STAR WARS Zero Company Hawks Starting Specialization Guide

This guide is for a first-campaign player choosing ’ first combat role, or an early player deciding whether that choice still fits. You only need to know which three other Operators you expect to field. If the squad already has stable jobs, use the failure checks below instead of rebuilding around a generic tier list.

Which Specialization should Hawks start with?

Start with on a blind first campaign. This is a safe strategy recommendation, not a hidden game ranking. The role gives a useful support turn while recruitment, equipment, and the other three battlefield jobs are still unsettled.

The price of this default is direct pressure. A turn spent on does not move an enemy or finish one. That trade is worth making while one injured or fatigued ally would otherwise lose the squad’s best action. It stops being worth it when those support turns sit unused.

The current Operator record describes as the customizable leader who deploys on required story missions. That makes a dependable normal turn more useful than a build that works only on one ideal map. The right first role should still help when a preferred target, firing lane, or enemy cluster does not appear.

Do not treat the starting choice as permanent. The current Focus rule states: Focus Points are how each individual Operator can enhance their Action and Passive abilities. They can be spent and refunded between missions. That makes an informed first pick more important than a perfect prediction of the entire campaign.

covers a need that incomplete rosters commonly fail to replace: keeping the current plan alive after damage or fatigue. Its current Focus Tree includes , whose first rank reads: Grants to an ally for 2 Turns, increasing Max Health, Melee Damage, and Ranged Damage. The action improves the Operator who already has the best attack, route, or objective position. does not have to become the main damage dealer to influence the turn.

The personal Talent supports the same team-first logic. The first current tier of reads: When is present, increases Assist Damage by +1 for all Operators Later tiers continue improving team Assist Damage and Defense. The Talent does not force a support Specialization, but it rewards a squad that coordinates attacks rather than giving four Operators isolated jobs.

Keep this default only while it changes outcomes. If no one needs recovery, support, or a protected setup turn, is occupying a flexible slot without solving the current problem.

Which role fixes your squad problem?

Pick the repeated failure that matches your roster. The selector gives that situation one answer. If you have not played enough comparable Missions to see a pattern, keep the first option and start with .

Choose your situation

What goes wrong in two comparable Missions?

I do not know yet Attacks lack setup One target survives Allies take pressure The objective needs movement Weak enemies keep acting A distant target survives The squad needs a generalist

I do not know yet:

Choose . The first roster has no dependable recovery or support turn.

First tool: : Grants to an ally for 2 Turns, increasing Max Health, Melee Damage, and Ranged Damage.
Use it to: Keep the best-positioned ally useful after damage or fatigue disrupts the plan.
Cost: gives up a direct attack or control action on a turn spent supporting an ally.
Change when: Support actions go unused in two comparable Missions and prepared enemies remain alive.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Medic Focus Tree

Attacks lack setup:

Choose . The squad has damage, but poor information or setup wastes its attacks.

First tool: : Assess threats in the target area, granting for each enemy in the assessment area.
Use it to: Assess a group before the finisher commits and generate the shared combat resource from the enemies caught in the area.
Cost: The setup turn deals no finishing damage by itself, so another Operator must use the opening.
Change when: Attacks already connect reliably and the squad now lacks a dependable finish.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Scout Focus Tree

One target survives:

Choose . One armored or priority target survives the squad's normal attacks.

First tool: : Makes a chosen enemy , allowing the next attack to Critically Hit.
Use it to: Prepare that target for the next allied hit instead of adding another uncoordinated attack.
Cost: The mark needs a follow-up attack, so it is wasted when no ally can reach the target in time.
Change when: No ally has the range, line of sight, or remaining action to use the opening.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Scoundrel Focus Tree

Allies take pressure:

Choose . Enemy pressure reaches fragile Operators before they can do their jobs.

First tool: : Gain 2 Stacks of . Each stack permits a counter against the next incoming attack.
Use it to: Hold the exposed space and answer incoming attacks while the back line works.
Cost: This commits to absorbing pressure and gives the squad less immediate healing, setup, or finishing power.
Change when: Enemy attention is controlled, but accumulated damage or fatigue still ends the plan.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Heavy Focus Tree

The objective needs movement:

Choose . The objective needs movement, cover displacement, or control of a short lane.

First tool: : Charge into an enemy, dealing Melee Damage and Pushing it backwards.
Use it to: Change an enemy's position and open the next allied action instead of waiting for a clean shot.
Cost: Closing the distance can expose , and the role loses value when the squad can hold one firing lane.
Change when: The Mission repeatedly rewards a stable long-range position rather than another close commitment.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Assault Focus Tree

Weak enemies keep acting:

Choose . Several weakened enemies survive and continue taking turns.

First tool: : Fire a lightning fast sidearm pistol shot.
Use it to: Finish a low-Health target and keep pressure moving across the group.
Cost: Cleanup pressure does less to solve one durable target or a squad that cannot create safe shots.
Change when: One durable target is the problem, or no reliable cleanup target appears.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Gunslinger Focus Tree

A distant target survives:

Choose . Setup and protection are covered, but a distant priority target must fall.

First tool: : Set up a position for accurate shooting and gain 3 Stacks of , increasing Chance-To-Hit by +15% and Critical Chance by +9%.
Use it to: Prepare a firing position and improve the next accurate shot from that lane.
Cost: Movement, displacement, and interaction objectives can erase the value of the prepared position.
Change when: The objective repeatedly forces to leave the firing lane before using it.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Sharpshooter Focus Tree

The squad needs a generalist:

Choose . The squad needs flexible close and medium pressure rather than a narrow specialist.

