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For a balanced starting build, PC Gamer’s guide recommends A Life of Labor and Grit for Assault and Soldier; Anticipation, Grit, and A Life of Labor for Gunslinger; and role-focused combinations for the other five specializations. These are a guide author’s recommendations, not an official tier list or statistically proven best builds. Your squad’s needs and playstyle matter.
Recommended talents by specialization
The choices below follow Sean Martin’s PC Gamer guide, published August 27, 2026. They pair each class with talents intended to support its battlefield role or provide useful campaign rewards.
| Specialization | Recommended talents | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| Assault | A Life of Labor; Grit | A Life of Labor provides broad combat-stat gains, while Grit helps prevent incoming damage. |
| Gunslinger | Anticipation; Grit; A Life of Labor | Evasion and damage prevention help keep a weapon-focused operator active; the general stat gains add further support. |
| Heavy | Taunt; Grit; Anticipation | Taunt draws enemy attention and can reduce the target’s damage at higher ranks; Grit and Anticipation add protection. |
| Medic | Anticipation; Espionage; Thievery | Evasion can help a Medic stay available to support or revive teammates. Espionage and Thievery provide extra Intel or credits after combat missions. |
| Scoundrel | Anticipation; Cold-Blooded | Anticipation supplies evasion, while Cold-Blooded sets up a critical hit on the next attack. |
| Scout | Anticipation; Sabotage; Espionage; Thievery | This mix covers evasion, battlefield explosives, and campaign resources. Sabotage is situational because it depends on an explosive object being available. |
| Sharpshooter | Cold-Blooded; The Bigger They Are… | The guide pairs a critical-hit setup with extra damage against elite and boss enemies. |
| Soldier | A Life of Labor; Grit | General combat-stat gains and damage prevention support the Soldier’s flexible frontline role. |
These picks are not the only workable combinations. The official StarWars.com game page describes customization of Hawks’s specialization and the squad’s appearances, loadouts, and abilities around a preferred playstyle.
What each talent does
PC Gamer lists ten talents for recruitable operators. The effects and rank progressions below reflect that guide’s reporting; they are game-effect values, not win-rate statistics.
#1 Best Overall
- Standard Edition for PlayStation 5 (disc) includes the full Star Wars Zero Company game. Single-player turn-based tactics set in the twilight of the Clone Wars—lead Hawks and Zero Company in an intense campaign.
- Build your squad from clone troopers, scoundrels, astromechs and even a Jedi—combine abilities and gear in deep Tactical-Strategy combat.
- Plan at your base, adapt on dynamic battlefields and make decisions that shape missions and replayability in this cinematic Star Wars story.
- Customise Hawks and your operatives, tailor loadouts and unlock powerful squad synergies designed for Strategy, Turn-Based and Sci-Fi fans.
- The Bigger They Are… adds 2 damage to ranged and melee attacks against elite and boss enemies. The guide lists rank values rising to +3, +4, and +6 damage.
- Anticipation grants one evasion stack per turn. Its listed ranks increase this to two and then three stacks per turn; the top level also lets the operator use it on an ally.
- Cold-Blooded applies one Vicious stack, making the next attack a critical hit, once per combat. Ranks increase its uses to two and three, then apply two stacks.
- Taunt taunts a selected enemy once per turn. Its listed ranks reduce the target’s damage by 2, 4, and 6.
- A Life of Labor starts with +5 health and +1 defense. Its listed ranks add melee and critical-hit damage, then further improve health, defense, and damage.
- Thievery grants bonus credits when the operator completes a combat mission: +150 initially, then +200, +250, and +300 at the listed ranks. The effect does not stack.
- Sabotage detonates a battlefield explosive object and affects nearby units. It starts at once per combat; listed ranks allow two uses, three uses, and then unlimited uses.
- Espionage grants bonus Intel when the operator completes a combat mission: +5 initially, then +7, +9, and +12 at the listed ranks. The effect does not stack.
- Grit applies one Invulnerable stack once per turn, preventing all damage from the next attack, and increases health. Listed ranks raise the health bonus; the top rank grants two Invulnerable stacks.
