Star Wars Zero Company Hawks Build Guide: Best Customization & Meta Roster

If there is one character in Star Wars Zero Company that I think deserves more attention than the average tactical-game protagonist, it is Hawks. Not because Hawks is simply the face of the campaign, but because the character sits at the exact point where customization, squad management, and combat strategy all meet.

I have always liked tactical games where the commander feels like an actual part of the team rather than a glorified cursor that tells everyone else what to do. Zero Company takes that idea surprisingly far. Hawks can look, sound, and fight the way you want, and the choices you make for the character can have a noticeable impact on how comfortable the campaign feels.

After experimenting with different approaches, my personal favorite is an aggressive Gunslinger-focused Hawks build. It is fast, flexible, and—most importantly—fun. Instead of sitting behind cover and slowly trading shots, Hawks can move around the battlefield, punish exposed enemies, generate Advantage, and create opportunities for the rest of the squad.

Here is how I would build Hawks, what I would prioritize during the campaign, and which companions I think make the strongest overall roster.

Hawks Customization: Build the Character You Actually Want

One of the best things about Hawks is that cosmetic decisions do not force you into a particular gameplay style. You can spend as much time as you want creating a distinctive Star Wars character without worrying that choosing a different species or hairstyle will somehow ruin your build.

The available species include Human, Twi’lek, Zabrak, Togruta, Mirialan, and Devaronian, with plenty of options for facial details, skin tones, markings, hairstyles, facial hair, and other appearance features.

Personally, I love this approach because it separates role-playing from min-maxing. If you want Hawks to look like a battle-hardened Republic veteran, you can do that. If you want something much more alien and unconventional, the game lets you go in that direction too.

There are also plenty of armor and clothing options, including Clone Wars-inspired equipment. The ability to change things such as headgear, armwear, tops, lower-body equipment, armor patterns, and visual details makes Hawks feel much more personal than a standard preset protagonist.

Even better, your initial decision is not permanent. You can return to the Den between operations and change Hawks’ appearance later in the campaign.

That is a small feature, but one I genuinely appreciate. Tactical RPGs often make you stare at the same character for dozens of hours, so being able to refresh their appearance without restarting the campaign is a welcome quality-of-life feature.

My Favorite Hawks Build: Gunslinger First

When it comes to the actual gameplay, this is where things get interesting.

Hawks can specialize in several different combat roles, including Assault, Heavy, Sharpshooter, Soldier, Scoundrel, Gunslinger, Scout, and Medic. Each one changes how the character approaches combat, and you can experiment with different combinations as your campaign develops.

For my money, though, Gunslinger is the most entertaining starting point.

Why?

Because the Gunslinger naturally encourages aggressive positioning and rewards you for taking calculated risks. Instead of treating Hawks as another unit who simply finds the safest piece of cover and waits, you can use the character as a mobile execution specialist.

The important thing here is that I would not build Hawks around raw damage alone. The real value comes from combining damage, mobility, critical hits, and the team’s Advantage economy.

That is what makes the build scale so nicely.

Why Advantage Matters So Much

If you are new to Star Wars Zero Company, Advantage is one of the mechanics you should start thinking about early.

It is not just another resource sitting in the corner of the interface. It can influence how aggressively your entire squad can play.

Hawks is particularly interesting because the commander can help convert successful offensive turns into additional opportunities for teammates. In other words, your best Hawks turn is not necessarily the one where Hawks personally gets the most kills.

Sometimes the best turn is the one where Hawks creates enough momentum for somebody else to finish the job.

That is why I prefer critical-focused weapons over simply stacking range.

A high-crit pistol gives the Gunslinger a chance to turn attacks into something more valuable than straightforward damage. When abilities such as Trick Shot generate an AP refund after a critical hit, the entire turn can start snowballing.

You attack.

You crit.

You recover an Action Point.

You reposition.

You attack again.

Then you use your accumulated Advantage to help another squad member.

That kind of sequence is exactly what I want from a tactical Star Wars game.

The Abilities I Would Prioritize

Trick Shot

Trick Shot is one of the most important pieces of this build.

The ability gives Hawks another way to pressure targets from unusual angles while taking advantage of the Gunslinger’s pistol-focused combat style. The potential Action Point refund on a critical hit is what really makes it interesting.

I would use Trick Shot early in a turn when there is a realistic chance of landing a critical hit. Getting that AP back can completely change your options.

The important lesson is not to treat the ability as just another attack.

Think of Trick Shot as a potential gateway into a longer turn.

Quick Draw

Quick Draw is another reason I like the Gunslinger concept.

The passive can punish enemies that move or attack within Hawks’ effective range, essentially giving the character a localized reaction attack without forcing you to spend your own turn simply sitting in an Overwatch stance.

For me, this is particularly useful when Hawks is positioned slightly forward of the main group.

Enemies have to think twice about moving through the space Hawks controls, while Hawks can still spend their own AP aggressively.

Advantage-Based Command Abilities

The commander mechanics are where Hawks starts feeling different from an ordinary damage dealer.

If you have generated a healthy amount of Advantage, do not automatically spend everything on Hawks. Look at the battlefield first.

Does Jae have a perfect shot?

Does Trick need another opportunity to control an area?

Does another teammate need an AP refresh to finish a dangerous target?

This is one of those situations where playing Hawks selfishly is often worse than playing Hawks as a commander.

How I Play the Gunslinger in Combat

My preferred opening is fairly simple.

First, I scan the battlefield for enemies that are either exposed or vulnerable to a flank. Since the game does not rely on traditional fog-of-war in the same way some tactical titles do, planning your movement is extremely important.

I then move Hawks toward a favorable angle.

The goal isn’t necessarily to run directly into the enemy. You want to find a position where Hawks can threaten a target without becoming the easiest target on the board.

