STAR WARS Zero Company Overwatch and Reaction Fire Guide

ends the acting unit’s turn. The Operator can fire 1 possible shot per AP invested, and each shot has a 50% chance to stop a moving target immediately.

Choose your Overwatch state

Select the exact state on the board. The answer follows the movement trigger and makes no promise about a stationary action.

Choose your situation

What must this Overwatch decision solve right now?

Current state

Lane chosen before setting

Place the Target Area across one route the enemy is likely to move through.

Premise: This answer applies when: Lane chosen before setting.
Do now: Preview the area from the final protected tile and assign it one route to deny.
Why this answer: is an action that ends a unit's turn, and has them hunker down and fire at any enemy unit that moves through their Target Area. The Overwatching unit can fire a number of times equal to the amount of Action Points invested. Shots have a 50% chance to immediately Stop a target's movement. If an Operator holding an takes damage, they will exit and all remaining shots are lost.
Tradeoff: More invested AP permits more shots, but entering ends that Operator's turn.
Alternative: The enemy can avoid the lane, shoot the Operator without crossing it, or the squad needs guaranteed progress now.
If it fails: No shot fires even though the enemy appears to cross the area while a shot remains.
Recovery: Record the path, area, shot count, and damage events; use direct damage, movement, or control for the current turn.
Done when: The stance covers the intended route and the Operator remains protected from easy cancellation.
Next action: After setting the stance, plan from zero remaining actions for that Operator.

Check squad action order →

Final AP left

Finish every other action first, then invest the final AP in 1 possible shot.

Premise: This answer applies when: Final AP left.
Do now: Preview the area from the final protected tile and assign it one route to deny.
Why this answer: is an action that ends a unit's turn, and has them hunker down and fire at any enemy unit that moves through their Target Area. The Overwatching unit can fire a number of times equal to the amount of Action Points invested. Shots have a 50% chance to immediately Stop a target's movement. If an Operator holding an takes damage, they will exit and all remaining shots are lost.
Tradeoff: More invested AP permits more shots, but entering ends that Operator's turn.
Alternative: The enemy can avoid the lane, shoot the Operator without crossing it, or the squad needs guaranteed progress now.
If it fails: No shot fires even though the enemy appears to cross the area while a shot remains.
Recovery: Record the path, area, shot count, and damage events; use direct damage, movement, or control for the current turn.
Done when: The stance covers the intended route and the Operator remains protected from easy cancellation.
Next action: After setting the stance, plan from zero remaining actions for that Operator.

Check squad action order →

Enemy may stay still

Do not count on a stationary action triggering a shot. The current rule guarantees only movement through the Target Area.

Premise: This answer applies when: Enemy may stay still.
Do now: Preview the area from the final protected tile and assign it one route to deny.
Why this answer: is an action that ends a unit's turn, and has them hunker down and fire at any enemy unit that moves through their Target Area. The Overwatching unit can fire a number of times equal to the amount of Action Points invested. Shots have a 50% chance to immediately Stop a target's movement. If an Operator holding an takes damage, they will exit and all remaining shots are lost.
Tradeoff: More invested AP permits more shots, but entering ends that Operator's turn.
Alternative: The enemy can avoid the lane, shoot the Operator without crossing it, or the squad needs guaranteed progress now.
If it fails: No shot fires even though the enemy appears to cross the area while a shot remains.
Recovery: Record the path, area, shot count, and damage events; use direct damage, movement, or control for the current turn.
Done when: The stance covers the intended route and the Operator remains protected from easy cancellation.
Next action: After setting the stance, plan from zero remaining actions for that Operator.

Check squad action order →

Operator can be damaged

Break hostile lines or choose another action; damage cancels the stance and loses remaining shots.

Premise: This answer applies when: Operator can be damaged.
Do now: Preview the area from the final protected tile and assign it one route to deny.
Why this answer: is an action that ends a unit's turn, and has them hunker down and fire at any enemy unit that moves through their Target Area. The Overwatching unit can fire a number of times equal to the amount of Action Points invested. Shots have a 50% chance to immediately Stop a target's movement. If an Operator holding an takes damage, they will exit and all remaining shots are lost.
Tradeoff: More invested AP permits more shots, but entering ends that Operator's turn.
Alternative: The enemy can avoid the lane, shoot the Operator without crossing it, or the squad needs guaranteed progress now.
If it fails: No shot fires even though the enemy appears to cross the area while a shot remains.
Recovery: Record the path, area, shot count, and damage events; use direct damage, movement, or control for the current turn.
Done when: The stance covers the intended route and the Operator remains protected from easy cancellation.
Next action: After setting the stance, plan from zero remaining actions for that Operator.

Check squad action order →

Expected shot did not fire

Check movement path, visible Target Area, remaining shots, and prior damage before assigning a cause.

Premise: This answer applies when: Expected shot did not fire.
Do now: Preview the area from the final protected tile and assign it one route to deny.
Why this answer: is an action that ends a unit's turn, and has them hunker down and fire at any enemy unit that moves through their Target Area. The Overwatching unit can fire a number of times equal to the amount of Action Points invested. Shots have a 50% chance to immediately Stop a target's movement. If an Operator holding an takes damage, they will exit and all remaining shots are lost.
Tradeoff: More invested AP permits more shots, but entering ends that Operator's turn.
Alternative: The enemy can avoid the lane, shoot the Operator without crossing it, or the squad needs guaranteed progress now.
If it fails: No shot fires even though the enemy appears to cross the area while a shot remains.
Recovery: Record the path, area, shot count, and damage events; use direct damage, movement, or control for the current turn.
Done when: The stance covers the intended route and the Operator remains protected from easy cancellation.
Next action: After setting the stance, plan from zero remaining actions for that Operator.

Check squad action order →

What Overwatch guarantees

The current rule says that Overwatch fires at an enemy that moves through the Target Area. It does not establish a universal stationary-action trigger. A shot can also miss, and the stop chance is not the chance that a shot will trigger.

Finish movement, attacks, and support before entering the stance. With only the final AP left, Overwatch creates 1 possible shot; it cannot preserve another action afterward because Overwatch ends the turn.

Give the target area one job

Place the Target Area across one movement decision: a doorway, corner, objective approach, or other route the enemy is likely to cross. A larger area is not automatically stronger. If the enemy can avoid it or shoot the Operator without moving through it, choose direct damage, movement, or control instead.

Protect the Operator

Break easy hostile lines before setting the stance. The current rule says nothing about Overwatch removing cover, so check the visible cover indicator on the final tile.

Diagnose a failed shot

Record AP invested, remaining shots, the visible Target Area, the enemy’s path, line of sight, and any damage received before the expected reaction. No movement through the area means no confirmed trigger. Damage first means the stance was cancelled.

When neither explains the result, preserve the smallest reproducible state. For the current turn, stop widening the area and use a guaranteed action. The diagnosis is complete only when the recorded path, shot count, and cancellation state establish what happened.

REFERENCES

References

Current Overwatch text verifies turn ending, movement through the Target Area, shot count, movement-stop chance, and cancellation on damage.
Current game text