- Fortitude raises defense while the operator is injured. Listed ranks increase the defense bonus; the top rank removes the injury-related chance-to-hit penalty.
The guide identifies A Life of Labor, Anticipation, and Grit as its general standouts: one offers broad stat gains, while the other two help avoid or prevent damage. That assessment is the guide author’s judgment, not a measured comparison.
How to choose talents for your squad
Start with the job you need the operator to do
If an operator must stay in combat, prioritize protection: Anticipation offers evasion, while Grit prevents damage from an attack. If you want to draw enemy attention, consider Taunt on a Heavy. For a Sharpshooter, the guide’s Cold-Blooded and The Bigger They Are… pairing emphasizes critical hits and damage to tougher targets.
Rank #2
- PC download code for EA app. Single-player turn-based tactics set in the twilight of the Clone Wars—lead Hawks and Zero Company in a gritty Star Wars campaign.
- Deluxe Edition: Unlock Clone Wars–inspired cosmetics including the Republic Officer Uniform, 100th Clone Company Armor Set and ARC Trooper Armor Set.
- Includes the Shadow Collective Cosmetic Pack with the Pyke Helmet Cosmetic, five cosmetic tattoos and five themed weapon set designs.
- Single-player turn-based tactics set in the twilight of the Clone Wars—lead Hawks and Zero Company in a gritty, cinematic Star Wars campaign.
Weigh mission rewards against immediate combat effects
Espionage and Thievery reward an operator for completing a combat mission, rather than directly improving their attacks or defense. The official getting-started guide explains that operations spend Intel and can reward items, credits, and influence, while the campaign does not let you complete every available mission or operation. Resource-generating talents may therefore suit operators who reliably join combat missions, but their value depends on your campaign choices.
Account for action economy and team survival
Operators have three action points (AP) for movement, attacks, and abilities, according to the official getting-started guide. They can use remaining AP for overwatch, rally an injured operator, call for backup, and spend Advantage on powerful special actions; dealing damage generates Advantage. A defensive talent can help an operator remain available for those team actions, while the best choice still depends on what the squad lacks.
Rank #3
- Command an elite squad through a gritty and authentic Star Wars story set in the twilight of the Clone Wars. Step into the role of Hawks, a former Republic officer leading Zero Company against an emerging threat that could consume the galaxy.
Can you change a recruit’s talent or specialization?
PC Gamer says recruited operators’ talents and classes can be changed through the change-specialization menu. That gives you room to experiment rather than treating a recruit’s starting setup as permanent. The exact menu wording and availability may depend on the game version; consult the in-game menu for the current options.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How definitive are these recommendations?
They are a practical, secondary-source guide—not developer-endorsed rankings. The available sources do not provide an official talent tier list, published win-rate data, or a controlled comparison of talent performance. Since the official game page presents specialization, loadout, and ability customization as playstyle choices, treat the combinations as starting points and adjust them to the squad and missions you choose.
Rank #4
- BECOME THE MANDALORIAN: Step into the shoes of the legendary bounty hunter and his allies in this thrilling cooperative board game, featuring The Mandalorian and 7 iconic characters from the hit series!
- EPIC MISSIONS: Embark on exciting adventures inspired by Season 1 of The Mandalorian, where you'll cooperate, battle enemies, and solve dilemmas to complete each mission's objective.
- UNIQUE STRATEGIES: Take on different roles and challenges with each character, as they come with their own deck of cards offering unique abilities and tactics to master.
- EXPANSIVE GAMEPLAY: Explore additional rules, components, and mission types as you progress through the game, including some missions that feature a hidden traitor mechanic for added intrigue!
- IMMERSIVE STAR WARS EXPERIENCE: Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Star Wars like never before, as you and your friends work together to overcome obstacles, fight enemies, and become heroes of the galaxy!
For one example of how builds can be combined, a TechRadar reviewer describes pairing Hawks’s Medic specialization with Gunslinger to add sustain and refresh tactical options, alongside character-specific Hero Talents. That is an account of one reviewer’s playthrough, not evidence that the pairing is universally best.
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