Zero Company

Resources / Intel

How to Get & Spend Intel in STAR WARS Zero Company

Intel is the currency that buys opportunities rather than goods. Missions hand it out on a fixed base plus conditional bonuses, a Cycle cap limits how much you can bank, and the Operations you spend it on can expire before you get back to them. This page resolves each of those three numbers.

Credits determine what you can buy. Intel determines which opportunities you can afford to take.

See Intel IncomeWhich Operations Are Worth It

Where Intel goes

  1. Tactical Mission

    100 Intel base + conditional bonuses

  2. Intel

    Capped per Cycle, not a shop balance

  3. Holotable

    Where an Operation is started

  4. Operation

    Costs Intel, resolves its own rewards

  5. Credits · Influence · Items · Bonds

    Some options also cost or pay Intel

Intel is not a shopping currency. The game states it is used to complete Operations on the Holotable, and an Operation is a one-off opportunity: it pays its own rewards and can be gone before the next Cycle.

How Much Intel Does a Mission Give?

100 Intel per Mission, before bonuses

“The currency of information and assets. Intel is primarily used to complete Operations on the Holotable. Missions always reward 100 Intel plus additional bonuses.”

Game keyword text, Intel

MISSION INTEL

100 Base — every Mission

+ 0 / 5 / 7 / 9 / 12 Espionage, one tier only

+ 5 Rumor Gathering, on completed Missions

+ 5 regional Gathering reward, where unlocked

= MISSION INTEL RECEIVED

Bonuses are conditional, so they are never all live at once: Espionage is written for combat missions, Rumor Gathering pays on completed Missions, and the regional bonus only applies where that reward is unlocked. Add them one at a time rather than summing the whole list.

Mission Database →Decisions that pay Intel →Credits Guide →

Every Way to Get Intel

The complete list of Intel sources the collected data resolves, in the order they land on a Mission reward. Anything not on this table is not a verified Intel source.

Intel income sources
SourceValueWhen it applies
Every Mission — base rewardMission Database →100 IntelThe game states that Missions always reward this base before any bonus is applied.
Espionage I–IV (Spy Talent)Talents & Abilities →+5 / +7 / +9 / +12Added when the Operator with the Talent completes a combat mission. The game text adds "Does not stack", so only the best single Espionage bonus applies.
Rumor GatheringBest Den Upgrades →+5 IntelCompleting Missions provides an additional +5 Intel.
Intel Gathering (regional reward)Compare Regional Rewards →+5 Intel each MissionPaid out only where that regional reward is the one you have unlocked.
Operations and options that pay IntelDecisions that pay Intel →17 options · up to 150 IntelIntel comes back on some Operation options as well as going out. The resolved list is below.
Regional Intel Cap rewardCompare Regional Rewards →+25 Intel CapRaises capacity rather than income — it decides how much Intel a Cycle can bank.

These are the only categories the page counts. Speculation about bonus Intel from other systems is left out until the data resolves it.

How Much Intel Will This Mission Give Me?

Pick what is actually true for the Mission you are about to run.

Espionage on the mission operator
Rumor Gathering
Regional Intel Gathering

Expected Intel

  • Base Mission Intel+100

Mission Intel received100

Calculated from collected values · nothing estimated

  • With no bonus selected this is the base reward the game states for every Mission.

Espionage: Exact Intel Bonus per Tier

Espionage is the only talent that changes Intel income, and its tiers state their own numbers. Every one of them also states that the bonus does not stack.

Espionage tiers and their exact Intel bonus
AbilityIntel bonusStacksGame text
Espionage I+5NoEarn an additional +5 Intel rewards when this Operator completes a combat mission. Does not stack.
Espionage II+7NoEarn an additional +7 Intel rewards when this Operator completes a combat mission. Does not stack.
Espionage III+9NoEarn an additional +9 Intel rewards when this Operator completes a combat mission. Does not stack.
Espionage IV+12NoEarn an additional +12 Intel rewards when this Operator completes a combat mission. Does not stack.

Worked example

  • Mission base100
  • Espionage IV+12
  • Mission Intel112

Add Rumor Gathering (+5) and the same Mission pays 117, provided that upgrade is built.

Does Espionage Stack?

No. The game text on every tier says “Does not stack”.

Two Operators carrying the Spy Talent do not add their Espionage bonuses together, and upgrading two of them does not double the reward. The bonus that applies is the best single Espionage tier on the Operator who completes the combat mission.

