Short answer
Scoundrel is the strongest flexible recommendation for players ready to coordinate the squad. Soldier or Assault is the safer teaching choice for a first tactics campaign.
Those answers are not contradictory. PC Gamer’s launch guide favors Scoundrel for Vulnerable setups, defense penetration, critical hits, and assist damage. EA’s official guide recommends Soldier or Assault to newcomers because their direct movement and attacking tools make the fundamentals easier to read.
Choose Scoundrel for squad synergy
Scoundrel is a wildcard that becomes more valuable when the rest of the team can create and exploit favorable states. Its appeal on Hawks is not simply personal damage: Hawks is always strategically important, and a setup-oriented role lets the commander improve attacks made by several partners.
Choose it when you plan to:
- Apply Vulnerable or expose targets before the main damage sequence.
- Use Call for Backup consistently.
- Bring a teammate who can finish the target after Hawks creates the opening.
- Evaluate turns as a squad puzzle instead of four isolated attacks.
The cost is setup. If the squad cannot reach the marked target or a mission demands immediate uncomplicated damage, Scoundrel can feel weaker than a direct attacker.
Choose Soldier for a direct first campaign
Soldier covers close-to-medium engagements and combines ordinary gunfire with melee, grenades, and a high-impact rocket ability. The role presents clear questions: which enemy is in range, where is safe cover, and when is an area attack worth the shared Advantage?
Choose Soldier if you want Hawks to remain useful without relying on a particular status effect or partner. It is also a sound fallback when the authored squad already supplies enough support and specialized control.
Choose Assault for movement and flanking
Assault is the more mobile beginner option. It rewards moving around cover, closing distance, and creating a better angle rather than accepting a poor front-facing shot. Pick it if the movement layer is the part of tactics combat you most want to learn.
Assault still asks you to judge exposure carefully. Extra mobility does not make open ground safe, particularly before the Heavy or Medic can cover a risky advance.
The starting choice is reversible
PC Gamer reports that changing Specialization becomes available around Cycle 3, early in the campaign. Recruited Operators can also be adjusted later through the Personnel systems. That makes experimentation less costly than the character creator suggests.
The exception is identity-specific content: authored characters have Signature Talents, and some unique Specializations cannot be freely reassigned to other Operators. Changing a standard class does not convert Hawks into one of those exotic roles.
Recommendation by player type
| Player preference | Starting pick |
|---|---|
| Coordinated critical and assist turns | Scoundrel |
| Straightforward ranged offense | Soldier |
| Mobile flanking and close pressure | Assault |
| Maximum safety | Consider Medic, accepting lower early pressure |
This ranking reflects launch-week guides and official role descriptions. It should be revisited after balance patches or after the squad gains secondary Specializations.