Star Wars: Zero Company - A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy With A 95% Chance To Hit...

Game storyline (as shown/mentioned)

• Star Wars: Zero Company is presented as an XCOM-style tactical campaign set in the Star Wars universe.
• The player participates in a mission-driven conflict that includes:
  • Seperatists: the player accepts a contract-like mission to grab Separatist weapons.
  • A smuggling-related plot.
  • A mystery involving a “weird goat”, which triggers a larger plot mission.
• The plot mission starts with on-foot exploration and clue-gathering, then escalates into a trap-like sequence:
  • The player must investigate tunnels.
  • Progress requires draining a canal by using a console.

Gameplay highlights / core loop

• The structure follows an XCOM-like cadence:
  • Cycles (turn/days): each cycle constrains actions through time, operatives, and money.
  • Two primary activity types per cycle:
    • Operations: small-scale activities used mainly to gather resources, but they cost Intel to start.
    • Missions: ground combat encounters that provide intel/growth/progression.
• Sector selection matters:
  • Missions occur in different sectors, and investing in certain sectors can lead to better rewards.
• The early showcase emphasizes harsh rules:
  • Hard difficulty
  • Permadeath
  • No manual saving
  • This makes positioning and planning especially important.

Combat system (what the player demonstrates)

• Standard tactical pacing:
  • Each character has 3 action points (AP) per turn.
  • Enemies then take their own turns.
• Cover, Overwatch, and positioning are repeatedly emphasized:
  • The player uses defensive high ground and Overwatch to punish enemies approaching predictable routes (e.g., stairways).
  • When enemies enter exposed angles or get caught moving, the player leverages reactive damage/control.

Key characters/classes and why they’re strong

• Hector Qual (heavy “front liner”)
  • Charged forward playstyle.
  • Effective at causing explosions and drawing enemy attention.
• Astromech droids (highlighted as a favorite class)
  • No guns/weapons; instead, they spam items using AP.
  • Item-based control shown includes:
    • Concussion grenades to push/knock targets into walls and disrupt positioning.
    • Conventional grenades that deal heavy damage and can destroy cover.
  • Strong synergy via battlefield manipulation (setting up cluster punishments).
  • Noted drawback: once out of grenades, direct damage drops.
• BR (favorite “character”)
  • Works alongside the droid/grenade approach for coordinated crowd control.
• Gunslinger
  • Blaster pistol is “weak” for raw damage, but the key mechanic is:
    • Get a kill → regain AP → keep firing
  • Framed as a mopping-up finisher, especially when advantage and target selection line up.
• Satan
  • A central tactical/frontline piece.
  • Used to handle consoles and keep fights controlled.

Strategies and tactics shown

• Use operations to build resources/roster early
  • Spend Intel on resource missions.
  • Use rewards (e.g., +1 roster) to field more soldiers.
• Farm experience safely
  • Send lower-level operatives on easier missions before moving them into risky ground combat.
• Exploration setup for plot missions
  • Begin with walking/talking/picking up clues before combat starts.
  • Use NPC/scene prompts to identify objectives (e.g., drain canal via console).
• Exploit chokepoints with Overwatch
  • Place Overwatch where enemies are forced to enter (like stair access).
• Turn fire into a kill zone
  • Combine grenades + positioning to force enemies into burning areas for escalating damage.
• Cluster punishment
  • Use droids to knock enemies out of cover so the squad can focus fire.
• Grenades that remove cover
  • Conventional grenades can destroy cover, making enemies vulnerable and breaking defensive lines.
• Counterplay during reinforcements
  • When reinforcements arrive from multiple sides:
    • keep a unit moving toward consoles
    • let others maintain high ground, smoke, or defensive setups
• Smoke + counters
  • Use smoke screens to deny enemy shots while your team still counterattacks effectively.
• Gunslinger AP loop
  • Target kills with the blaster pistol to trigger AP refunds and chain actions.

Notable moment from the combat

• The player combines:
  • Explosive canisters
  • Concussion grenades
  • Conventional grenades
  • Fire/Overwatch
  • Smoke plus counter/crowd control
• The fight is described as chaotic and difficult due to mass reinforcements, but it’s manageable through careful ability sequencing—especially when:
  • the droids still have grenades, and
  • the gunslinger can chain kills.

Gamers / sources featured (mentioned at the end)

• John (Many a True Nerd) — presenter of the video.