Only one Talent slot per Operator is involved, which is why the value question below is about what the slot buys, not about stacking more of it.

Talents & Abilities →Build Planner →

What Is a Per-Mission Bonus Actually Worth?

Intel has no value on its own — it is worth what it unlocks. Multiply the bonus by the Missions you have left, then read the result against the Intel prices the collected data does resolve.

Espionage tier on the operator

Pick a tier

  • Missions counted10
  • Potential Intel0
  • Options priced at 25 Intel0
  • Options priced at 50 Intel0

Intel only matters through what it unlocks: the total is also expressed as the number of collected options priced at 25 and 50 Intel it would cover.

Rumor Gathering — Completing Missions provides an additional +5 Intel.

  • Bonus per completed Mission+5
  • Missions counted10
  • Potential additional Intel50

Potential means potential: the real value depends on how many qualifying Missions remain and on whether the extra Intel crosses an Intel price you could not otherwise pay. Intel only matters through what it unlocks: the total is also expressed as the number of collected options priced at 25 and 50 Intel it would cover.

A 25-Intel option and a 50-Intel option are the two prices the collected data resolves on Operations, so the totals above are expressed in those units rather than in a star rating. Espionage is not automatically the right Talent: it competes with every other use of the same slot, which is what the Talent pages compare.

Best Talents →Talents & Abilities →Build Planner →

Regional Rewards That Change the Intel Economy

Two regional rewards move Intel, and they do different jobs: one raises income, one raises capacity. Whichever zone you invest in decides which of the two you are working toward.

Intel GatheringIncome

+5 Intel each Mission

+25 Intel CapCapacity

Increases Maximum Intel

Income rewards compound with Missions; capacity rewards do nothing until the cap is actually in play. The zone-by-zone thresholds behind both belong to the regional layer, so this page only states what each reward changes.

Compare Regional Rewards →Best Zone Rewards →

How Does the Intel Cap Work?

Intel Cap

“The maximum amount of Intel you can gain per Cycle. Increasing this cap allows you to go on more Operations.”

Game keyword text, Intel Cap

Two things follow. First, the cap is the reason income bonuses are not the whole story — once a Cycle is near the ceiling, more Intel per Mission stops helping. Second, the cap itself is raised by a regional reward (“+25 Intel Cap” — “Increases Maximum Intel”), so capacity is a zone investment rather than a Mission reward.

The collected data does not resolve a baseline cap value for a campaign, so this page does not print one. The calculator below takes the cap your own save shows.

Will My Next Mission Waste Intel?

Enter the Intel you are holding, the cap your save shows, and the Mission Intel figure calculated above. The page then shows both the total after the Mission and how far past the cap it lands.

Next Mission Intel

100

From the calculator above — change the bonuses there to change this.

  • After the Mission180
  • Cap200
  • Past the cap0

The next Mission reward still fits under your cap.

The game calls the cap the maximum Intel you can gain per Cycle. The collected data does not say whether that ceiling counts what you hold or what a Cycle pays in, which is why both numbers are shown: the total after the Mission, and the amount past the cap. If a useful Operation is available, spending it before you deploy is the one lever this page can verify from the data.

Decisions that pay Intel →Mission Priority →

What Is Intel Used For?

“The currency of information and assets. Intel is primarily used to complete Operations on the Holotable. Missions always reward 100 Intel plus additional bonuses.”

So the destination is Operations, and the collected Operation records break down as 28 main operations, 132 optional operations and 13 Bond Events. What each one pays back is in the next section.

Intel as an option price, and as an option reward
MovementOptionsRangeRead
Intel as a price625 – 50Options that require Intel before you can take them.
Intel as a reward1725 – 150Options that pay Intel back on top of the Operation’s other rewards.

The collected data resolves Intel as a price on 6 options and as a reward on 17 options across 13 operations. Everything else an Operation moves is Credits, Influence, items, Capacitors or Bonds, and the Holotable launch price of an Operation is not stored in the collected data.

Which Operations Should I Spend Intel On?

Collected Operation records: 173. Amounts below are the rewards the data resolves for the operation, which is why they read as "up to". The Intel price of starting an Operation on the Holotable is set by the campaign and is not stored in the collected data, so it is not printed anywhere on this page.

