STAR WARS Zero Company Difficulty, Permadeath & Beskar

For a blind first campaign, choose Normal, turn Permadeath off, and leave Beskar Mode off. This package keeps the current Normal combat baseline and avoids the third-Injury death rule and Beskar’s persistent-save failures while the player learns the campaign systems.

Base difficulty can change outside combat, but the change removes difficulty Achievement eligibility. The current rules define what Permadeath and Beskar Mode do; they do not specify an after-start toggle or recovery path for those settings.

Choose your campaign settings

Choose the one situation that owns this campaign. Every answer gives one base difficulty, one Permadeath state, and one Beskar state.

Choose your situation

What result matters most for this campaign?

First campaign Minimal combat pressure New to tactics Tactics veteran Expert completion Legend run Highest combat bar Roster loss with saves

Choose Normal · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

Normal keeps the standard enemy damage and accuracy baseline while preserving generous weapon ranges and room to recover from mistakes.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players new to tactical games. Enemies deal normal damage with normal accuracy. Weapon ranges are generous and mistakes are easy to recover from.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: Turning Permadeath off removes permanent death at the third Injury, and this package does not qualify for the Expert or completion requirements.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: Read the exact Mission failure condition, change the route or squad plan, and use only the recovery choices the current campaign presents.
Change when: Use the second Story setting if learning objectives, cover, range, and recovery at once stops the campaign from moving forward.
Next action: Select all three settings, read the creation-screen warnings once, then start the Campaign.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Normal or higher

Choose First Story setting · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

The first Story entry is the current setting for minimal challenge or no familiarity with tactical games.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players who prefer to enjoy the story with minimal challenge or for players with no familiarity with tactical games. All player actions deal increased damage. Enemies are significantly easier to fight, with much lower accuracy and damage.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: Player actions deal increased damage and enemies have much lower accuracy and damage, so the run tests fewer recovery decisions.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: Read the exact Mission failure condition and change one failed action before trying the objective again.
Change when: Use the second Story setting when positioning and action order no longer affect whether ordinary encounters succeed.
Next action: Select the first Story description, turn both campaign toggles off, then start the Campaign.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Story or higher

Choose Second Story setting · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

The second Story entry keeps challenging moments but gives a new tactics player more room for error.

Current difficulty rule: For players who want some challenging moments with lots of room for error. Enemies are easier to fight. An ideal experience for players new to this style of gameplay.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: Enemies are easier to fight than on Normal, and this package does not qualify for Normal, Hard, Expert, or completion requirements.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: Correct the squad, equipment, or action that caused the failure before returning to the objective.
Change when: Use Normal when cover, range, objectives, Injuries, and roster recovery are understood without repeated resets.
Next action: Match the second Story description in the menu, turn both campaign toggles off, then start the Campaign.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Story or higher

Choose Hard · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

Hard is the current setting for players familiar with tactical games who want more pressure than Normal without the Beskar save rule.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players familiar with playing tactical games or players seeking a more challenging experience than normal. Enemies are tougher and deal more damage. Effective weapon ranges are reduced requiring more maneuvering and more risk. Initial bond levels between Operators are lower. The Bacta Tank is disabled.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: Enemies are tougher, range is reduced, initial Bonds are lower, and the Bacta Tank is disabled.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: If the Hard completion requirement matters, keep this difficulty and repair the squad, loadout, or objective plan instead.
Change when: Use Normal if reduced range, weaker starting Bonds, and no Bacta Tank leave too little recovery room for a first playthrough.
Next action: Select Hard, turn both campaign toggles off, and preserve the difficulty setting through completion.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Hard or higher

Choose Expert · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

Expert is the exact base setting named by the current Expert completion requirement; Beskar is not required for that target.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players with great expertise playing tactical games or players seeking the highest level of challenge for STAR WARS Zero Company. Careful tactics and planning are crucial on Expert difficulty. Enemies are tougher and deal greatly enhanced damage. Effective weapon range is greatly reduced requiring aggressive maneuvering and careful planning. Initial bond levels between Operators are much lower. The Bacta Tank is disabled.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: Enemies are tougher and deal greatly enhanced damage, effective range is greatly reduced, initial Bonds are much lower, and the Bacta Tank is disabled.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: Do not change difficulty while this completion requirement matters. Repair the squad, loadout, or objective plan instead.
Change when: Use Hard only if finishing the campaign matters more than keeping Expert completion eligibility on this save.
Next action: Select Expert, turn Beskar Mode off, choose Permadeath off for this recovery-focused package, and keep the base setting unchanged.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Expert

