Start by learning the three-action-point turn, reading the mission objective and checking your operators before every deployment. STAR WARS Zero Company alternates between squad battles and management at The Den. A reliable opening routine connects those two halves: prepare for the objective at the base, preserve enough options during combat and finish time-sensitive work before the next Cycle advances.
Before your first deployment
A standard mission deploys four operators, not your entire company. Hawks is required for story missions, while some other missions allow a different lineup. First read the objective and the mission risk label—Risky, Dangerous or Extreme—then inspect each operator’s abilities, equipment and current injuries. A familiar character or an impressive outfit does not explain their tactical role.
For a first squad, look for a way to apply damage, manage pressure and support a teammate who gets into trouble. This is a planning checklist, not a universal best team. The eight standard Specializations provide different tools, and most operators can change their standard Specialization at The Den. Our class comparison explains the roles without assuming one lineup suits every encounter.
EA’s role guide gives useful starting combinations rather than a universal tier list: Soldier or Assault with a Blaster Rifle for a direct first build, Medic for support, and Scout or Scoundrel when you want more setup. Adjust that template to the objective instead of trying to force the same four operators into every mission.
Decide how much campaign risk you want before committing. Permadeath and Beskar Mode are selected when a new Campaign is created and cannot be switched off inside that save. Beskar allows only one save and removes manual saving. Hawks has a separate rule: his death fails the mission and requires a restart.
Plan the whole turn before the first shot
Your squad acts before the enemy team, and each operator starts with three action points. Check the cost preview before moving or firing: not every attack costs the same, and some actions use all remaining AP. Plan useful positions for the whole team rather than finishing one operator without considering the others.
Use hit chance, cover and sightlines to decide where to stop. Distance, weapon range, line of sight, cover and position all affect the shot; open Shot Breakdown when the percentage is not what you expected. Partial and full cover are directional, and some cover can be destroyed. Overwatch can punish enemy movement or actions inside its cone, but entering it ends that operator’s turn. Move and use any other intended actions first.
Every damaging hit adds one Advantage to the shared pool, which is capped at ten. Advantage powers abilities without an additional AP cost, so spending it on one operator changes what remains for everyone else. Most utilities cost 1 AP. Also check the operator selected for Call for Backup: that cooperative attack setup costs no AP and helps build Bonds.
Focus on the largest immediate threat instead of automatically spreading damage across several enemies. Before ending the squad’s turn, ask whether every exposed operator is safe, whether unused AP can still improve a position, and how the enemy can retaliate. The optional early-end-turn warning is available under Options → Gameplay → General.
Make the return to The Den count
Before selecting the next tactical mission, review injuries, equipment and available upgrades. Speak with teammates too: conversations can reveal personal missions and affect the company’s relationships. Regular Medbay healing takes one Cycle; Bacta treatment is immediate. Construction also takes time, and deployments move the Cycle forward. Finish the base tasks you do not want to leave behind before confirming the next mission.
EcksToo’s gameplay commentary demonstrates a useful base routine: conversations, medical care, Operations, equipment and personnel checks, then deployment. Treat that as an organizational aid rather than a compulsory order. Your resources and injured operators may call for different priorities.
Use the learning and accessibility options
The four difficulty levels and accessibility settings are Story, Normal, Hard and Expert. Tutorials, on-demand tooltips, loading-screen tips and the early-end-turn warning can stay enabled while you learn; using them does not change the documented combat rules. Text can be set to Small, Standard, Large or Extra Large, and the accessibility menu also provides color-vision filters, subtitle controls, voice boost, action-camera frequency and broad controller or keyboard remapping.
Set these for readability and comfort rather than treating them as a hidden build advantage. EA’s accessibility page also documents that menu narration is not supported in the reviewed US-English build, so players who rely on that feature should verify the current version before buying.
Three mistakes worth avoiding
- Do not treat four deployment slots as the maximum size of your roster. Reserves give you alternatives when someone is recovering.
- Do not spend all your AP before checking whether you still need to reposition, assist or set up Overwatch.
- Do not assume every objective requires eliminating every enemy. Follow the mission goal and extraction or interaction requirements shown on screen.
- Do not choose appearance for a presumed statistical bonus. Origin and outfits are not inherent stat upgrades.
Continue with combat fundamentals when turn order is the problem, or The Den guide when you are unsure what to do between missions.