Quick answer: Scoundrel is a strong all-around starting pick for Hawks if you want coordinated squad play, because Vulnerable, assists and defense penetration fit a leader who improves team actions. Soldier is the safer recommendation for a first-time tactics player, while Sharpshooter is the clearest long-range choice and Medic is the dedicated support pick. EA's own guide recommends classes by playstyle rather than declaring one universal winner.
Our ranking philosophy
A useful "best class" answer has to separate three questions: what is easiest to use, what has the highest ceiling in a coordinated squad, and what fills the role your current roster lacks. Zero Company's eight standard Specializations are intentionally different. Ranking them by one damage number would ignore AP economy, Advantage, assists, survivability and mission objectives.
The recommendations below use EA's official role descriptions and weapon guidance as the baseline, then add practical build reasoning. Wherever a recommendation is an editorial judgment rather than an official claim, it is labeled as such.
Best overall starting pick for Hawks: Scoundrel
Our recommendation: Scoundrel is the most interesting general-purpose Hawks start for players comfortable with squad coordination. Identify Weakness makes the next damaging hit on a target a guaranteed critical, Easy Mark creates an assist opportunity, Never Play Fair improves assist damage, and Scoundrel's Instinct adds defense penetration.
That package helps the entire squad rather than demanding that Hawks personally deliver every kill. It is especially attractive in a game where assists can generate more value and where Bonds reward repeated cooperation. PC Gamer's post-launch starting-class guide also recommends Scoundrel for Hawks and specifically highlights its synergy with assist-focused leadership.
The downside is that it asks you to sequence turns well. If you use Vulnerable after your largest attack or mark a target that dies before the assist matters, part of the kit is wasted. Beginners who want simpler feedback may learn faster with Soldier.
Best for beginners: Soldier
EA explicitly lists Soldier, alongside Assault, as a beginner-friendly Specialization and pairs that advice with the Blaster Rifle. Soldier works because its tools are easy to value: area damage from Rocket Strike, a melee control option through Brutal Strike, stronger melee and grenade reach through Strength, and general primary-blaster/grenade improvement from Armsmaster.
Soldier also tolerates imperfect mission knowledge. If a map compresses into close range, melee and grenades remain relevant. If targets stay at medium distance, the Blaster Rifle and rocket still contribute. That flexibility reduces the chance that a new player feels their entire class choice was invalidated by the map.
Best mobile attacker: Assault
Assault is our recommendation when objectives force the squad to cross the map. Fleet of Foot improves the first movement, Bull Rush turns repositioning into offense and displacement, and Sweeping Salvo can pressure multiple enemies while applying Disoriented.
The class is strongest when movement has a purpose: breaking a defensive line, reaching an interaction, flanking a target or covering extraction. If you prefer to build a firing nest and wait, Assault wastes part of its identity. Pair it with a Blaster Rifle for a forgiving medium-range plan or a Blaster Pistol when you want to preserve AP for movement.
Best burst / rapid offense: Gunslinger
Gunslinger rewards compact offensive turns. Open Fire provides two shots, Quick Draw can refund AP on a kill, Keen Eye supports ranged criticals and Onslaught scales primary-blaster damage across repeated attacks in the same turn.
EA includes Gunslinger in both its high-damage and high-mobility recommendations. The class can therefore be tuned in two directions: Repeater for damage-focused turns or Blaster Pistol for cheap one-AP shots and target cleanup. Its weakness is that offense does not automatically protect the character; positioning still matters once the burst is over.
Best long-range class: Sharpshooter
This is the least controversial category. EA directly recommends Sharpshooter + Longarm Blaster for long-range play. The class has an always-hit Ultimate in Precision Shot, a stationary accuracy/critical setup in Zero In, stronger Overwatch through Pick Them Off, and general hit-chance improvement from Sharpshooter Training.
The trade-off is mobility. Zero In loses value when movement or displacement breaks the setup, and the Longarm's two-AP shots punish a turn where you also need to relocate a long distance. Sharpshooter is best when another teammate can manage close threats and when the map offers stable sightlines.
Best tank: Heavy
Heavy is the class to choose when your problem is not damage but collapse under enemy pressure. Bulwark taunts an area while raising defense and reducing damage, Unstoppable adds counterattacks, and the passives increase health, defense and taunt pressure.
A Heavy can make fragile specialists function better by drawing attacks away from them. EA also lists Heavy among damage-focused Repeater candidates, so the class does not have to be passive. We still rank it primarily by defensive role because that is the unique capability it brings to a roster.
Best support: Medic
Medic is the dedicated sustain choice. Morale Boost creates healing over time for nearby allies, Combat Stim raises an ally's combat stats, and the passives improve Medpacs and Rally. If you play with permadeath enabled, preventing repeated injuries gives the class strategic value beyond one battle.
Remember the droid limitation: EA notes that Medpacs cannot heal droids. A squad with several droid Operators may need to think more carefully about what "support" means than a mostly organic team.
Best tactical enabler: Scout
Scout competes with Scoundrel for the most planning-oriented role. Combat Recon turns enemy detection into Advantage, The Spotter reduces problems from range and smoke by applying Spotted, and Ambush converts Advantage into damage.
The class is excellent when you want a resource engine and target-quality improvement rather than another direct attacker. It can feel less spectacular if the rest of the squad does not capitalize on what it creates. That is why Scout rises as your understanding of turn sequencing improves.
Role-based tier list
| Tier | Specializations | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| S for coordinated squads | Scoundrel, Scout | Create outsized team value through setup and resource control |
| S for straightforward value | Soldier, Sharpshooter | Reliable identities that are easy to build around |
| A | Assault, Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic | Excellent when the mission or roster needs their specific role |
This is deliberately not a universal power ranking. All eight classes have a clear job. A Medic can be S-tier in a high-risk permadeath campaign and unnecessary in a low-risk mission; Heavy can be transformative on an exposed map and less important when enemies never reach your back line.
Best class and weapon combinations
EA's own playstyle guidance gives a useful starting matrix:
- Soldier or Assault + Blaster Rifle for beginners.
- Gunslinger, Soldier or Heavy + Repeater for damage-focused play.
- Sharpshooter + Longarm Blaster for range.
- Assault or Gunslinger + Blaster Pistol for mobility.
- Scout or Scoundrel when you prefer tactical setup.
- Medic when support is the priority.
Weapon choice changes AP rhythm, so do not treat the class and weapon as separate decisions. A one-AP pistol allows a mobile class to attack without sacrificing its whole turn. A two-AP Longarm makes positioning before the turn more important.
Do not restart over the first pick
The ability to respec later means the opening choice is not a permanent trap. Post-launch guides report that Change Specialization becomes available around Cycle 3 and refunds class-tree Focus Points. That makes the best first class the one that helps you learn and survive the opening, not necessarily the class you intend to keep for the entire campaign.