I want

Showing 173 of 173 collected records

Collected Operation records with their resolved rewards
OperationTypeIntelCreditsInfluenceOtherRiskExpiresRequires
Cleaning HouseOptional operation1502,500+5ItemLow—Astromech, Scoundrel
Extra EarsOptional operation150—+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Strange BedfellowsMain operation50—+32 Contacts · BondsNo recorded risk——
Escape JabiimOptional operation25500+7—No recorded risk——
Imperial InformantBond Event25———No recorded risk——
Jedi HolocronOptional operation25——BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Job Ain't DoneMain operation251,000+51 Capacitor · BondsMedium——
Kinro DecryptionOptional operation25500—BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Loose LipsMain operation25—+5BondsNo recorded risk——
People SkillsBond Event251,500——No recorded risk——
Risky BusinessBond Event251,000——No recorded risk——
Shu-Torun SympathizersOptional operation25—+32 Contacts · BondsNo recorded risk——
Witness ProtectionBond Event251,000+5—No recorded risk——
A Droid AdriftOptional operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
A Friendly WagerOptional operation——+3BondsLow——
A Not So Soft TouchOptional operation—1,500+3ItemNo recorded risk—Astromech, Scoundrel
Adaptive ResponseOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Advanced ExplosivesOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Aggressive ResponseOptional operation————No recorded risk——
An Annoying AcquaintanceOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Ancient TomeOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Arm WrestlingOptional operation——+3—High——
Armor ImprovementsOptional operation—1,000+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Arms EmbezzlerOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Augmented UnitsOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Back ChannelsMain operation———1 Capacitor · 2 ContactsNo recorded risk——
Background CheckMain operation—1,000——No recorded risk——
Bennic's MessageOptional operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
Bespin Thanks YouOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Bilbousa BazaarOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Black Sun Syndicate MeetingOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Bomis SabotageOptional operation—1,000+3—Medium——
Bootleg BallisticsOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Bounty BusinessOptional operation—1,000+31 Capacitor · BondsNo recorded risk——
Cast a Dark ShadowMain operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Casual SabaccOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Changeling VengeanceBond Event—2,000—ItemNo recorded risk——
Charity FundOptional operation—2,500+71 Capacitor · BondsNo recorded risk——
Chut Chut, PateesaMain operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Circuit PsychologyOptional operation—500+3—High——
Cleansing HealOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Comm Relay SearchOptional operation—2,500+3BondsLow——
Conjugal StrifeOptional operation—1,000+32 ContactsNo recorded risk——
Contact SawtoothOptional operation——+3BondsLowYes—
Corporate EspionageOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Credit for Good BehaviorOptional operation—2,500+3—High——
Cultic IndoctrinationOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Dark KnowledgeOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Deadly OptimizationOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Deadly ReflexesOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Dejarik AnticsOptional operation——+31 CapacitorHigh—Padawan
DendrophobiaOptional operation—1,500+3—Medium——
DianogaBond Event————No recorded risk——
Diced and SlicedOptional operation————Low——
Dorin EscapeOptional operation—1,000+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Double TapOptional operation——+3—Low——
Droid TechOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Dull SensesOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Dumpster DivingOptional operation——+3—Low——
Elite TechniquesOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Enemy of My EnemyMain operation——+32 ContactsNo recorded risk——
False FlagOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Family AffairOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Fleet FootedOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Forgotten CallOptional operation—250+71 Capacitor · BondsNo recorded risk——
Frequency BoostOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Futures ProofingOptional operation——+5—No recorded risk——
Gather LeadsMain operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
Ghost ShipOptional operation—500+3ItemAlways—Astromech
Gorga's EnigmaOptional operation—1,000+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Gorga's RevengeMain operation—500+5BondsNo recorded risk——
Gorga's SuspicionsMain operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
Gravitational PayoutOptional operation——+32 CapacitorsMedium—Soldier
Gundark ManorOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Handsome RansomOptional operation—2,000+3ItemNo recorded risk——
High-End ProtocolOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Hot PropertyMain operation——+32 ContactsNo recorded risk——
Ingress ObligeMain operation—500+3—Medium——
Intergalactic AidOptional operation—1,500+7—Low——
Jedi Meditation IOptional operation———Item · BondsNo recorded risk—Padawan
Jedi Meditation IIOptional operation———Item · BondsNo recorded risk—Padawan
Jedi On The CaseMain operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Kashyyyk AidOptional operation—2,500+7—High——
Knock KnockMain operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Limb for LuckOptional operation—2,500+3—Always——
