The Longarm Blaster is my pick for the best Scout weapon in Star Wars Zero Company. Scout already wants to spend 1 AP on Combat Recon, which leaves exactly 2 AP for a Longarm shot, and that fits the specialization much better than trying to squeeze several weaker attacks into the same turn. The Blaster Rifle is still the safer option if you move constantly, but I prefer Longarm when I'm building Scout around what the class actually does best.

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Best Scout Weapon
Why Longarm Fits Scout
When Rifle Is Better
Longarm and The Spotter
Pistol and Repeater

Longarm Blaster Is the Best Scout Weapon

Scout is one of the few specializations where I don't think the cheapest weapon automatically gives you the best Action Point economy.

The Longarm costs 2 AP per shot, which sounds restrictive until you look at what Scout is already doing with the rest of its turn. Combat Recon costs 1 AP and generates Advantage based on the enemies caught in its assessment area. A standard 3 AP turn therefore lines up almost perfectly: spend 1 AP scouting, then use the remaining 2 AP on one Longarm attack.

You aren't giving up three potential attacks because Scout isn't built around firing three times in the first place. You're using one-third of the turn to improve the squad's resource economy and the other two-thirds to make one meaningful attack.

That's the main reason I'd take Longarm over Rifle.

Scout Weapon Comparison:
Longarm Blaster — 12 Damage, +12 Critical Damage, Long Range, 2 AP
Blaster Rifle — 10 Damage, +6 Critical Damage, Medium Range, 1 AP first shot / 2 AP afterward
Blaster Pistol — Lower damage, Short Range, 1 AP per shot
Repeater — Uses all remaining AP, with damage scaling from AP spent

Combat Recon Creates a Natural Longarm Turn

This is the part that changes my weapon recommendation compared to most other classes.

Combat Recon is one of Scout's defining abilities. It assesses an area, generates Advantage for enemies detected, and can reveal hidden enemies. Since it costs 1 AP, I'm already planning many Scout turns around having only 2 AP left afterward.

Longarm happens to cost exactly 2.

That creates a clean turn where Scout does both parts of its job without compromising either one: create squad-wide value first, then contribute a strong ranged attack afterward.

Rifle technically gives you more flexibility because its first shot only costs 1 AP, but that flexibility isn't automatically more valuable. After Combat Recon and one Rifle shot, you'd still have 1 AP remaining. That's useful if you need to move or perform another cheap action, but if you're already positioned correctly, I'd rather convert those remaining 2 AP into the stronger Longarm hit.

It's basically the opposite of how I approach Gunslinger. Gunslinger gets stronger from repeated attacks, which is why I prefer Pistol there. Scout gets a large part of its value before the weapon is even fired.

If you're comparing the two specializations, I explain that completely different AP logic in my Star Wars Zero Company best Gunslinger weapon guide.

Longarm Still Triggers The Spotter With One Hit

The Spotter is another reason Scout doesn't necessarily need to chase attack volume. When Scout damages an enemy with a blaster, that enemy becomes Spotted.

That means you only need to land the hit to apply the effect. Three tiny attacks don't make one enemy three times more Spotted.

Longarm therefore accomplishes the same basic setup job while attaching more damage to the attack that creates it.

I especially like that against a healthier target where I'm not expecting Scout to get the kill immediately. Combat Recon generates Advantage, Longarm damages and Spots a meaningful enemy, and now the rest of the squad has more resources plus a target that Scout has already helped prepare.

That's a much more natural Scout turn to me than trying to turn the specialization into a weaker Gunslinger.

Longarm Also Makes Tactical Timing More Interesting

Tactical Timing gives Scout a chance to generate additional Advantage whenever Scout defeats an enemy, with that chance improving as the passive is upgraded.

That makes finishing targets useful, but I don't think it automatically means you should equip Pistol and try to pick off everything with several tiny shots.

A stronger individual attack can be just as valuable if it increases the chance that the enemy actually dies.

This is where Longarm's 12 base damage becomes attractive. If I've already identified a weakened target that Scout can realistically finish, I'd rather have enough damage to confidently convert the attack into a kill than save AP that I don't have another important use for.

The +12 Critical Hit Damage is also substantially higher than Rifle's +6, so random crits or any build that creates more reliable crit opportunities benefit much more from the Longarm shot.

