Star Wars Zero Company Bonds Guide
Bonds are the relationships between pairs of Operators in Star Wars Zero Company. They are more than story flavor: EA says a higher Bond lets both members Cross Train for a permanent combat-stat bonus, and a pair at maximum Bond can unlock a stronger Cross Training benefit through a Passive Ability.
This is a pre-release systems guide. EA's published material says the game is still subject to change before the August 27 launch. It confirms the framework below, but has not published a complete Bond XP table, every reward, or a definitive best-pair list.
How the Bond system works
The Personnel Facility shows Soldier Bonds: how much each Operator likes or dislikes the rest of the company. Every pair begins with an initial relationship, usually neutral or negative. That means a story roster is not automatically a perfect team just because its members are strong individually.
Bonds apply across the company rather than only to one fixed story duo. Build relationships around the Operators you expect to deploy together, then use their Cross Training bonuses to reinforce a clear team job: holding the front, creating an opening, removing a priority target, or preserving an injured squadmate.
How to increase Bonds
EA explicitly identifies the following ways to improve Bonds:
| Confirmed activity | What it means for Bond planning | | --- | --- | | Complete Tactical Missions | Deploy a core pair together when the mission suits both roles. | | Complete Operations | Assign compatible Operators when an Operation's choice, reward, and timing make sense. | | Call for Backup | Use the no-AP assistance action when the selected Operator can help the next attack. | | Resolve Dilemmas | Hawks' decision may change Bonds with Operators who give their view. |
The official overview confirms that Utilities and healing exist in combat, but it does not publish a complete list of every support action that awards Bond progress. Do not assume every heal, buff, or rescue grants relationship progress until the release build documents it.
Shared Tactical Missions
Tactical Missions are the most natural way to maintain a Bond-focused core. A standard squad contains up to four Operators, and every member has three Action Points per turn. Keep two intended partners in a team only when their jobs still fit the objective; forcing a pair into the wrong map is worse than delaying one Bond increase.
A practical pattern is a protected frontline + Medic pair, a Scout + Sharpshooter information-and-damage pair, or a control + finisher pair. These are planning patterns, not confirmed named best pairs or guaranteed special bonuses.
Operations and Bond progress
Operations happen at the Holotable and do not require tactical combat. EA says they can grant immediate rewards, involve choices, and affect Bonds; completed Operations are also listed as a way to boost Bonds. Use them to support the same core that handles Tactical Missions, but do not spend Intel on an Operation solely for a relationship gain if its expiry, reward, or risk harms the larger campaign plan.
Call for Backup and support actions
Call for Backup costs no AP. Each turn, one random Operator can select a teammate to assist with that Operator's next attack, normally by adding their own firepower. EA lists Calling for Backup among the ways to boost Bonds.
This makes it a good Bond action only when it is tactically sound: choose an ally with line of sight, focus the target that matters, and avoid exposing a teammate merely to chase progress. Healing, Rally, and other support actions may still be vital for survival, but their direct Bond value has not been fully specified by EA.
Bond levels and rewards
EA confirms that a Bond increases in level and that each increase enables Cross Training for both members. It has not published the full number of levels, the XP required for each one, or every available reward. Avoid trusting preview-only meters, named tiers, or percentage bonuses as final release data.
The durable rule is simple: a Bond reward belongs to both Operators in the pair. Prioritize pairings that will remain useful across multiple mission types instead of building a bonus around two roles that compete for the same limited space.
How Cross Training works
When a Bond reaches a new level, both Operators can Cross Train for a permanent combat-stat bonus. At maximum Bond, the pair can unlock a special Cross Training benefit through a Passive Ability.
Cross Training is managed from Personnel alongside Bonds and the Focus Tree. It should shape a squad's long-term identity, not replace basic tactical play: cover, line of sight, Action Point order, recovery, and the mission objective still decide whether a team survives a turn.
Maximum-Bond Passive Abilities
The highest confirmed reward is a special Cross Training that grants major benefits through a Passive Ability. EA has not announced its complete Passive Ability list, exact triggers, or values. Build toward maximum Bond with a pair you enjoy using, but keep the page's post-launch update list open for the final reward table.