Listening InMain operation——+72 Contacts · BondsNo recorded risk——
Lost RationsOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Mediship RescueOptional operation——+31 CapacitorNo recorded risk——
Meet the Black Sun SyndicateOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Meet the Techno UnionOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Millicreep RequisitionBond Event————No recorded risk——
Mining MediationOptional operation————No recorded risk——
MurmursMain operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Mygeeto in NeedOptional operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
Mynock RoastOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Nebulous PursuitOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Nebulous PursuitOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Nebulous PursuitOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Nebulous Pursuit IIOptional operation—1,500+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Nebulous Pursuit IIOptional operation—1,500+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Nebulous Pursuit IIOptional operation—1,500+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Need-to-Know BasisOptional operation———BondsLow——
Neutral Moon HotelOptional operation—1,500+7—High——
New RootsOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Obvious ScamOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Onderon Mining DisputeOptional operation—500+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Onderon RelicsOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Operation TrickMain operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Opportunity KnockingOptional operation—1,000+3BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Optics OrdinanceOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Our Jedi FriendMain operation—1,000+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Over the ShoulderOptional operation—1,000+3ItemNo recorded risk——
PaybackMain operation——+7—No recorded risk——
Pick Your PoisonMain operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Plated ArmorOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Postwar WaterOptional operation—1,000+71 CapacitorLow——
Protection ApplicationOptional operation—1,000+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Quid Pro QuoMain operation——+31 Capacitor · BondsMedium——
Rawn's FateOptional operation——+5BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Rawn's PathOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded riskYesPadawan
Recursive GrowthOptional operation————No recorded risk——
RefuelingBond Event————No recorded risk——
Relief ShipBond Event—1,500——No recorded risk——
Repair ShipOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Resistance FundOptional operation——+5—Always——
Resonant HealingOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Retaliation ProtocolsOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Rhy CescaMain operation——+5BondsLow——
RumorsBond Event————No recorded risk——
Sabacc SeatOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Secondhand GoodsOptional operation——+3—Always——
Security ConsultOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Separatist SatelliteOptional operation——+32 CapacitorsNo recorded risk——
Shili OutbreakOptional operation——+3—High——
Shocking StrikeOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Shore LeaveBond Event————No recorded risk——
Shredder RoundsOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Sloppy Supply RouteOptional operation——+3—High——
Smugglers' BarOptional operation—250+3—No recorded risk——
Smugglers' ManifestMain operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Smugglers' Manifest IIMain operation—500——No recorded risk——
Solar SailerOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Spontaneous CombustionOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——
Stirring The PotMain operation—500+3—No recorded risk——
Stolen GoodsOptional operation————Medium——
Stranded DurosOptional operation——+52 ContactsNo recorded risk——
Strange LiaisonsOptional operation——+3—Low——
Streamlined ProfileOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Subjugation DesolationOptional operation—1,000+71 CapacitorLow——
Sullust SearchOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Supply HeistOptional operation—2,500+3BondsLow——
Suspicious EquipmentOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Syndicate RunnerOptional operation——+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Targeting ModulesOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Team BuildingBond Event————No recorded risk——
Techno Union MeetingOptional operation————No recorded risk——
The Bothawui ErrandOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
The Brothers BepBond Event—1,000——No recorded risk——
The Iron VowOptional operation————Low——
The Night HungersOptional operation——+7—No recorded risk——
The Ossic HandMain operation——+32 Contacts · Focus Points · BondsNo recorded risk——
The Right to Bear ArmsOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Trick or TreatOptional operation—500+5BondsNo recorded risk—Soldier
Trick's TricksOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Umbaran ExpertiseOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Underworld IntelMain operation——+3BondsNo recorded risk——
Unstable Baradium-coreOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Upgrade OpportunityOptional operation————No recorded risk——
Uyter ScoutOptional operation——+3ItemNo recorded risk——
Vondarc BluesOptional operation—1,000+3—No recorded risk——
Weak SpotOptional operation——+3BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Where's Geryon?Optional operation—500+3BondsNo recorded riskYes—
Wobani TerritoryOptional operation——+3—No recorded risk——

