Star Wars Zero Company Best Class for Hawks

Medic is my pick for the best class for Hawks in Star Wars Zero Company because Hawks already occupies a squad slot in so many important missions. Rather than using that mandatory slot on another straightforward damage dealer, I prefer turning Hawks into the character who keeps almost any three-person combination around him functioning. Gunslinger and Scout are the two alternatives I'd seriously consider, but Medic gives me the fewest roster-building headaches across an entire campaign.

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Best Class for Hawks
Why Medic Is Best
Gunslinger vs Scout
When Other Classes Make Sense
Best Second Specialization
How To Change Hawks' Class

Medic Is the Best Class for Hawks

The biggest reason I rank Medic first is something that's easy to miss if you're only comparing class abilities: Hawks creates what I'd call a mandatory-slot problem. You're bringing him on plenty of major missions whether he perfectly fits your ideal team or not, so his specialization has more value when it covers something you would otherwise need to spend another squad slot on.

Medic does exactly that. Hawks can handle healing and buffs while the rest of the team focuses on damage, frontline pressure, Advantage generation, or whatever else the mission actually needs. You aren't just gaining a healer; you're reducing how many separate jobs the other three Operators need to cover.

That makes Medic especially attractive before secondary specializations give the roster more flexibility. Medic, Gunslinger, and Scout also stand out because the story roster doesn't naturally cover those starting specializations in the same way it covers several of the others, so using Hawks for one of them adds something genuinely different to the company.

I think that's more important than chasing the strongest possible individual Hawks turn. The protagonist doesn't need to be the character posting the biggest damage number if making him Medic lets you bring three more specialized Operators around him.

Medic Has the Best Floor

What I like about Medic is that the class still has something useful to do when the mission isn't going according to plan. Damage classes usually look best when your positioning, target priority, and attacks are all working exactly how you expected. Healing gets more valuable the moment they aren't.

Medic's improved healing over a normal Med-Pac gives Hawks an obvious emergency role, but the buffs are what stop the class from feeling like dead weight whenever everyone is healthy. Instead of sitting around waiting for somebody to get hurt, Hawks can help improve the squad and then switch into recovery when necessary.

That's why I'd describe Medic as having the best floor rather than necessarily the highest ceiling. There will absolutely be turns where Gunslinger does something much more spectacular. There will also be missions where Scout helps the team cycle through powerful abilities more aggressively. Medic is simply the class I'm least likely to regret having attached to a character I cannot always bench.

The recommendation gets even stronger if you're playing on a harder difficulty or using Permadeath. Once losing an Operator has campaign-level consequences, preventing one disastrous turn starts carrying more strategic value than squeezing a little more damage out of Hawks himself.

Gunslinger and Scout Are the Best Alternatives

If you already have survivability handled, Gunslinger is the class I'd switch to first. It focuses on making multiple attacks and can spread them across enemies or concentrate them into one target, giving Hawks a much more aggressive role.

The main tradeoff is straightforward: Medic makes the other three squad slots easier to build, while Gunslinger asks the rest of the squad to provide more of the support Hawks is no longer bringing. If your existing Operators can already do that comfortably, the trade becomes much more appealing.

Scout is different because it keeps Hawks in a support role but changes the type of support entirely. Instead of protecting the squad through healing, Scout helps generate Advantage, which your team can spend on stronger abilities.

I actually think Scout can become more valuable as your roster improves. More developed Operators give you more worthwhile ways to spend Advantage, so Hawks isn't just making himself better; he's helping feed whatever character currently has the strongest ability for that situation.

That's why I wouldn't permanently lock myself into the idea that Medic is always superior. Medic solves problems after they happen. Scout can help create stronger turns that prevent the problem from happening in the first place. Which one feels better depends heavily on how confidently you're controlling fights.

When I Would Pick Something Else

Scoundrel is probably the most interesting option outside my top three because it turns Hawks into more of a setup character. The class can weaken enemies, increase the damage they take, mark targets, and guarantee critical-hit opportunities, which gives Hawks a way to make somebody else's attack much more dangerous instead of competing with them for damage.

That's a completely valid way to build the protagonist, especially if your squad already has strong finishers. If you're leaning that direction, I also have a separate Star Wars Zero Company best Scoundrel weapon guide covering how I build the weapon side of that specialization.

Sharpshooter makes sense if you specifically want Hawks operating from the backline and landing dependable long-range attacks. Heavy goes in the opposite direction and turns him into a tank capable of taunting enemies and improving his defenses.

Assault and Soldier are both more aggressive frontline choices, with Assault emphasizing mobility and short-range pressure while Soldier mixes gunfire, explosives, and melee utility.

I don't think any of those classes are bad. They just have a higher opportunity cost on Hawks. Several other characters can naturally cover similar frontline, tank, or precision roles, while Hawks is one of your easiest ways to add Medic, Gunslinger, or Scout to a squad without duplicating something the roster already gives you.

Your Second Specialization Should Solve a Different Problem

Secondary specializations eventually make this decision much less restrictive, which is why I wouldn't obsess over creating the perfect Hawks at character creation.

The system becomes available later in the campaign after the Luco Bronc portion of the story, roughly around Cycle 13 to 15, letting most characters add another specialization. At that point I stop caring as much about whether Hawks' first class can do everything by itself.

If I start Medic, I'd want the second specialization giving Hawks a reason to act differently when nobody needs support. Gunslinger is the cleanest example because it adds direct offense without replacing anything Medic already does.

Medic plus Scout goes in the opposite direction. That turns Hawks into a much more dedicated support engine, covering recovery while also helping the squad produce more Advantage.

I prefer that approach over simply stacking two classes that solve nearly the same problem. Hawks appears often enough that versatility pays off more than building an extreme specialist who is amazing in one situation and awkward in another.

You Can Change Hawks' Class

You can change Hawks' specialization between missions, so there isn't much reason to restart if your original choice stops fitting the squad.

At the Den, head past the Holotable to the Personnel counter, choose Hawks, open the Focus Tree tab, and use Change Specialization. Hired Operators can also be changed, although story characters and Droids don't all have the same freedom.

I would use that system rather than treating the starting choice as permanent. Start Medic if you want the safest general-purpose Hawks. If you get several missions in and realize you're barely using the healing, that's useful information: your squad may benefit more from Gunslinger damage or Scout's Advantage support.

For a blind playthrough, though, Medic is still where I'd start. Hawks is already taking the slot, so I might as well make that slot responsible for one of the jobs I would otherwise need another character to handle.