Bonds vs Operator approval
EA publicly calls the tracked relationship system Bonds and states that Operators can begin neutral or negative. Dilemmas let every Operator share an opinion, and Hawks' choice may alter Bonds. EA has not published a separate, fully defined “Approval” meter with independent rules.
Treat approval language in preview coverage as a way to describe story reactions, not as a second confirmed progression system. On the current official record, Bonds and the choices that influence them are the reliable gameplay framework.
Negative starting relationships and Dilemmas
Initial friction is intentional. Do not bench two useful Operators only because they start neutral or negative; shared Missions, Operations, and Calling for Backup give the relationship a path forward.
At certain story points, Hawks faces a Dilemma and every Operator voices an opinion. The decision may change Bonds. Make the choice that suits the campaign and the company you want to lead rather than trying to force a universal “correct” option—EA has not released a complete Dilemma-to-Bond outcome table.
Best Operator Bond pairings
There is no official final ranking of character pairings yet. Start with roles that repeatedly support one another:
| Pairing pattern | Why it is a sensible Bond target | | --- | --- | | Frontline + Medic | One takes calculated pressure; one protects the campaign from a costly exchange. | | Scout + Sharpshooter | Information and target selection support a safe precision turn. | | Control + damage finisher | One creates an opening; the other converts it into a removal. | | Hawks + a role Hawks lacks | Story missions always require Hawks, so this pair stays available often. |
These are recommendations for stable deployment, not claims about exclusive skills. Re-evaluate them when final Cross Training bonuses and mission tuning are available.
How Bonds affect squad composition
A consistent core develops relationships more naturally than replacing the whole squad after every deployment. Keep a pair together when it still covers a mission need, then use the remaining slots to answer the map: more recovery, long-range damage, safe scouting, or a tougher frontline.
Do not let Bonds lock a team into a bad choice. If the roster has Injuries, the objective demands another role, or a new threat needs a different approach, rotate a member and protect the campaign first. Cross Training rewards a working plan; it does not turn four duplicate roles into a balanced squad.
Bonds and permadeath
When an Operator loses all Health, they are Downed, receive an Injury, and need an ally to Rally them before they can act again. On Standard difficulty, three Injuries result in permanent death. Those stakes make stable Bonds valuable: a familiar pair can have clearer rescue coverage and turn order.
EA has not published a complete rule for what happens to every Cross Training benefit or relationship record after a permanent death. Treat surviving the mission as more important than preserving a Bond bonus, and avoid presenting preview claims about relationship loss as final.
Do Bonds decay?
EA's current official overview explains how Bonds grow but does not publish a complete decay rule. This guide therefore does not claim that Bonds decay, name a penalty trigger, or promise that they are permanent. Confirm that behavior in the release build before optimizing around it.
Fastest way to increase Bonds
Without an official XP table, the safest route is not a farm claim. Keep one useful pair together through Tactical Missions, assign them to appropriate Operations when available, and use Call for Backup when it improves the current turn. This advances Bonds through confirmed activities while still respecting Intel, mission windows, and squad safety.
Bonds FAQ
What activities increase Bonds?
EA names Tactical Missions, Operations, and Calling for Backup as Bond-boosting activities. Dilemma decisions may also change Bonds.
Do both Operators receive the Cross Training bonus?
Yes. EA says both Operators in the pair can Cross Train for a permanent combat-stat bonus when their Bond increases.
What happens at maximum Bond?
The pair can unlock a special Cross Training benefit through a Passive Ability. Exact abilities and values are not fully published.
Can Bonds begin negative?
Yes. EA says pairs usually begin neutral or negative, so early friction is part of the system.
Are heal actions confirmed to raise Bonds?
Not in EA's published Bond list. Use healing to protect the squad, but wait for release-version confirmation before treating it as a Bond-farming action.
Do Bonds decay or break after permadeath?
The current official material does not provide a complete answer. This page will be updated when release testing or additional EA documentation confirms the exact rules.
Sources and release status
Bonds, Cross Training, Focus Points, initial relationships, Operations, Tactical Missions, Calling for Backup, Dilemmas, and Injury rules are based on EA's Lead Zero Company to Victory. Information is pre-release and should be checked against the launch build before publishing numerical Bond routes or a final pairing tier list.