Use your favourite features in-game with our Desktop AppStar Wars Zero Company is a turn-based tactics game from Bit Reactor, set in the final days of the Clone Wars. Heavily inspired by XCOM, combat is tactical, punishing, and can be notoriously frustrating.
Here are our tips for surviving combat and keeping your Operators alive.
Backup lets an Operator with a clear line of sight join in on an ally's attack, and it's one of the strongest mechanics in combat. A Backup attack effectively doubles your damage output, never misses, and it costs nothing.
The only catch is line of sight. An Operator can only trigger Backup on a target they can actually see, so don't commit to an attack without checking who's actually in position to back it up. Some Operators also carry Talents or Passives that boost their assist damage specifically, which makes them worth prioritising when you're deciding who backs up who.
Not only that, but it builds bond experience on each use, so even if you aren't going to benefit from the attack you should still use it.
Not every Specialization and Talent performs equally well in combat, and a few stand out clearly once you've spent time testing them.
Bulwark is one of the strongest defensive specs, mostly because of its Taunt ultimate. Simply Taunt the enemy to pull their attention, then retreat behind heavy cover so the incoming damage has nowhere to land.
Medic is worth running for its Stimulant ability. The heals from med kits are valuable, and their ultimate ability Morale Boost gives a whole heap of healing, but it can be argued that your AP is better spent elsewhere.
Lastly, Gunslingers have incredibly high damage potential with the capacity to shoot five or more times in a turn. If you find yourself being overrun by low hp enemy fodder, this spec is a must - that, or stock up on grenades.
For more information on the strength of specs in Zero Company, check out our full tier list.
On the Talent side, Anticipation and Grit both allow you to avoid damage each turn, Cold-Blooded guarantees a critical hit (great with Snipers), and Taunt does exactly what it sounds like: pull enemy attention, then get out of sight before it's your turn to take the hit.
Remember that you don't need to commit to a build permanently. Specializations and Talents can be changed at any time through the customisation menu, so experiment early and respec whenever a mission calls for something different.
Before heading into a combat mission, take the time to interact with the overworld around you. Doing so can turn up benefits such as intel and Advantage, the latter of which carries real benefits once the fighting starts, allowing you to use your ults sooner.
Every Operator has access to the same four weapons, but not all weapons are made equal. Generally speaking each weapon coincides with a desired playstyle, but some certainly can give you an extra edge in the right scenarios.
The Repeater is one of the strongest for raw damage as it spends your entire pool of Action Points to fire off multiple shots in one go. This makes it especially effective if you're already dug into a strong position and don't need to move, essentially giving you 3 blaster hits in one turn.
The Longarm is another strong option, particularly if you're planning to hold position and lean on Overwatch. Its range makes it easy to keep enemies at arm's length while still dealing consistent damage.
Whichever weapon you settle on, don't forget to spend resources upgrading it. Most notably, all weapons have damage upgrade options, which you should aim to obtain as soon as possible.
It's tempting to push forward and take the fight to the enemy, but Overwatch is almost always the better option.
Staying in Overwatch keeps you from exposing yourself outside of cover, and it lets you play reactively rather than committing to a plan that can fall apart the moment the enemy does something unexpected or when reinforcements arrive. Reacting to the enemy rather than the other way around is the core of how this game rewards tactical play, and is crucial to success at higher difficulties.
Overwatch also interrupts enemy movement, stopping them from repositioning freely. If you enter Overwatch with more than one Action Point still available, you'll fire multiple shots as enemies move through your line of sight, dealing more damage over the turn than a single direct shot would.
Overwatch can also be enhanced, such as with the Sharpshooter's passive effect Pick Them Off that increases its hit chance and damage.
Jae's talent Finisher is exceptionally strong, granting her the ability to finish enemies off below a certain health threshold (so long as she can see them). This caveat means that it's not ideal on her default Soldier Specialization, where she's fighting up close and doesn't have a clear view of the entire battlefield.
By respeccing her into a Sharpshooter instead, you gain extra range, meaning she can see and contribute to more of the fight, which means more enemies within reach of a finishing blow.
Utility items from the Black Market are worth building into every loadout. Grenades are cheap and great versus droids and other weak opponents, and the Scattergun is a strong option in close quarters.
Most Specializations don't have a reliable source of area-of-effect damage on their own, so Black Market utility is one of the few ways to cover that gap. Don't overlook it just because it's not tied to a Specialization's kit.
