Star Wars Zero Company: 4 Early Tactics That Pay Off

Ever jumped into a turn-based tactics game, gotten wrecked in the tutorial, and wondered what you missed? You're not alone. Star Wars Zero Company, the turn-based tactics game from Bit Reactor set during the twilight of the Clone Wars, throws a lot at you early on. But there are a few key tactics that, if you master them from the start, will carry you all the way to the end.

Zero Company gives you tons of ways to customize your squad. You've got specializations (basically character classes), different weapon types, weapon mods, and equippable items that define each character's playstyle. You can swap all of this at the Den at any time, so experimenting with builds is encouraged. But no matter what loadout you run, some fundamentals apply to every mission.

First up: Overwatch. It's easy to focus on aggressively attacking on your turn, but Overwatch is available on almost every turn to almost every team member (sorry, Padawan and Astromech droids). It lets you create a cone-shaped area where your character will automatically shoot any enemy that moves or takes an action inside it. When enemies are hiding behind cover and you don't have enough AP to flank, Overwatch can save the day by letting you attack during the enemy's turn.

But pay attention to the colors of your Overwatch cone. Blue sections mean you'll shoot at enemies there, while grayed-out zones are blind spots where cover blocks your line of sight—no shots fired. You can extend the cone over a significant distance, but the farther you reach, the lower your accuracy. You'll see your hit percentage drop by 5% for each extension. So find a sweet spot: cover enough ground to catch enemies, but don't stretch so far that you'll likely miss.

Overwatch really shines when enemy reinforcements are inbound. You'll get on-screen prompts showing where they're coming from, so you can set up firing squads and greet them with blaster bolts before they even get a turn. Just remember: putting a character into Overwatch uses all their remaining AP, and the number of enemies they can fire at is limited.

These four tactics—and we've only covered the first one here—are things you can use from the opening chapters all the way to the end. Mastering them early will make your missions run much smoother. So next time you're in the heat of battle, don't just rush in. Think about your positioning, your AP, and your Overwatch cones. Your squad will thank you.

What's your go-to tactic in Zero Company? Will you be trying out these tips? Let us know in the comments!