10 Star Wars Zero Company beginner's tips and tricks

Star Wars Zero Company is a big, dense game, and while the tutorials do a solid job of easing you into some of its more complex elements, they tend to cover battle tips and things of that nature. However, some of the most important things you do in Zero Company happen during the quiet moments between missions, when you're prepping your team for the next scuffle or deciding where to send operators next. We've compiled a few tips to help you make the most of that in-between time.

Below, we've listed some essential Star Wars Zero Company beginner tips to get your crew off to the best start possible.

Your base should always be upgrading

Image: Bit Reactor/EA via Polygon

Upgrading your den is essential, and you should always have at least one upgrade to the base, crew, or weapon facilities underway whenever you can. Some of the fluffier, less useful ones like the black market upgrades can wait. But you'll need a better medbay, a place for your crew to bond, an expanded roster, and some of the other, more essential upgrades as early as you can get them. Higher-level unlocks like the one that adds more utility slots aren't available until your overall den level increases, but that'll happen naturally as you clear operations and main missions.

Remember the droids

Astromech droids don't engage in combat, but they often still tip the balance in your favor. These exceptionally handy little not-guys can give a select unit additional AP so they act again or, if you have enough advantage points, every ally can act again. They hold multiple utility items. They can self-heal and negate enemy defenses. Astromechs are essential support units, and the help they provide more than make up for their lack of offensive abilities.

Don't worry too much about balance

Sure, an ideal team might have a scout, a heavy, a medic, and a droid, but you don't have to plan for the standard ideal. You could have two scouts run around marking enemies, which removes chance-to-hit penalties for long-range attacks, then pick them off with a sharpshooter, and have a droid let the sharpshooter act again. Or have a pack of scoundrels and assault units rush in with melee attacks and close-range shots (and hope it's enough to clear the surrounding area). Play around with combinations that seem fun or interesting, and see what you like best.

Play to your strengths

Image: Bit Reactor/EA via Polygon

Whatever your choice, just be sure to play to your squad's strengths, and read their class, ability, and passive info at the personnel panel back at base so you know what those are.

Scoundrels, for example, deal extra damage when you call on them for passive attacks. They also disregard up to four points of an enemy's defense with any attack, and if they defeat a foe using a melee strike, they get the AP they used for that attack refunded. In other words, if you have a scoundrel on your team, they're the one you want to tag in for assist strikes, and it's a good, efficient idea to let them finish off weak foes with an uppercut attack if you can.

Likewise, sharpshooters can use all their AP in a single strike for extra damage, and their self-buffs increase critical hit chances. You'll want to stack more critical chances with modifiers and rely on them for heavy single-target damage, once per round.

You can change your crew's classes

The tutorials hide this little tidbit, but you can change the class specialization for any crew member, including Hawks and the initial folks of Zero Company. From the main personnel menu, choose the "focus tree" menu. Under the little banner that displays how many focus points you have, pick "change specialization." Most units' personal talents are locked, but you can change to any other class specialization.

This is also how you'll add extra specializations for your crew when that option unlocks later in the game.

Influence matters more than you might think

Image: Bit Reactor/EA via Polygon

Gaining influence might be one of Zero Company's more passive components, but it's still very important. Reaching influence milestones in each zone unlocks perks, which range from comparatively tame (but useful) things like extra den points to brand-new utilities. So, have a look at the rewards on offer, and don't skimp on sending operators out and choosing side missions that bump up your influence in a given zone.

Keep an eye on your deadlines

Speaking of side operations, Zero Company has some harsh deadlines. Clearing every quest takes a fair bit of planning to ensure you have enough intel to do what needs doing in the few cycles you have to do it. However, in addition to gaining influence, these operations also give you credits and often unlock other, more important missions like character quests. Keep track of the ones that matter to your goals, and don't forget to clear them before the deadline passes.

Hold your best moves until you need them

It's tempting to rush in with blasters blazing and take out as many enemies as possible, as quickly as possible. That's a valid strategy — in some missions. Others throw reinforcements at you or have a second phase that starts after you clear out all the initial foes. Things get even more complicated once you start fighting infected cult members, who have superior movement and strength. Most class' special moves have a limited number of uses per battle, so play it safe and keep some of those uses for later when they'd really make a difference.

Make the rounds with your crew after a mission

Image: Bit Reactor/EA via Polygon

Zero Company's storytelling happens in more ways than just the critical path missions. Chat with your crew, including the non-playable members, after a mission if they've got something to say. Sometimes, you'll pick up info that leads you to a new quest. Sometimes, you learn about two crew members fighting over a rat. It's always worth your time, whatever the outcome.

On a similar note, be sure to check the hologram on the table outside Hawks' office for news broadcasts. There's usually a new one every time you complete a main mission, and it's helpful for putting Zero Company in the context of the wider Clone Wars.

Everyone needs utilities

Every crew member should have as many utilities as they can carry before you start a job — which is just one, until your den level increases enough for you to expand their utility slots. However, it's still important, and you should select a mix of offensive and support items to cover all eventualities. Get creative with your choices, too. A scout with a smoke grenade, for example, can rush out, use their recon ability to stack advantage for the party, then cover sightlines with their grenade to stay safe. Or a heavy could soften a group of enemies with a standard explosive grenade, taunt them, and then counter each incoming attack to finish off the group.

Granted, that last one requires some setup to ensure the heavy has enough retaliation stacks, but the point is, you can use utilities in a lot of inventive ways.

If you don't have a droid or medic on your team, just make sure at least two squad members have stims for health restoration. It'll make life a lot easier and death less likely.