Star Wars Zero Company: Hawks Squad Decisions and Playthroughs
Hawks class, Pico-5 AP feeding, Backup bond caps, and dilemma choices reshape your squad comp, cross-training speed, and permadeath risk. Here is how to lock Hawks role first and fill the other three slots.
Core problem: Hawks is locked into every story mission and occupies 1 of 4 squad slots. Your class, weapon, Pico-5 usage, and dilemma choices decide what the other three operators can do, how fast bonds and cross-training grow, who is safe from permadeath, and whether some companions stay happy. Players keep asking: what do I make Hawks so the rest of the squad actually works?
What Changes a Playthrough
- 1Hawks dies equals mission fail.
Restart on normal or permadeath. Full save wipe on Beskar. Everyone else dies after 3 Injuries.
- 2Fearless Leader is always on while Hawks is deployed.
Extra assist damage, defense, and hit chance for the whole squad. Upgrade it early.
- 3Pico-5 (Advantage to plus 1 AP to one ally, once per turn) is the biggest turn-changer.
Community comps are built around feeding AP to a carry.
- 4Bonds rise from Backup, heals, stims, Pico-5, assists, and story dilemmas.
Low bonds mean weaker cross-training and possible narrative friction. Some dilemmas can push an operator away.
- 5You can respec Hawks and most authored operators at the Den anytime.
Fearless Leader and Pico-5 stay.
1Pick Hawks Primary Spec
Assess Threats and Spot feeds Advantage every fight. Hawks stays useful even when someone else gets the kill. Pair with Sharpshooter or Scoundrel later. Weapon: rifle or longarm.
Quick Draw is 1 AP. Rifle is strongly preferred over pistol after the first few cycles (better assists and ult). Common second spec: Medic or Scout.
Combat Stim plus heals keep Injuries off Trick, Kabb, and Jae. Second spec often Gunslinger or Scout so Hawks is not just a pack mule.
2Build the Other Three Slots Around Hawks
- 1Hawks Scout or Medic plus Trick Heavy (taunt plus retaliate) plus Jae Gunslinger or Assault plus Kabb Scoundrel or a custom Medic or Scout.
- 2Hawks Sharpshooter or Gunslinger (overwatch plus Pico-5) plus Cly (once unlocked) plus Tel-Rea plus Astromech or Medic.
- 3Hawks Medic or Scout plus custom Heavy plus Jae plus Trick.
3Spend Pico-5 and Backup on Purpose Every Fight
- 1Pico-5 the operator who can convert plus 1 AP into a kill, a Force push or pull, a second retaliate, or getting someone into cover.
Do not hoard Advantage just in case.
- 2Call Backup even when the extra shot is not needed.
It is the cheapest plus 10 bond. Cap is twice per pair per mission.
- 3Park Hawks where Fearless Leader and line-of-sight for assists stay active.
4Handle Dilemmas for Bonds, Not Flavor
- 1Call Trick a hero (not just loyal) when talking to Bennic.
Bond up.
- 2Hire Cly when offered.
You get a second chance if you refuse first.
- 3Say I get it with Luco rather than telling him he can leave.
Bond up.
- 4Repair the device in Forgotten Call for Trick bond plus Influence.
Salvage only if you desperately need the capacitor.
5Protect the Roster Between Missions
- 1Treat Injuries at the Medbay before the next cycle.
- 2Do not send a 2-Injury operator on a story mission just because they have a required name.
- 3Hawks can play more aggressively than anyone else because a wipe only restarts the mission.
Key Decision Points
- Early game (before Cly and Tel-Rea): Hawks as Scout or Medic plus Trick plus Jae plus one custom Heavy or Medic is the safest setup people report at cycle 9.
- Once Cly and Tel-Rea join: Many players stop justifying other comps. Hawks feeds Advantage and AP. Cly or Tel-Rea becomes the map-clearer.
- Beskar or Expert: Never leave Hawks exposed. If Hawks drops, the run ends. Treat every story mission like Hawks is the only character who cannot be replaced.
- Respec timing: Change Hawks the moment Personnel opens if your first pick feels weak. Dual-spec when it unlocks. Put the capstone on the spec you actually use every turn.
Common Mistakes
- Starting Hawks Gunslinger plus pistol and never switching weapon or spec. Players call it kinda mid.
- Treating Medic Hawks as a full bond speedrun after the first few cycles. Assists (plus 10) outpace stims (plus 4).
- Ignoring Backup caps and Pico-5. Bonds and Focus stay slow without them.
- Sending injured named operators on required missions. Eating a permadeath on a story-required character.
- Building three damage dealers and no tank or healer. Hawks buffs everyone but cannot solo-heal or taunt.
- On Beskar, assuming a failed side mission or Hawks death just restarts like normal mode. It does not. The save is gone.