“Up to” is deliberate: the columns show the largest single payout the collected data resolves for that record, which is generally the best option on it. The Holotable launch price is not in the data, so no column claims to be a full cost comparison.

An Operation Priority Model Built From the Data

This is not a tier list. It is an order of questions, and every step names the collected evidence behind it.

  1. 1 — Anything that can expire

    An Operation that carries its own expiry fact is the only kind of opportunity the data proves you can lose. If you want it, it outranks everything below.

    8 collected operations carry an expiry fact of their own.

  2. 2 — Main operations

    The strategy layer marks these as main operations, which is the only story signal the data carries.

    28 main operation records.

  3. 3 — Operations that pay Intel back

    An Operation that returns Intel funds the next Operation, cap permitting.

    13 operations, 17 options, up to 150 Intel.

  4. 4 — The Operation that answers your current shortage

    Low on Credits, Influence or Capacitors, or short on a Bond you actually field? Take the record whose resolved reward is that resource instead of the one with the biggest headline number.

    The reward filter in the table below is built from resolved amounts only.

  5. 5 — Check you can run it at all

    A specialization requirement you cannot fill makes a reward irrelevant, no matter how good it reads.

    9 collected operations name a required specialization.

  6. 6 — Everything else

    Optional records with no expiry, no specialization requirement and no resource you are short of.

    132 optional operation records.

Mission Expiration →Mission Priority →

Compare Two Operations

Side by side, on the values the data resolves. The comparator does not declare a winner — it tells you which record favours which goal.

Resolved comparison of two operations
MeasureAB
Record typeOptional operationOptional operation
Intel backNone resolvedNone resolved
Credits back500 CreditsNone resolved
Influence back+3+3
CapacitorsNone resolvedNone resolved
ItemsNone resolvedNone resolved
BondsNo Bond recordTouches Bonds
ContactsNone resolvedNone resolved
Focus PointsNone resolvedNone resolved
Injury riskNo recorded riskLow
Can expireNo expiry factNo expiry fact
SpecializationNone namedNone named
Intel price resolvedNo Intel price on a recorded optionNo Intel price on a recorded option
Options recordedNo option records3
  • Choose based on
  • Need Credits? A Droid Adrift resolves the larger Credits reward.
  • Avoiding injuries? A Droid Adrift carries the lower recorded risk.

Should You Save Intel?

The community answer splits both ways, and neither extreme survives contact with the data. Intel is a campaign opportunity currency: holding it is only a cost when an opportunity can actually be lost.

Spend whenEvidence-based

  • The Operation can expire. Expiry is the one loss the game data confirms. If you want it, take it.
  • You need what it pays. The resolved reward covers a shortage you actually have right now.
  • It unlocks something you want next. Some options add follow-up missions or Fact changes rather than only resources.
  • You are close to the Intel Cap. Intel that cannot be banked is not saved, so a useful Operation is the better home for it.

Save whenEvidence-based

  • Nothing available supports your goals. If every record on offer pays resources you are already full on, holding is not a mistake.
  • Nothing in the list can expire. Without an expiry fact there is no evidence you are about to lose the opportunity.
  • You are well below the Cap. Holding Intel costs nothing until the cap is in play.
  • A better opportunity is still ahead. The campaign keeps issuing operations, and Intel is spent one operation at a time.

This is not "always spend" and not "always save": the deciding evidence is whether the record can expire, whether it pays what you are short of, and whether the cap is about to make the Intel unkeepable.

Intel low

Can the Operation expire? If yes, check its reward against what you are short of and take it if it pays something you need. If nothing can expire, holding costs you nothing yet.

Intel near the cap

Is there a useful Operation available? If the next Mission would push you past the cap, spending on something you wanted anyway is better than banking Intel you cannot keep.

Expiring Operations vs Saving Intel

Intel is the only resource where the thing you were saving for can disappear. 8 of the 173 collected Operation records carry their own expiry fact, so the honest question is never “save or spend” in the abstract — it is which of the two risks you are exposed to.

  1. Path 1 — Intel below the price you need

  2. Does the Operation carry an expiry fact?

    8 records do. Those are the only ones where waiting has a real cost.

  3. Does it resolve something you are short of?

    Check the reward row: Credits, Influence, Bonds, items and Capacitors are all recorded.

  4. Then

    Take it. If a record cannot expire and pays nothing you need, skip it — holding Intel costs you nothing except cap exposure.