First tool: : Rush and strike a target, dealing Melee Damage and Dazing.
Use it to: Cover the general combat job when another Operator is not already doing it.
Cost: already starts on this path, so the first roster can end up with two broad attackers and no recovery, protection, or setup.
Change when: The roster already has broad offense and is missing recovery, protection, or setup.
Next action: Open the exact current tree, read all three branches, and spend first on the ordinary action that fixes this failure.

Open the Soldier Focus Tree

One early overlap deserves an explicit check. The current Operator record starts on . Starting on the same role can work, but it should answer a real need for a second broad attacker. It is not the neutral default when recovery, setup, or protection is still missing.

Use the Focus Tree reference to compare the whole standard pool. Each answer above also opens the selected role directly. The reference gives the exact ranks. This guide decides whether that job belongs on the current squad.

How should you test the choice?

Test one Specialization across two comparable deployments before changing it. A single bad map can punish any role. Two repeated failures show whether the job itself is missing.

Before deployment, finish this sentence for : “This Operator will make the squad better at ___.”
Name the ordinary action that proves the role is working. Do not use the Ultimate as the only answer.
Give the other three Operators distinct jobs: reliable finish, setup or control, and protection or recovery.
During the mission, count whether takes the planned action on useful turns.
After the mission, write down the first failure that cost the objective, an Operator turn, or a safe firing position.
Repeat once. Change roles only if the same missing job appears again.

Weapon choice follows the job. A close role needs a route into useful range. A stationary role needs a lane it can keep. A support role needs a weapon that still gives it a reasonable fallback attack after the support action is no longer needed. The Armory loadout guide turns those role requirements into equipment checks without claiming that one weapon model fits every squad.

When should you change Specializations?

Change when the campaign exposes Change Specialization and one of these statements has been true twice:

the chosen role’s Standard action had no useful target;
another Operator already handled the same job from a better position;
the mission failed because recovery, setup, protection, mobility, or finishing was absent;
the build depended on an Ultimate while its Passive and Standard branches did not affect normal turns;
the next required mission changes the squad composition enough to leave a different job empty.

Do not rebuild because a damage number looked small once. Check range, line of sight, cover, target state, and action order first. A correct role cannot repair a turn taken from the wrong position.

The Focus refund and swap section covers the Personnel workflow, refund boundary, eligible paths, and verification steps. It does not promise an exact Cycle unlock. Use the action when it appears in Personnel for the selected Operator.

Which path should stay primary?

Current standard trees expose 17 purchasable primary ranks and 14 secondary ranks. The secondary path stops one tier earlier in each branch. Keep the role whose deepest payoff defines ’ normal job in the primary slot. Use the secondary slot for one lower-rank action that repairs a named weakness.

For a support-first build, keep primary while recovery and team support decide missions. Add when the spare turn should create information or the shared combat resource. Add when one priority target needs setup before an ally attacks. If the added path becomes the action used on most turns, it is no longer a side job and should be tested as the primary.

The formal swap rule is explicit: You can only have one specialization of each type per Operator. Would you like to swap your primary and secondary specializations? All spent Focus Points will be refunded. Rebuild the ordinary turn first, then spend remaining points on deeper payoff. An empty Focus pool is not proof that the build is complete.

Use the four-Operator squad guide to check the other three jobs before confirming the change. Use the full Specialization and Talent guide only after the starting role works and you are ready to compare universal Talents or a secondary path for a custom recruit.

REFERENCES

References

Current Operator, Talent, Specialization, Focus Tree, eligibility, refund, and rank text provides every game name, description, and value used here.
Current English game text
EA's current overview confirms the eight standard battlefield roles and their Passive, Standard, and Ultimate structure.
Official Specializations hub
EA's current guide explains the role identities and the boundary between flexible custom choices and assigned authored paths.
EA Specialization and Weapon guide

Which Specialization should Hawks start with?

Why does Medic fit a blind first campaign?

Which role fixes your squad problem?

I do not know yet: MedicStandard SpecializationMedicThe Medic excels at healing and preserving their teammates. Medics can also boost their teammates, both physically and psychologically.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimateMorale Boost

Attacks lack setup: ScoutStandard SpecializationScoutThe Scout is a tactical Operator trained in ambush and reconnaissance tactics. Their planning and timing benefit their entire team, creating opportunities where none exist.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimateAmbush

One target survives: ScoundrelStandard SpecializationScoundrelThe Scoundrel is a wildcard, adept at taking advantage of situations without much preparation and taking advantage of every opportunity in combat.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimateEasy Mark

Allies take pressure: HeavyStandard SpecializationHeavyThe Heavy is a frontline combatant, heavily armored and tough as nails. These Operators specialize in survivability and soaking up enemy attacks while out in the open.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimateBulwark

Weak enemies keep acting: GunslingerStandard SpecializationGunslingerThe Gunslinger specializes in multi-target blaster attacks and fast strikes that allow them to spread offense across numerous targets.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimateOpen Fire

A distant target survives: SharpshooterStandard SpecializationSharpshooterThe Sharpshooter is an expert marksman that excels at long-range engagements, focused on singling out and defeating chosen enemies in battle.Signature structurePassive · Standard · UltimateUltimatePrecision Shot

How should you test the choice?

When should you change Specializations?

Which path should stay primary?

References

I do not know yet:

Attacks lack setup:

One target survives:

Allies take pressure:

Weak enemies keep acting:

A distant target survives: