The dangerous setting is not the one with the biggest enemy-health number. It is the one you cannot undo after committing to the campaign.

Two rules to know before pressing Start

Permadeath cannot be changed after the campaign begins. If an Operator suffers three injuries with Permadeath enabled, they are permanently KIA. Hawks cannot be permanently killed in combat; Hawks going down fails the mission instead.

Beskar Mode uses one persistent save. You cannot manually save, and your choices and consequences are permanent within that campaign.

Who should use Beskar Mode?

Use it when you actively want the campaign to preserve mistakes and outcomes. Do not turn it on because “Ironman is the real way to play” if you are still learning mission objectives, enemy passives, or how utility and AP work.

If you want Ironman-style discipline without a single-save dependency, keep Beskar off and choose not to reload tactical mistakes. That remains a player rule rather than a mode guarantee, but it preserves a recovery path if a technical issue occurs.

Hard and Expert: what to expect

Difficulty changes enemy combat behavior, but the full Hard and Expert stat table is not listed here yet. Treat exact claims about enemy bonuses, starting Bond values, or Den facility restrictions as not confirmed until you can see them in your current campaign.

Quick recommendation

Player	Difficulty approach	Permadeath	Beskar
First tactics game	Start with a forgiving difficulty	Off or optional	Off
XCOM-experienced, first Zero Company run	Normal/Hard	On if you enjoy roster stakes	Off
Wants a harsh tactical campaign	Hard/Expert	On	Optional
Specifically wants irreversible Ironman consequences	Your preferred difficulty	On	On

Use the Difficulty Selector for a recommendation based on save tolerance, tactics experience, and how much permanent roster loss you actually want.