  1. Path 2 — Intel at or near the cap

  2. Is any useful Operation available?

    34 records carry injury risk and 9 name a specialization, so check you can actually run the one you pick.

  3. Would the next Mission cross the cap?

    Run the overflow calculator above with your real cap; anything past it does not land.

  4. Then

    Spend before deploying. Intel you cannot bank is not an investment, and the Operation you take now is still a reward you keep.

Both paths end in the same place: Intel is only worth what it unlocks, and the Operations worth unlocking are the ones that expire, pay something you need, and that you can actually staff.

Mission Expiration →Mission Priority →Compare Regional Rewards →

Choices That Give or Cost Intel

Intel also moves inside decisions. These are the options the collected data resolves — the ones that pay Intel back, and the smaller set that require Intel to take.

Options that pay Intel back
OperationOptionIntel gained
Witness ProtectionA — Threaten them for intel+25
People SkillsC — Let him pay another way+25
Imperial InformantC — Tell the Pykes where Vinklex is+25
Risky BusinessD — Find out what he’s up to+25
Loose LipsB — Apply some pressure+25
Strange BedfellowsA — Tell them there is a threat to the Republi+50
Strange BedfellowsB — Tell them there is a threat to their citiz+25
Job Ain't DoneB — Steal Intelligence Records+25
Cleaning HouseB — Facilitate his escape+150
Extra EarsA — Leverage a contact+150
Escape JabiimA — Save only the three undercover Intelligenc+25
Escape JabiimB — Save the undercover Intelligence officers +25
Escape JabiimC — Attempt to save everyone+25
Kinro DecryptionA — Runa+25
Shu-Torun SympathizersB — Use them as sources of intel+25
Jedi HolocronA — Let Tel Focus+25
Jedi HolocronB — Tel Can Do Both+25
Options that require Intel
OperationOptionIntel required
Shore LeaveC — Only allow shore leave to safe locations25
RefuelingD — Search for another source50
RumorsC — Spread rumors to throw people off the scen25
The Brothers BepD — Ask around about the Brothers25
Dejarik AnticsB — Convince one of the players to accuse Suss50
Sloppy Supply RouteA — Analyze the supply ships to find the best 50

The clearest example

Witness Protection

One option threatens the defector for Intel, and the branch alternatives trade that Intel away for other outcomes. Reading the Intel number alone would be a mistake — the choice moves more than one system, so open the record and compare every consequence before deciding.

Witness Protection →Choice Solver →Decisions that pay Intel →

Cautionary Intel Does Not Increase Intel

The name misleads. Cautionary Intel is a Networking Den upgrade, and its effect is written entirely in terms of operation risk: “Reduces the chance of Injuries on Dangerous Operations by 20%”.

  • Intel incomeUnchanged
  • Injury chance on Dangerous Operations−20%

So it belongs in an Intel-value calculation rather than an Intel-income plan: an Operation you cannot afford to lose an Operator on is a different proposition from one that pays more. It is worth building for the risk, not for the Intel.

Best Den Upgrades →Decisions with injury risk →

Operation Risk Changes What Intel Is Worth

An Operation that pays Credits but carries injury risk is not the same purchase as one that pays the same Credits safely. The collected records carry that difference in their own risk tags, and the reward table above shows it in the Risk column.

34

collected operations tagged with a recorded injury risk

8

operations that carry their own expiry fact

9

operations that name a required specialization

Risk is also where Cautionary Intel pays off (Reduces the chance of Injuries on Dangerous Operations by 20%), which is the Den half of the same calculation.

Decisions with injury risk →Best Den Upgrades →

Why Can't I Assign an Operator to an Operation?

Work down the list; the first failure is the one blocking the assignment.

  1. 01 — Does the operation require a specialization you do not have?

    9 collected operations name a required specialization: Astromech, Padawan, Scoundrel, Soldier. If none of your deployed Operators covers that requirement, the operation cannot be started by that squad.

  2. 02 — Is the requirement met by a secondary specialization?

    Dual specialization means an Operator can hold a second path. Whether an operation accepts that second path as its requirement is the question the dual-specialization guide answers, so check it there before you rebuild anyone.

  3. 03 — Is the Operator injured or still in the Medbay?

    An Operator being treated is not available. The Den page covers recovery, and the injury rules page covers what causes it.

  4. 04 — Is the Operator already assigned this Cycle?

