The best squad is a four-role framework
Zero Company normally deploys four Operators. A dependable general-purpose composition fills four needs:
- Protection: Heavy or another durable role controls attention and absorbs risk.
- Damage: Gunslinger, Soldier, or another attacker converts setup into defeated enemies.
- Recovery: Medic prevents a bad hit from becoming a campaign Injury and buffs allies.
- Setup and reach: Scout, Scoundrel, or Sharpshooter creates Advantage, exposes targets, or controls long lanes.
This structure is more reusable than declaring four named characters mandatory. Story requirements, Injuries, permadeath, and personal missions will all change who is available.
Strong launch-week templates
Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic, Sharpshooter
Mobalytics recommends this as a balanced specialization shell. Heavy draws attention away from the fragile attackers. Medic supports the rapid-fire Gunslinger, while Sharpshooter covers long lanes, assists attacks, and can help the damage dealer take more meaningful actions.
Its weakness is objective mobility. On a map that requires several simultaneous interactions or aggressive movement, trade a backline role for Assault or Scout.
Heavy, Scout, Soldier, Soldier
This template emphasizes a protected frontline, single-target control, and direct damage. The Scout helps create favorable timing while the Heavy keeps pressure away from the Soldiers. It is less dependent on a specific authored Operator and therefore easier to rebuild after an Injury.
Its weakness is recovery. Carry healing Utilities or replace one offensive slot with Medic for a campaign where permanent loss is enabled.
Early authored squad
Destructoid’s early recommendation combines Tel-Rea, Kabb, a Scoundrel Hawks, and Jae. It works because it presents several different engagement ranges and lets Hawks create openings for authored allies. Treat it as an accessible early template, not proof that custom recruits are inferior.
Compose around the objective
Before deployment, inspect what success requires.
- Extraction: prioritize movement, area denial, and Overwatch lanes.
- Rescue: bring recovery and a way to remove pressure from the rescued target.
- Sabotage or interaction objectives: avoid a squad where every useful turn requires standing still.
- Boss or elite hunt: favor focused damage, critical setup, and one reliable protector.
- Unknown story mission: choose the balanced four-role framework and flexible weapons.
Eliminating every enemy is not always the objective. A theoretically higher-damage squad can be worse if it cannot reach terminals, protect civilians, or disengage.
Bonds matter as much as a tier list
Operators who deploy and Call for Backup together improve their Bond. Strong pairwise Cross Training bonuses can make a familiar A-tier partnership more effective than four individually fashionable S-tier picks with no developed relationship.
Keep at least one reserve who can inherit a core role. A roster with only one healer or one durable frontline becomes fragile when that Operator needs the Medbay.
These combinations reflect launch-week guide testing available on September 2, 2026. Balance updates and later secondary Specializations can change the strongest details without changing the need for protection, damage, recovery, and setup.