There are eight standard Specializations: Assault, Gunslinger, Heavy, Medic, Scoundrel, Scout, Sharpshooter, and Soldier. Later in the campaign, Operators can add an additional Specialization, so the useful question is not “which class is #1?” but “what job does this kit do, and what second kit covers its blind spot?”

The eight standard kits

Specialization	Ultimate	Standard	Main job	Best when…
Assault	Sweeping Salvo	Bull Rush	Mobile frontline	You need to reposition, pressure cover, and exploit exposed targets
Gunslinger	Open Fire	Quick Draw	Fast multi-attack damage	You can chain attacks and convert kills into AP tempo
Heavy	Bulwark	Unstoppable	Tank / threat control	The squad needs a durable anchor and taunts
Medic	Morale Boost	Combat Stim	Healing / rescue	Injuries and Rally risk are shaping the campaign
Scoundrel	Easy Mark	Identify Weakness	Setup / assists	You want to force a high-value crit and improve team follow-ups
Scout	Ambush	Combat Recon	Advantage / spotting	Enemy density is high and the squad benefits from better hit reliability
Sharpshooter	Precision Shot	Zero In	Long-range burst	You can hold position and exploit long sightlines
Soldier	Rocket Strike	Brutal Strike	Explosive all-rounder	You want a clear damage plan with grenades, melee, and AoE

The most important combo principle

Later dual-Specialization planning should solve one of three problems:

1. AP mismatch: a powerful kit has too little AP left to reposition or support.
2. Setup and finisher mismatch: one Operator creates Vulnerable, Spotted, or Advantage but does not capitalize on it alone.
3. Survivability mismatch: a damage kit is excellent until Hard or Expert pressure, or Permadeath, makes one mistake too expensive.

That is why mechanically coherent pairs matter more than an arbitrary S-tier list.

Examples with a clear mechanical reason

• Scoundrel + Sharpshooter concept: Identify Weakness creates a guaranteed crit opportunity; a Longarm/Sharpshooter-style heavy hit is an obvious finisher.
• Scout + fast weapon / attack-heavy kit: Spotted rewards landing blaster hits on several targets; more attacks can spread the debuff more effectively.
• Medic + damage kit: Combat Stim increases an ally’s combat output while the Medic side reduces injury risk. Useful when you want one Operator to contribute beyond pure healing.
• Heavy + offensive secondary: Bulwark and passive defense establish the anchor; the second kit can add damage so the Operator is not spending every turn just absorbing fire.

Good starting points

Player preference	Good starting pick	Weapon
New to turn-based tactics	Soldier or Assault	Blaster Rifle
Maximum damage	Gunslinger, Soldier, or Heavy	Repeater
Long-range	Sharpshooter	Longarm Blaster
Mobility	Assault or Gunslinger	Blaster Pistol
Tactical planning	Scout or Scoundrel	Flexible
Squad support	Medic	Flexible

Those are starting points, not immutable builds. The game gives Hawks and custom Operators room to change Specializations, while some story characters have fixed elements.

Do not ignore Weapon Class

A class label does not lock the weapon. A Scout can use a pistol to land more 1 AP tagging shots; a Sharpshooter naturally benefits from Longarm range and crit damage; a Heavy can choose between a Repeater damage commitment or a cheaper weapon when it needs AP for control actions.

Use the Specialization Planner for a decision-oriented recommendation instead of treating this table as a tier list.