Choose Expert · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode On

The current requirement names Expert with Beskar Mode, so this package protects that exact completion target.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players with great expertise playing tactical games or players seeking the highest level of challenge for STAR WARS Zero Company. Careful tactics and planning are crucial on Expert difficulty. Enemies are tougher and deal greatly enhanced damage. Effective weapon range is greatly reduced requiring aggressive maneuvering and careful planning. Initial bond levels between Operators are much lower. The Bacta Tank is disabled.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Recommended for Advanced or Expert players. Beskar Mode maintains a single persistent save file that is constantly updated. This setting removes the option to manually save, making choices permanent. If disaster befalls the team the consequences are not reversible. When Operators die they cannot be recovered. If dies, any other critical squad member dies, or a crucial mission is failed in Beskar Mode the game is over.
Tradeoff: Beskar uses one constantly updated save, disables manual saving, makes Operator deaths irreversible, and ends the Campaign on its three stated Game Over triggers.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: dying, another critical squad member dying, or a crucial Mission failing ends the campaign.
Recovery: A Beskar Game Over has no manual-save recovery under the current rule. Prevent the named campaign-ending failures before committing.
Change when: Use Expert with Beskar Mode off before starting if a single persistent save or an irreversible critical failure is not the run you want.
Next action: Confirm Expert, Permadeath off, and Beskar Mode on before Start Campaign, then treat every crucial Mission as a campaign-ending risk.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Expert and Beskar Mode

Choose Absolute · Permadeath Off · Beskar Mode Off

Absolute is the last current combat setting and its description calls it the highest bar of difficulty.

Current difficulty rule: The highest bar of difficulty. Every battle is a brutal fight for survival.
Permadeath consequence: Off. The third Injury does not cause permanent death, but the Injury accuracy penalty remains.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: The current description promises a brutal fight for survival but does not state additional range, Bond, Bacta Tank, or save effects for this row.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: A named condition can fail a Mission. It does not make every failure a Beskar campaign-ending result.
Recovery: Change the failed squad, loadout, route, or objective order. Changing difficulty outside combat remains possible but removes difficulty-achievement eligibility.
Change when: Use Expert if the one-line Absolute description is not enough to justify the highest combat setting for this campaign.
Next action: Select Absolute, leave both campaign toggles off, and verify the live description before Start Campaign.

Choose Normal · Permadeath On · Beskar Mode Off

This package keeps Normal combat and the intended permanent roster-loss rule without accepting Beskar's single persistent save.

Current difficulty rule: Intended for players new to tactical games. Enemies deal normal damage with normal accuracy. Weapon ranges are generous and mistakes are easy to recover from.
Permadeath consequence: Operators cannot fight effectively and suffer a -15% Chance-To-Hit penalty for each injury. An Operator who suffers a 3rd injury is Killed-In-Action and lost forever.
Beskar consequence: Off. The Beskar single-save and three named Game Over rules do not apply.
Tradeoff: An Operator who receives a third Injury is lost forever, so trained reserves and Medbay recovery remain campaign requirements.
Can change: Base difficulty can change outside combat. Changing difficulty level will result in losing eligibility for any difficulty-based Achievements.
Setting boundary: The current rules do not define an after-start change path for Permadeath or Beskar Mode. Confirm both on the creation screen.
Failure boundary: Injury 3 kills an Operator permanently. A named Mission failure condition remains separate.
Recovery: A dead Operator remains lost under the selected Permadeath rule. Protect the roster with reserves and recovery before another risky deployment.
Change when: Choose Permadeath off when losing a developed Operator would make you abandon the run.
Next action: Select Normal, turn Permadeath on, leave Beskar Mode off, and recruit at least one healthy reserve.

Protected target: · Beat the game on Normal or higher

Read the current levels

Current game text contains six ordered entries. The first two both display as Story, so use their full descriptions instead of position alone.

Setting	Current description
First Story setting	Intended for players who prefer to enjoy the story with minimal challenge or for players with no familiarity with tactical games. All player actions deal increased damage. Enemies are significantly easier to fight, with much lower accuracy and damage.
Second Story setting	For players who want some challenging moments with lots of room for error. Enemies are easier to fight. An ideal experience for players new to this style of gameplay.
Normal	Intended for players new to tactical games. Enemies deal normal damage with normal accuracy. Weapon ranges are generous and mistakes are easy to recover from.
Hard	Intended for players familiar with playing tactical games or players seeking a more challenging experience than normal. Enemies are tougher and deal more damage. Effective weapon ranges are reduced requiring more maneuvering and more risk. Initial bond levels between Operators are lower. The Bacta Tank is disabled.
Expert	Intended for players with great expertise playing tactical games or players seeking the highest level of challenge for STAR WARS Zero Company. Careful tactics and planning are crucial on Expert difficulty. Enemies are tougher and deal greatly enhanced damage. Effective weapon range is greatly reduced requiring aggressive maneuvering and careful planning. Initial bond levels between Operators are much lower. The Bacta Tank is disabled.
Absolute	The highest bar of difficulty. Every battle is a brutal fight for survival.

Hard and Expert explicitly name reduced effective range, lower initial Bonds, and a disabled Bacta Tank. Absolute does not state those details in its one-sentence description. Do not transfer one row’s effects to another.

Know what can change

Choice	Current rule	Safe planning boundary
Base difficulty	Change it outside combat	Accept that the change removes difficulty Achievement eligibility
Permadeath	Enabled by default; disabling it prevents permanent death at Injury 3	Confirm the live value before the campaign begins
Beskar Mode	One persistent save, no manual saving, irreversible Operator deaths, and three Game Over conditions	Confirm the live value before the campaign begins

Only base difficulty has an explicit after-start change rule. Do not turn the absence of a rule for the two campaign toggles into a stronger promise.

Protect a completion target

: Beat the game on Story or higher
: Beat the game on Normal or higher
: Beat the game on Hard or higher
: Beat the game on Expert
: Beat the game on Expert and Beskar Mode

The first three requirements say “or higher.” Expert and name exact conditions. If one matters, choose it before beginning and do not change base difficulty during the attempt.

Separate Permadeath from Beskar

The STAR WARS Zero Company experience was crafted with the intention that Operators can die. By default it is enabled. Disabling this feature will prevent Operators from permanently dying when they receive a third Injury. Operators cannot fight effectively and suffer a -15% Chance-To-Hit penalty for each injury. An Operator who suffers a 3rd injury is Killed-In-Action and lost forever.

Permadeath controls the third-Injury death boundary. Beskar Mode controls the save and campaign-ending rules:

Recommended for Advanced or Expert players. Beskar Mode maintains a single persistent save file that is constantly updated. This setting removes the option to manually save, making choices permanent. If disaster befalls the team the consequences are not reversible. When Operators die they cannot be recovered. If dies, any other critical squad member dies, or a crucial mission is failed in Beskar Mode the game is over.

Use Permadeath on with Beskar off when permanent roster loss is the intended cost without the Beskar save rule. Use Beskar only when its one persistent save and named irreversible failures are the point of the campaign.

Respond to a failed Mission

Open the Mission records and read the exact failure condition. Then identify which current layer failed: squad legality, objective order, route, equipment, weapon AP, or campaign setting.

Failure layer	Next action
Named Operator or Mission condition	Protect every name in the exact record
Objective or evacuation	Use the current objective state and completion text
Squad or equipment	Rebuild the legal squad and one repeated loadout problem
Base difficulty	Change it only when losing Achievement eligibility is acceptable
Beskar Game Over	The current rule provides no manual-save recovery

Do not assume a checkpoint, restart, save-slot, or same-squad recovery path that the current rules do not define.

Check before Start Campaign

Match the selected difficulty by its full description.
Confirm that the chosen completion requirement matches the base difficulty and Beskar state.
Confirm whether Injury 3 should permanently remove an Operator.
Confirm whether one persistent save with no manual saving is the intended rule.
Read the live creation-screen warnings.
Start only when the visible settings match the selected package.

REFERENCES

References

Difficulty descriptions, the change warning, Permadeath, Injuries, Beskar Mode, Mission failure conditions, and completion requirements supply every fact used here.
Current difficulty, campaign setting, Mission risk, and Achievement records