I wouldn't build Scout purely around Tactical Timing kills, though. Scout is one of my highest-rated specializations because Advantage generation benefits everyone, not because Scout needs to personally own every kill. I go deeper into that distinction in my Star Wars Zero Company best specializations tier list.

Blaster Rifle Is Better When Scout Has to Move

There is one major reason I'd switch away from Longarm: movement.

A Longarm attack costs 2 AP. If you spend 1 AP on Combat Recon first, you've committed the entire normal 3 AP turn before accounting for repositioning. That's fine when Scout already has a good firing angle and terrible when Scout doesn't.

Blaster Rifle fixes that problem.

The first Rifle attack each turn costs only 1 AP, so you can use Combat Recon for 1 AP, fire for another 1 AP, and still keep an Action Point available for movement or another situation that requires it.

The Rifle also deals a respectable 10 base damage, has medium range, and carries +6 Critical Hit Damage. You aren't sacrificing Scout's ability to contribute just because you're prioritizing flexibility.

So I would make the choice based on how the Scout is actually playing rather than treating Longarm as mandatory.

If Scout is already positioned at range and frequently uses Combat Recon before attacking, use Longarm. If you constantly need to reposition after scouting, use Rifle.

I still give Longarm the overall win because Scout naturally operates at medium-to-long range and doesn't need repeated weapon attacks to activate its main class mechanics.

Your Weapon Doesn't Need to Compete With Ambush

Scout's Ultimate, Ambush, is also worth considering because it spends your banked Advantage on a powerful ranged attack whose damage increases based on how much Advantage you commit.

That gives Scout a completely separate way to produce major burst damage.

I actually think that makes Longarm more attractive rather than less. Your normal weapon doesn't need to become some weird all-purpose damage engine because Scout already has a class ability capable of converting a large Advantage pool into a heavy attack when the situation calls for it.

On ordinary turns, I want the weapon complementing Scout's recon work. On the turn where I decide to cash in Advantage, Ambush becomes the centerpiece instead.

That's another reason I'd rather have one dependable long-range weapon shot than build the entire loadout around firing as many times as possible.

Pistol and Repeater Make Less Sense for Scout

I wouldn't use the Blaster Pistol as my default Scout weapon. Its unlimited 1 AP attacks are fantastic when a specialization rewards repeated attacks, but Scout doesn't have an Onslaught-style mechanic that increases the value of shooting over and over.

The short range is also fighting the class's natural medium-to-long-range role. You'd potentially spend more AP moving Scout closer just to take advantage of a weapon whose main strength is saving AP.

Repeater has the opposite problem.

Repeater consumes all of your remaining AP when fired and scales its damage based on how many points you commit. If you use Combat Recon first, you've already reduced the AP available to power the Repeater. If you move first as well, you've reduced it again.

That means Scout's normal class actions actively compete with the thing that makes Repeater strong.

Longarm doesn't have that conflict. It simply wants 2 AP, which is exactly what Combat Recon naturally leaves behind.

Use Ion Against Droid Squads

Against Separatist droids, swap to an Ion version of the weapon when one is available. Ion is designed as the anti-droid option, so enemy composition can override the normal weapon recommendation.

I wouldn't change the overall hierarchy, though. Ion Longarm is still the version I'd prefer for a stationary recon-and-fire Scout, while Ion Rifle is better when you need that extra AP flexibility.

Longarm for Setup Turns, Rifle for Mobile Scouts

Longarm Blaster is my best Scout weapon because it slots cleanly into the specialization's normal Action Point budget instead of asking Scout to behave like a dedicated damage class.

Combat Recon costs 1 AP. Longarm costs 2. That lets one turn generate Advantage for the entire squad, then immediately follow it with a 12-damage long-range shot that can apply Spotted and potentially finish a weakened enemy for Tactical Timing.

Rifle is the better weapon if movement keeps disrupting that sequence. Its cheaper first shot gives Scout room to recon, attack, and still do something else.

For me, the deciding question is simple: does your Scout usually start the turn where they want to be? If yes, take Longarm. If no, take Rifle.

And if you decide Scout itself isn't fitting your team, you don't have to stick with it permanently. My Star Wars Zero Company how to change class guide shows exactly where to switch specialization.