators from the omnipresent threat of Permadeath, having a Medic in the Squad can be very useful. Aside from directly healing allies, this class offers some helpful support options.
- Combat Stim: Grant Stimulant to an ally, temporarily increasing their Max Health, Melee Damage, and Ranged Damage
- Lifesaving Measures: Medpacs heal additional health
- First Responder: Operator has a Medpac equipped without the use of a utility slot and fully heals downed allies when Rallying them
- Morale Boost (Ultimate): Grant stacks of Morale to all nearby allies, restoring HP per turn and removing injury Chance-to-Hit penalties
Early on, you may simply want to assign Medic to whoever you see fit, but it can be a great secondary (or even primary) class for Hawks in the long run.
Scoundrel
The Scoundrel is a slightly more complicated class in Star Wars Zero Company, focusing on creating enemy vulnerabilities and providing assists. Utilizing the scoundrel properly will require more thoughtful synergy with the squad as a whole.
- Identify Weakness: Make an enemy vulnerable, allowing the next attack to Crit
- Never Play Fair: Increase assist damage
- Scoundrel’s Instinct: Attacks ignore Defense
- Easy Mark (Ultimate): Allow Operator to Assist the next ally to attack chosen target
Scoundrel could be a decent starting choice for Kabb or Jae, but might be best employed as a secondary class later on.
Scout
Like Scoundrel, Scout is partly about setting up opportunities, particularly in its ability to generate Advantage, which allows more characters to use Ultimates and special abilities.
- Combat Recon: Grant Advantage for each enemy in a target area
- Tactical Timing: Gain chance of Advantage after defeating enemy
- The Spotter: Shooting an enemy Spots them
- Ambush (Ultimate): Uses all available advantage to attack an enemy with increased damage
Scout is an easy class to abuse in Zero Company, as constantly generating Advantage can make a huge difference. As a result, it’s not a bad choice for any character focusing on ranged attack.
Sharpshooter
The Sharpshooter class offers the ability to snipe across a long range, making it useful for general battlefield control. Its abilities combine to make ranged shots more likely to hit and generally effective.
- Zero In: Set up a sniping position to increase Chance-to-Hit and Crit Chance
- Pick Them Off: Increase Overwatch Chance-to-Hit and Damage
- Sharpshooter Training: Increased Chance-to-Hit on all blaster attacks
- Precision Shot (Ultimate): Fire a shot that always hits
The Sharpshooter class goes hand-in-hand with Luca’s Unique Talent, so once you get him, he makes the perfect designated Sharpshooter for the squad.
Soldier
The Soldier is another generally versatile class in Star Wars Zero Company, with vaguely generic benefits to both melee and ranged attacks.
- Brutal Strike: Charge into enemies for melee strikes that Daze them
- Strength: Increased melee damage and grenade throw range
- Armsmaster: Increased Blaster damage and grenade damage
- Rocket Strike (Ultimate): Fire a rocket that damages enemies in a blast radius
The Soldier is the natural fit for Trick, and his increased survivability through his unique talent should let him make the most of Brutal Strike.
Ultimately, every class in Star Wars Zero Company has its benefits, and you may very well find a place for all of them in your playthrough. Some work better for some characters than others, but even if you end up feeling like you’ve made the wrong choice, there’s no penalty for going back to the drawing board to respec.
