star wars zero company hard mode squad guide

Is there a confirmed Hard Mode squad

No universal STAR WARS Zero Company hard mode squad is confirmed in the game. The build recommendations support a role structure with a frontline protector, Medic recovery, information or target setup, and a dedicated damage Operator. Difficulty specific enemy values, recovery limits, and a final best lineup remain To be confirmed.

Hard mode makes the cost of a bad turn more important. A squad that can protect its damage role, recover from a downed ally, and remove the highest threat has a clearer survival plan than four Operators who all compete for the same position. Hawks is also required on story missions in the game, so the lineup must account for him where that rule applies.

The hard mode role structure

Heavy is the most direct protection role. Its identity combines armor, Defense, Taunt, Retaliation, and heavy weapon pressure, allowing it to draw enemy attention while the rest of the squad works. The exact defensive bonuses, rank values, and high difficulty behavior are To be confirmed.

Assault is another frontline option when movement solves the map problem. Bull Rush adds movement and pushes a target, while Sweeping Salvo damages and Disorients groups. It needs a safe route after the charge, so use Assault when the squad can control the response rather than treating it as a replacement for Heavy in every mission.

Medic supplies the recovery layer. First Responder gives an automatically equipped Med Pack and Rally support without consuming a normal Utility slot in the ability description, while Combat Stim can improve survivability and damage for a limited duration. Morale Boost adds squad recovery through shared Advantage, with exact healing and injury effects To be confirmed.

Scout or Scoundrel supplies setup. Scout scans areas, reveals hidden enemies, applies Spotted after a blaster hit, and can create Advantage, while Scoundrel partially ignores Defense and prepares Vulnerable and Assist windows. Choose Scout when information is the problem and Scoundrel when the squad already knows which target must disappear.

Sharpshooter, Gunslinger, or Soldier can provide the dedicated damage role. Sharpshooter wants a protected firing lane, Gunslinger wants reachable pistol chains, and Soldier can move between blasters, grenades, melee control, and Rocket Strike. A hard mode squad needs one of these roles to have a clear priority target every turn.

A durable squad plan

One build plan uses Hawks, Trick, a custom Medic, and a custom damage Operator. Hawks handles movement and objective pressure, Trick protects the group, the Medic provides Combat Stim and recovery, and the final Operator removes the enemies that can change the fight.

Hawks begins with Assault and later takes Soldier in that plan. Bull Rush can reach an objective, push an enemy, or create an environmental kill, while Soldier adds direct damage and melee control. Fearless Leader supports the squad as Hawks’ identity Talent, and the exact rank benefits remain To be confirmed.

Trick uses Heavy tools to taunt enemies and survive the response. His For My Brothers Talent can revive him after he is downed, and a Scout secondary can apply Spotted to enemies he damages. A Pistol direction lets him spend one Action Point per shot in the build plan, which helps touch several enemies without making kills the only goal. The exact weapon cost is To be confirmed.

The custom Medic opens with Combat Stim when the team can use the health and damage buffer. The custom Talent can be Espionage or Thievery, yet both economy choices replace another Talent, cost 11 Focus Points in one setup, and do not stack. On a difficult mission, a combat Talent may be more valuable than a campaign resource, so the choice remains map dependent. The exact Focus cost is To be confirmed.

The dedicated damage Operator uses a Longarm direction and can combine Scout with Sharpshooter. Combat Recon can reveal the field and produce Advantage, Ambush can remove a priority target, and Zero In rewards a stable firing position. The ability description of Longarm as a two Action Point attack with high Critical Damage is To be confirmed as a final weapon rule.

Target priority and safe turns

Hard mode planning starts with the enemy that can change the next turn. Let Scout reveal the area, let Scoundrel prepare the target when available, and use Sharpshooter, Gunslinger, or Soldier to finish it. A target that survives with an action can be more dangerous than a weaker enemy that is easier to remove.

Use Heavy or Trick to control attention after the priority attack. Taunt has value when the frontline can survive the response and when the damage Operator can stay protected. Do not send a defender forward without checking whether the rest of the squad can reach the same space.

Assault and Tel-Rea can change enemy positions, while Cly can use Combat Jump to disrupt a formation. Those actions are powerful when they remove cover, break a response lane, or open a safe route. They are risky when the follow-up cannot finish the target or when Permadeath turns a failed entry into a campaign loss.

Action Points and Advantage

A difficult squad must keep its turn economy visible. Movement, attacks, Combat Stim, Rally, grenades, and Overwatch compete for Action Points, while class Ultimates use shared Advantage. A plan that spends every point on damage can leave no action for cover, rescue, or target control.

Scout can generate Advantage through Combat Recon and its target defeat Passive, while Ambush uses the entire pool and needs at least 4 Advantage in the class overview. Precision Shot, Open Fire, Rocket Strike, Sweeping Salvo, and Morale Boost compete with Ambush for the resource. Save it for the action that changes the next enemy turn.

Injuries and Permadeath

Medic and Heavy reduce the consequences of a bad exchange, yet they do not remove the need for cover. First Responder, Rally, Combat Stim, and Morale Boost give recovery options, while Trick’s For My Brothers adds a separate revive safety net in the build. Exact injury prevention and recovery limits are To be confirmed.

Tel-Rea deserves additional protection. Her Jedi Padawan class is tied to her, and the developer statement says her death under Permadeath removes that class from the campaign. The same game details does not provide a complete Hard Mode loss table for every Operator.

What is still missing for Hard Mode

Enemy health, accuracy, damage, reinforcement rules, and mission specific modifiers for Hard Mode are To be confirmed. It also does not confirm a single lineup that remains best across every objective and map. Any exact hard mode table is To be confirmed unless the current build supplies it.

The same caution applies to Expert comparisons. A build commentary distinguishes behavior outside Expert mode, yet that observation does not define every Hard Mode rule. Keep difficulty labels separate until the current game menu and mission data verify them.

How to test the squad

Play the first turn as a diagnostic. Check whether the Medic can buff the correct ally, whether the frontline can draw attention and survive, whether the damage role can see the priority target, and whether Scout or Scoundrel creates a usable opening. If one answer is no, change that role before replacing the entire squad.

Most Operators can respec into standard classes through the Focus Tree. A second standard Specialization unlocks later, while exotic classes remain attached to their owners. Use that flexibility to address the map rather than locking into a hard mode claim that the available evidence cannot support.

What remains To be confirmed

The role structure, Hawks story requirement, four role plan, broad class abilities, and Tel-Rea’s Permadeath consequence are available. Hard Mode enemy tuning, recovery restrictions, complete mission modifiers, and the best universal lineup remain To be confirmed.

The practical hard mode squad is a protected team that can see the threat, control attention, and finish the priority target. Start with Hawks where required, add Heavy or Assault protection, include Medic or Scout based on the failure point, and keep a dedicated damage action ready. Recheck every choice against the current map.