    An Operator committed to another operation or Mission cannot be in two places at once.

  5. 05 — Has the Cycle already advanced past it?

    An operation that carries an expiry fact can be gone. If the record no longer appears, treat it as expired rather than as a bug.

Dual specialization is the one item on this list that an update can change: what an operation accepts as a valid requirement is a rules question, so check the dual-specialization guide rather than rebuilding an Operator on a guess.

Dual Specialization →How to Respec →Build Planner →

Not Enough Intel for an Operation?

The gap is arithmetic: what you have, what the option costs, and what a Mission pays you. The collected Intel prices are 25 and 50, so those are the presets.

Intel price you are short of
  • Still needed0
  • Intel per Mission100
  • Missions with your current setup0

You can afford this now.

Per-Mission Intel comes from the calculator above: base 100 and no bonuses selected.

  1. 01Run the next MissionEvery Mission pays the 100 Intel base reward.
  2. 02Bring the Spy TalentEspionage tiers add +5 / +7 / +9 / +12 Intel and do not stack, so the highest tier you own is the one that counts.
  3. 03Build Rumor GatheringRumor Gathering: Completing Missions provides an additional +5 Intel. It pays on every completed Mission, so it is the widest of the small bonuses.
  4. 04Check your active regional rewardIntel Gathering pays +5 Intel each Mission while it is the reward you have unlocked in that zone.
  5. 05Look for an option that pays Intel13 operations resolve an Intel reward on one of their options — several pay 150 Intel in a single choice.
  6. 06Raise the cap before you bank moreOnce the cap is in play, extra income stops helping. The maximum amount of Intel you can gain per Cycle. Increasing this cap allows you to go on more Operations.

Raising the cap is the last step on purpose: once the cap is the binding constraint, better income does not help until capacity does.

Can You Farm Intel?

Not in the grinding sense, and the data says why. Every Mission pays the same base reward, Missions advance the campaign rather than repeating freely, and the Intel Cap limits what a Cycle can pay in. There is no repeatable loop that turns time into unlimited Intel.

What you can improve is the rate and the spending: bring the Espionage tier, build Rumor Gathering, run zones where the Intel Gathering reward is active, and spend Intel on Operations whose rewards you actually need before they expire. That is the whole optimisation.

Mission Database →Campaign Walkthrough →Mission Priority →

Plan My Intel

One tool that reads your save and tells you what the next Mission pays, whether any of it is lost to the cap, and what your balance already covers. Every output below comes from the collected values plus your inputs.

Next Mission setup

Espionage on the mission operator
Rumor Gathering
Regional Intel Gathering

Next Mission

  • Base Mission Intel+100
  • Espionage I+5

Expected+105

Projected Intel185

Cap200

Potential overflow0

The next Mission reward still fits under your cap.

Plan

  • Bonus Intel per Mission+5
  • Bonus over 10 Missions50
  • Short of the price you aim at0
  • Missions still needed0

You can afford this now.

Intel only matters through what it unlocks: the total is also expressed as the number of collected options priced at 25 and 50 Intel it would cover.

Options your current balance already covers

These are options whose exact Intel price your balance covers. The Holotable launch price of an Operation is not stored in the collected data, so an option appearing here is not a guarantee you can start the Operation.

Work the tool left to right: fix your real cap first, then the Mission setup, then check what the balance already covers before the next Mission banks Intel you cannot keep.

Campaign Walkthrough →Choice Solver →The Den Guide →

Intel FAQ

How do you get Intel in Zero Company?

Intel comes from Missions. The game's own Intel entry says Missions always reward 100 Intel plus additional bonuses, and the bonuses the data resolves are Espionage, Rumor Gathering, a regional Mission bonus, and options on certain Operations that return Intel.

How much Intel does a Mission give?

100 Intel is the base every Mission pays. Bonuses are added on top and are conditional, so the honest answer is "at least 100, more depending on which bonuses are live".

Do all Missions give 100 Intel?

The base reward is stated as a flat rule rather than a range, and the collected data resolves the same base for every Mission reward record. What changes is which bonuses apply.

How do I get more Intel per Mission?

Three levers: raise the Espionage tier on the Operator completing the combat mission (Espionage I +5, Espionage II +7, Espionage III +9, Espionage IV +12), build Rumor Gathering for a flat +5 on completed Missions, and run zones where the Intel Gathering regional reward is active for another +5.

