The early consensus for Hawks, Star Wars Zero Company‘s customizable protagonist, is clear: Scoundrel is the strongest specialization pick, with Gunslinger the runner-up and Medic the smart choice for first-time tactics players. And because the game offers free respecs at any time, none of this is a permanent decision. Here’s the reasoning, and the full specialization landscape.
Why Scoundrel Leads for Hawks
The argument is a talent synergy. Hawks carries the fixed talent Fearless Leader, which grants squad-wide Assist Damage (and bonus Defense when maxed). The Scoundrel kit generates and capitalizes on exactly the kind of multi-hit, opportunistic attacks that make squad-wide assist bonuses matter, so Scoundrel-Hawks turns the protagonist into a force multiplier for all four squad slots rather than just a strong individual.
Gunslinger is the runner-up for players who want Hawks as a more direct damage dealer while keeping decent synergy.
Medic is the beginner recommendation for a simpler reason: the specialization that keeps operators alive is worth the most when you’re still learning which mistakes get operators killed, especially with the game’s three-injury permadeath rule.
The Eight Standard Specializations
Every operator picks from: Assault, Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic, Scoundrel, Scout, Sharpshooter, and Soldier. Four exotic classes exist outside the standard eight, locked to specific characters: Jedi Padawan (Tel-Rea), Mandalorian Warrior (Cly), Clone Commando (Trick’s upgrade), and Astromech (droid recruits, widely considered the strongest utility spec in the game).
Abilities upgrade through six tiers via Focus Points, and talents differ by operator type: authored characters have fixed talents, custom recruits choose theirs from a pool.
Respec Freely: It’s Free
Specializations are changed at the Personnel facility in the Den, Zero Company’s base, at no cost, any time. That changes how you should think about “best”: pick for your current roster gap, not forever. Missing sustain? Hawks goes Medic for a chapter. Recruited two Medics? Swap Hawks to Scoundrel and let the squad math improve.
One planning note: a secondary specialization unlocks mid-campaign (secondary abilities cap at Tier 5 instead of 6), which softens the choice further; our secondary spec guide covers the timing and pairings.
Recommended Paths
- Experienced tactics players: Scoundrel Hawks from the start, leaning into Fearless Leader assist synergies.
- New to the genre: Medic Hawks through the early campaign, respec to Scoundrel once your roster carries dedicated sustain.
- Scout note: Scout shines more as a mid-game secondary spec (its Advantage-generation utility) than as Hawks’s primary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Hawks take the exotic classes? No. Jedi, Mandalorian, Clone Commando, and Astromech are locked to their characters; Hawks picks from the standard eight.
Do respecs lose Focus Point progress? Respeccing at the Personnel facility is designed as a free experimentation tool; ability tiers are tied to your investment system rather than punished by swapping.
What talent should recruits take? Recruits choose from a talent pool; match the talent to the specialization’s job (sustain talents on Medics, damage-on-flank style picks on Scoundrels/Sharpshooters).
Is there a wrong choice? Only leaving Medic-less rosters against the injury system. The free respec makes every other experiment reversible.