Star Wars Zero Company – Best Starting Class Guide

The best starting class for Hawks in Star Wars Zero Company is Scoundrel. It has the strongest natural synergy with Hawks’ fixed Fearless Leader Talent, combining extra Assist Damage with guaranteed Critical Hits, Defense Penetration, and additional Assist attacks.

That makes Hawks useful against regular enemies, armored targets, and tougher priority enemies without forcing you into one narrow combat role.

The only downside is that Kabb also starts as a Scoundrel, so you will temporarily have two characters filling the same Specialization. That is not a major problem because Scoundrel’s Assist-heavy kit stacks well with Hawks, but Gunslinger is the best alternative if you want more variety in your starting squad.

Hawks can also change Specialization once you reach Cycle 3, so your opening choice is not permanent.

1. Best Starting Specialization – Scoundrel

Scoundrel Specialization

Scoundrel is the strongest overall starting Specialization for Hawks because almost every part of its kit works with Fearless Leader. Instead of relying entirely on Hawks to personally deal damage, Scoundrel creates opportunities for the entire squad to hit harder.

These abilities are particularly strong on Hawks because Fearless Leader already increases Assist Damage for the entire squad while Hawks is deployed.

Scoundrel Playstyle

You do not need an elaborate build to make this useful. Even early in the campaign, applying Vulnerable before a powerful attack can remove enemies much more reliably than simply firing another normal shot. The basic Scoundrel setup is simple:

1. Use Identify Weakness on a dangerous enemy.
2. That enemy becomes Vulnerable, guaranteeing a Critical Hit on the next damaging attack.
3. Use Easy Mark on an important target when you have enough Advantage.
4. Attack the marked target with another Operator.
5. Hawks joins the attack through an Assist.
6. Fearless Leader and Never Play Fair increase the value of these Assist attacks.
7. Continue generating Advantage through normal combat and repeat against priority enemies.

2. Best Starting Weapon for Scoundrel Hawks

Blaster Pistol

Use a Blaster Pistol if you want the most flexible Scoundrel setup. Its low Action Point cost gives Hawks room to reposition, use Identify Weakness, and still attack during the same turn. A Blaster Rifle is the better alternative if you prefer more direct damage and medium-range combat.

The Blaster Pistol costs 1 AP per attack, which matters because Scoundrel already wants to spend AP on abilities such as Identify Weakness.

3. Best Scoundrel Abilities to Upgrade

Scoundrel Abilities

The Scoundrel tree becomes much stronger once you invest Focus Points into Vulnerable and Assist-focused abilities. Prioritize skills that work directly with Hawks’ Fearless Leader Talent.

For most builds, prioritize Identify Weakness first, followed by Never Play Fair. Easy Mark becomes especially valuable once you can generate enough Advantage to use it regularly.

4. Best Starting Classes Ranked

Gunslinger

There are eight standard Specializations available for Hawks: Assault, Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic, Scoundrel, Scout, Sharpshooter, and Soldier. Each has an Ultimate, Standard Ability, and Passive abilities that define its battlefield role.

5. Gunslinger – Best Alternative

Gunslinger

Gunslinger is the best alternative to Scoundrel, especially if you do not want Hawks duplicating Kabb’s starting class.

Its main strengths are fast attacks and killing multiple weakened enemies during one turn. Quick Draw refunds 1 AP when it kills its target, while Onslaught increases primary blaster damage as you continue attacking during the same turn. Open Fire lets you fire twice and distribute the shots between targets if needed.

This makes Gunslinger excellent for cleaning up several damaged enemies:

Weaken enemies with squad → Quick Draw kill → Refund AP → Attack next enemy

Pick Gunslinger if you want Hawks to personally deal more damage rather than setting up allies.

6. Medic – Safest Starting Class

Medic

Medic is the safest choice, particularly on harder difficulties or when playing with permadeath enabled. It specializes in keeping squad members alive and preventing injuries from ruining later missions.

Its important tools include:

• Morale Boost: Gives nearby allies Morale, restoring Health over subsequent turns.
• Combat Stim: Temporarily increases an ally’s Health and both Melee and Ranged Damage.
• Lifesaving Measures: Improves Medpac healing.
• First Responder: Gives the Medic a free Medpac and improves Rally.

Medic is extremely reliable, but it is not the strongest opening choice for normal early-game encounters because the first missions generally reward removing threats quickly more than heavy healing. Choose Medic if survivability matters more to you than damage.

7. Soldier – Easiest Specialization for Beginners

Soldier

If this is your first tactical strategy game, Soldier is the easiest class to understand. Its abilities focus on straightforward ranged damage, grenades, melee attacks, and disabling enemies rather than building Assist or Advantage combinations. 

Soldier has:

• Rocket Strike: AoE explosive attack
• Brutal Strike: Rushes a target and applies Dazed
• Strength: Improves Melee Damage and grenade throwing range
• Armsmaster: Improves primary blaster and grenade damage

Dazed enemies cannot attack, making Brutal Strike particularly useful when you need to shut down a dangerous target for a turn. The problem is that Trick already begins as a Soldier, so choosing Soldier for Hawks duplicates another early squad role.

For that reason, Soldier is the easiest starting class, but Scoundrel is the better overall Hawks class.

8. Heavy – Best Defensive Class

Heavy Specialization

Heavy is the best option if you want Hawks absorbing enemy pressure instead of dealing maximum damage. It gains additional Health and Defense and has abilities built around forcing enemies to attack it.

Its main tools include:

• Bulwark: Taunts enemies in an area while increasing Defense and reducing incoming damage.
• Unstoppable: Grants two Retaliation stacks.
• Conditioning: Increases maximum Health.
• Heavy Armor Training: Increases Defense.
• Intimidating Posture: Primary blaster hits can Taunt enemies.

Heavy becomes more valuable on higher difficulties, but its slower defensive style does not exploit Hawks’ Fearless Leader as effectively as Scoundrel.

9. Scout Vs Sharpshooter

Sharpshooter

Both classes are good, but they are less convincing as the first Hawks Specialization.

Scout specializes in generating Advantage and making targets easier for the squad to hit. Combat Recon generates Advantage for enemies detected within an area, while The Spotter helps remove range and smoke penalties against enemies Hawks damages.

That becomes more useful once you have expensive Ultimates and a developed squad capable of spending all the Advantage you generate.

Sharpshooter is excellent against individual priority targets. Precision Shot always hits, while Zero In improves accuracy and Critical potential as long as the character maintains position.

The drawback is flexibility. Many early missions involve several weaker enemies rather than one boss, making Gunslinger or Scoundrel useful in more situations.

10. Best Team Composition With Scoundrel Hawks

Team Composition

Kabb creates the obvious overlap, but having two Scoundrels does not make the squad ineffective. It actually gives you more opportunities to apply Vulnerable and exploit Assist-based attacks while Trick and Jae provide the direct offensive pressure.

Your first core companions cover several important combat roles.

A basic early combat sequence can look like this:

1. Use Hawks’ Identify Weakness on the toughest enemy.
2. Attack that target with Trick or Jae to consume the guaranteed Critical Hit.
3. Use Easy Mark when enough Advantage is available.
4. Attack the marked target with another squad member.
5. Let Hawks add the additional Assist attack.
6. Use Kabb and Jae to pressure enemies at closer range while Hawks remains in a flexible supporting position.

11. Can You Change Your Starting Class?

Change Specialization button

Yes. Your starting Specialization is not permanent. Once you reach Cycle 3, you can change Hawks’ Specialization at the Personnel section of the Den. Changing Specialization refunds the relevant Focus Points, so experimenting does not permanently waste your progression currency.

1. Progress until Cycle 3.
2. Return to The Den.
3. Go to the Personnel station.
4. Select Hawks.
5. Open the Focus Tree.
6. Choose Change Specialization.
7. Select your new class and redistribute your refunded Focus Points.

Later in the campaign, Operators can also gain access to an additional Specialization, allowing you to expand their combat roles rather than remaining locked to a single class.

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