What does Espionage do?

Espionage is the ability family that belongs to the Spy Talent. Each tier adds a flat Intel amount to the reward when the Operator who owns it completes a combat mission.

Does Espionage stack?

No. Every Espionage tier carries the sentence "Does not stack", so two Operators with the Talent do not add their bonuses together — only the best applicable one counts.

How much Intel does Espionage IV give?

Espionage IV adds +12 Intel per qualifying combat mission.

Is Espionage worth it?

A per-mission bonus is only worth its total, and its total is only worth what it unlocks. The value calculator on this page multiplies the bonus by your remaining Missions and then expresses the result as the number of collected Intel-priced options it would cover. Whether that beats another Talent on the same slot is a build decision, so compare it against the Talent list before committing.

What does Rumor Gathering do?

Completing Missions provides an additional +5 Intel. It applies to completed Missions rather than only combat missions, which makes it the widest small bonus in the Intel economy.

How do you increase the Intel cap?

Regional rewards raise it: the collected reward data includes a "+25 Intel Cap" reward whose text reads "Increases Maximum Intel". The cap itself is described as "The maximum amount of Intel you can gain per Cycle. Increasing this cap allows you to go on more Operations."

What is Intel used for?

The currency of information and assets. Intel is primarily used to complete Operations on the Holotable. Missions always reward 100 Intel plus additional bonuses.

How much Intel do Operations cost?

Starting an Operation is paid out of Intel, but the collected data does not store a per-operation launch price. What it does resolve is Intel as an option price: 6 options require Intel, and the values recorded are 25 and 50.

Should I save Intel?

Save when nothing available supports your goals, nothing can expire and you are under the cap. Spend when an operation can expire, when it pays the resource you are short of, when it unlocks something you want next, or when you are close enough to the cap that the Intel would not be kept anyway.

Can Operations expire?

Yes. 8 collected operations carry their own expiry fact in the game data, and the campaign control flow references expired operations by name. The missions catalog flags the same condition on the story and Hero missions it tracks.

Can you do every Operation?

No. Intel is limited by income and by the Cycle cap at the same time as operations expire or stop appearing, so a run is a set of choices rather than a checklist. Treat the operation list as options, not as a completion target.

Which Operations are worth doing?

The ones that can expire first, then main operations, then anything whose resolved reward covers a shortage you actually have — and only if your squad can meet its specialization requirement. The reward table and priority model on this page are built from those four signals.

Can Choices give Intel?

Yes. 17 options across 13 operations pay Intel when you pick them, the largest being 150 Intel in a single option. The exact list is on this page, and the Choice Solver ranks the same branches by their Intel outcome.

Can regional rewards increase Intel?

Yes, in two different ways: a Mission bonus of +5 Intel while that reward is active, and a "+25 Intel Cap" reward that raises capacity instead of income.

What happens if I hit the Intel cap?

The cap is described as the maximum Intel you can gain per Cycle. Once the next reward would cross it, the amount past the cap is the number to watch — enter your own cap in the overflow calculator to see it against your next Mission.

Can Intel be wasted?

That is what the cap is for. Because Intel is gained per Cycle against a ceiling, the risk is banking Intel you cannot keep rather than mis-spending it.

Can you farm Intel?

Not in the grinding sense. Missions advance the campaign and Intel is capped per Cycle, so the game rewards better Intel per Mission and better spending instead of unlimited repeats.

Why can’t I assign an Operator to an Operation?

Work through the diagnostic on this page: the required specialization, whether a secondary specialization counts, whether the Operator is injured, whether they are already assigned, and whether the operation has already expired.

Does Secondary Specialization count for an Operation requirement?

That is a build-versus-requirement question rather than an Intel one, so it is answered on the dual-specialization guide. What this page can tell you is which collected operations name a required specialization at all.

What Should You Decide Next?

Intel is one layer of a campaign plan. These are the pages that answer the layers next to it.

Credits GuideThe other resource: what Credits buy and where they compete with Intel.Best Den UpgradesRumor Gathering and Cautionary Intel sit in the same upgrade decision as everything else.Mission PriorityWhich Mission to run next, before any Intel is spent.Choice SolverRank every recorded decision by the resource it moves.Dual SpecializationWhether a second specialization satisfies an operation requirement.Build PlannerPlan the Operator that carries the Spy Talent.

/resources/intel · values labelled from the collected game data