Once positioned, I use Trick Shot against a valuable enemy whenever the circumstances favor it. If the attack produces the desired critical hit and AP refund, I immediately reassess the battlefield rather than following a predetermined sequence.

That flexibility is important.

A common mistake in turn-based tactics is deciding what your entire turn will look like before the first attack has even happened. I prefer to treat each successful attack as a new decision point.

If the target is nearly dead, finish them.

If another enemy suddenly becomes exposed, change targets.

If the squad needs support, spend Advantage.

If Hawks is in danger, use the remaining AP to reposition.

The Gunslinger works best when you stay aggressive without becoming reckless.

My Ideal Hawks Squad

A strong protagonist build needs a team that complements it. This is especially important in Zero Company, where authored companions can bring unique talents and interactions that you cannot simply reproduce with a generic recruit.

My preferred four-character setup would be:

1. Hawks — Gunslinger / Soldier
2. Jae — Sharpshooter
3. Trick — Heavy / Soldier
4. Tel-Rea Vokoss — Jedi Padawan

The reason I like this group is simple: everyone solves a different problem.

Jae: The Perfect Partner for Hawks

Jae is probably the first companion I would lock into the squad.

Her Sharpshooter role gives the team something Hawks does not naturally provide: dependable long-range pressure.

Her signature talent, Final Shot, can create additional damage opportunities when allies attack under the right circumstances. That makes Hawks and Jae a particularly satisfying combination.

Hawks attacks from an unexpected angle.

Jae follows up.

The enemy is suddenly taking damage from two different directions.

This is exactly the kind of squad interaction that makes authored companions feel worthwhile instead of simply being stat sticks.

Trick: The Heavy Support I Want Nearby

Trick fills another important role.

Hawks does not want to waste turns dealing with every piece of enemy cover or heavily armored target. That is where a Heavy-oriented character becomes incredibly valuable.

With a Repeater and heavy ordnance, Trick can apply suppression, destroy cover, and put pressure on mechanical enemies.

I especially like having Trick somewhere near the center of the formation while Hawks operates toward a flank.

If Trick destroys the cover protecting an enemy, Hawks suddenly has a much easier target.

That is good tactical teamwork without making the game feel overly complicated.

Tel-Rea Vokoss: The Chaos Button

Then there is Tel-Rea Vokoss, who brings something completely different to the table.

As a Jedi Padawan with Force abilities, Tel-Rea can manipulate enemy positioning in ways that ordinary blaster users cannot.

And this is where the squad becomes particularly fun.

An enemy standing in a strong defensive position can be displaced.

A target can potentially be pushed away from cover.

A hostile unit can be moved into a dangerous firing lane.

And if you can combine that displacement with Hawks’ reaction-based attacks or another squad member’s positioning, the battlefield starts working in your favor very quickly.

For me, Tel-Rea is the squad’s chaos button. When a normal solution is boring or inefficient, the Force usually offers another option.

Don’t Ignore the Den

One of my biggest pieces of advice is to avoid treating the Den as a menu screen between missions.

It is a major part of the campaign.

Use the Den to improve weapons, upgrade equipment, develop relationships, and prepare your roster for the next operation.

I would especially prioritize weapon modifications and armor upgrades once they become available. For the Gunslinger build, I would generally favor critical-hit improvements over blindly stacking range.

You should also pay attention to squad bonds.

The Bond System can unlock additional benefits as characters spend time together and develop their relationships. These bonuses can provide more reasons to keep certain combinations in the active squad.

If Hawks and Jae are consistently fighting together, I would absolutely invest in their relationship rather than constantly swapping one of them out for another character just because the newcomer has slightly different statistics.

A tactical squad should feel like a team.

Star Wars Zero Company Combat Guide: Best Synergies, Builds, and Tactics Tips

A Quick Meta Checklist

• Build Hawks around Gunslinger first.
• Use a Blaster Pistol focused on critical performance.
• Consider Soldier or Assault as a complementary secondary specialization.
• Generate Advantage rather than spending it immediately.
• Use Trick Shot to create AP-positive turns.
• Keep Hawks mobile and avoid unnecessary exposure.
• Pair Hawks with Jae for long-range follow-up damage.
• Use Trick to handle cover destruction and frontline pressure.
• Bring Tel-Rea Vokoss for Force-based crowd control and positioning.
• Invest in squad bonds at the Den.
• Upgrade weapons and armor consistently.
• On higher difficulties, remember that authored companions can be lost even though Hawks cannot permanently die.

Star Wars Zero Company Class Guide: How to Unlock All 12 Specializations

Final Thoughts

What I like most about Star Wars Zero Company is that Hawks does not have to be played as one fixed archetype. You can create a commander who looks exactly how you want, then gradually turn that character into the tactical specialist your squad actually needs.

For my playstyle, the Gunslinger Hawks build is the clear winner.

It is fast, aggressive, and rewards good positioning. More importantly, it does not make Hawks feel disconnected from the rest of the squad. The best turns are often the ones where Hawks creates an opening and then lets Jae, Trick, or Tel-Rea exploit it.

That is the kind of tactical loop I enjoy: one character creates the opportunity, another character capitalizes on it, and the entire squad snowballs from there.

If you are starting a new campaign and want Hawks to feel like a true battlefield commander rather than another generic soldier, I would absolutely start with Gunslinger, build around critical hits and Advantage generation, and surround Hawks with complementary specialists.

And honestly, don’t obsess over making the character look “optimal.” There are enough spreadsheets in tactical games already. Make Hawks look like the Republic veteran you actually want to lead, then worry about turning them into a nightmare for the Infinite Coil afterward.

Star Wars Zero Company – Character Customisation Options