Star Wars Zero Company: Gunslinger Class Guide - Playstyle, Best Combinations, & More
Here's how to build the Gunslinger Class in SWZC!
Gunslinger is one of the eight class specs you can choose for your operators in Star Wars Zero Company. Unlike Assault, the Gunslinger class lets you dish out a lot more damage, but can be tough to position correctly. So, to help you use this class correctly, this guide walks you through all the important builds, playstyle and everything you would need for the best Gunslinger class build in Star Wars Zero Company.
Star Wars Zero Company Gunslinger Class, Explained
The Gunslinger is a fast, multi-target blaster specialist that excels at spreading damage across several enemies rather than getting them one at a time. In comparison to the Sharpshooter that helps you pick off single targets from range and the Heavy who can hold the line, the Gunslinger fires rapidly across multiple enemies and builds momentum as the turn goes on.
Gunslinger's skillset helps you farm APs with kills, so a good turn can snowball into a great one if you play it right. If you prefer using Blaster Pistols, a high rate of fire, and stacking critical hits across a crowded battlefield, Gunslinger should be your go-to specialization.
Gunslinger Class Abilities
| Ability | Effects | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Open Fire (Ultimate) | Fire 2 times at any combination of enemies. Costs 9 Advantage | Tier 1: Fire 2 times Tier 6: Fire 3 times. +20% bonus to Chance-to-Hit |
| Quick Draw (Standard) | Fire a lightning-fast sidearm pistol shot. Chance-to-hit penalty is increased. Defeating an enemy restores 1 AP. Costs 1 AP | Tier 1: Chance-to-hit penalty +25% Tier 6: Defeating an enemy restores 1 AP |
| Keen Eye (Passive) | Increases Critical Chance on all Ranged Attacks | Tier 1: +6% Ranged Crit Chance Tier 5: +18% Ranged Crit Chance |
| Onslaught (Passive) | Each attack in a turn grants +1 Blaster Damage, primary blaster only | Cannot Upgrade |
How To Play Gunslinger Class in Star Wars Zero Company
The core playstyle of the Gunslinger class is all about using your APs to chain shots and finish off weakened enemies rather than committing everything to a single big hit (like the Sharpshooter or Assault).
Generally, when playing Gunslinger, you should look for turns with multiple exposed or already-damaged enemies. Use Quick Draw first on a weakened target. If it lands the kill, you get an AP refund, which extends your turn for free. Chain that into another Quick Draw or a primary blaster shot, letting Onslaught's passive stack with each successive attack.
Save Open Fire for the moment you can split its two shots across two separate targets, or stack both onto a tougher target you need dealt with immediately. Since it draws from the shared Advantage pool, you should check whether another companion's Ultimate needs that Advantage more before you commit it.
From there, let a Medic keep your Combat Stim active, and stay behind a frontline operator who can absorb the aggro from the Gunslinger. Unlike a Assault or Heavy, the Gunslinger isn't built to survive being the center of enemy fire rather you need to use it to quickly clear targets once someone else has created the opening.
RELATED: If you want to learn how to play the Assault class in SWZC, check out our complete guide here!
Best Build Combination for Gunslinger Class
Best Talent Specialization
The best talent for the Gunslinger is Cold Blooded, which applies stacks of a buff called Vicious. Each stack of Vicious guarantees your Operator's next Ranged or Melee Attack is a Critical Hit, and one stack is consumed whenever a Critical Hit lands.
Cold Blooded is exactly what Gunslinger needs as it scales up the Pistol's lower base damage into guaranteed crits, which helps finish off targets and feeds the AP-refund combo from Quick Draw.
Alternatively, "The Bigger They Are…" talent grants extra damage against more dangerous enemies, including Elites and Bosses. It's a strong pick if you want your Gunslinger to be the one who finishes off a tough target with a single well-placed shot.
Best Secondary Specialization
For the Gunslinger Class, we recommend the Sharpshooter as your Secondary Specialization. Sharpshooter directly offsets the accuracy penalty on Quick Draw if you set up with Zero In. Sharpshooter Training also raises your chance-to-hit on all blaster attacks across the board.
| Ability | Effects |
|---|---|
| Precision Shot (Ultimate) | Fires a calculated blaster shot that always hits |
| Zero In (Standard) | Sets up a position for accurate shooting and gains stacks of Lethal, increasing Chance-to-Hit and Critical Chance |
| Pick Them Off (Passive) | Increases Overwatch Chance-to-Hit and Overwatch Damage |
| Sharpshooter Training (Passive) | +10% Chance-to-Hit on all Blaster Attacks |
NOTE: If you prefer guaranteed critical bursts instead of better DPS, you can alternatively pick the Scoundrel specialization. The Identify Weakness passive guarantees a critical on your next attack, which stacks nicely with Keen Eye.
Best Weapon for Gunslinger Class
The Blaster Pistol is the best weapon for the Gunslinger because it can be fired repeatedly in a single turn, which directly synergizes with Onslaught's stacking damage bonus and gives you more damage with every shot.
Using Quick Draw fires a separate sidearm, but Onslaught only buffs your primary blaster, so with a fast primary weapon you can fire several times in one turn which is exactly what you'd want. The Blaster Rifle is a decent alternative if you would rather have a cheaper, harder-hitting first shot at medium range instead of more shots.
