Zero Company Beginner's Guide — Getting Started
New to STAR WARS Zero Company or turn-based tactics? This beginner's guide covers the core loop, action points, cover, the Advantage resource, permadeath and how to keep your first squad alive.
If STAR WARS Zero Company is your first turn-based tactics game — or your first since the modern XCOMs — this guide will get you comfortable with the fundamentals. The good news: the core loop is intuitive, and the game teaches it as you go. The better news: a little discipline early will save you a lot of lost operatives later.
The core loop
Each mission, you deploy a squad of four and take turns with the enemy. Every operative has three action points per turn, and moving spends action points — so a turn is always a trade-off between repositioning, attacking and using abilities. Read our full breakdown in the action points and cover guide.
Cover is everything
Standing in the open gets operatives killed. Position behind cover to cut the enemy’s hit chance, and flank enemy cover to strip its protection away. Most of the game’s best plays come down to one idea: make the enemy’s cover useless before you fire.
Build Advantage, then spend it
Zero Company shares an Advantage resource across your whole squad. You build it by damaging enemies and spend it on your most powerful abilities. Early on, just internalise the rhythm: land safe hits to bank Advantage, then unleash a big ability when it’ll swing the fight.
Respect permadeath
Operatives grow as you deploy them — new skills, deeper bonds, stronger synergies — but they can also be lost for good. That’s the heart of the game’s tension. Three habits keep a first squad alive:
- Never move an operative you can’t cover. Plan movement around the next safe position.
- Bring a Medic. A heal or revive turns a disaster into a win.
- Scout before you commit. A Scout revealing an ambush is worth more than an extra gun.
Use the Den between missions
Back at the Den, heal the wounded, recruit, upgrade your gear and pick your next mission from the holo-map. Don’t rush out — downtime is where you turn a fragile squad into a veteran one.
Where to go next
Once the basics click, dig into the class guide to understand your options, then read best squad composition to learn how the classes fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to have played XCOM to enjoy Zero Company?
No. Zero Company shares DNA with XCOM, but it's designed as its own game with a strong story. The fundamentals — cover, action points, flanking — are intuitive and taught as you play.
Can I lose characters permanently?
Yes. Operatives can be lost to permadeath, so protecting your squad is a core part of good play. Bring a Medic and avoid unnecessary risks.