Overview
A guide to the achievement “Exquisite Timing”
Introduction
X-COM 2 Guide to „Exquisite Timing“
Hi everyone, I would like to offer you a guide to achieve “Exquisite Timing” in XCOM 2. I just finished a game on commander difficulty in the middle of June and wrote down the important steps to give you an idea if you are “in time”.
My game settings
- Commander Difficulty
- Non Iron Man Mode
- Several mods active
General
- The distances to your story line targets (Tiles you need to make contact with) like “Operation Driving Fear” (Blacksite) are in each game the same. Only your starting Location and the available connections to other tiles change. So you do not depend on luck to be in time for this achievement.
- Only make contact with areas which are needed for progress in the main story.
- Don’t spent any Intel on the black market. OR: Just be sure that you know how much Intel you need in the next weeks not to delay your progress. Intel can be very difficult to obtain.
- For some of the last shadow chamber researches you will need a minimum of 3 and 4 scientist! Be ready!
- Be aware that you have to beat the end mission with magnetic weapons and plated armor. I recommend to research Plasma grenades (Mutant + proofing grounds build) and advanced psi (Sectoid -> Psionics -> Advanced Psi Amplifier)
- Leave a building slot in the avenger open to build relevant buildings in short time with engineers help and “Fast Build” Perk in resistance HQ.
- Always take a specialist for Hacking all kind of terminals. Especially the “50% Avanger scanning time” is extremely helpful here.
- I only mention story line critical missions. Anyway do any available mission to increase Engineers(3)/Scientist(4)/Intel
- I recommend the “PSI Rookies” mod available from steam workshop. Since you don’t progress in research too much. Gifted class can be trained at the Guerilla Warfare Center from the start on.
- Ignore all Avatar Factory missions. Unless you have to make contact anyway.
- Read the timeline first to understand which mistakes I made. You can easily save additional 10 days.
Timeline
2nd March: Start Research “Alien Biotech” (5D)
6th March: Start Research “Advent Officer Autopsy” (5D)
6th March: Complete operation “Daemon Dirge”
- +1 Engineer
- New Story target: Make contact with Blacksite area (1 Tile away)
- I got 50% reduced scanning time with Avanger for 4 Weeks.
6th March: Start Building Guerilla Tactic School. (14D). Be advised that this building is not necessary for the story line but makes the game easier. If you don’t build it, you can avoid some delay on buildings later the game, when building space is limited.
6th March: Start Excavation + Engineer (5D)
6th March: Change Research to “Resistance Communication” (7D)
8th March: + 1 Scientist
11th March: Make Contact with the Tile where “Driving Fear” Mission is available (40 Intel/5D)
11th March: Continue Research “Advent Officer” (3D)
11th March: Build Resistance Com (16D) Engineer is not necessary because you have 3 contacts free from beginning.
14th March: +1 Scientist
19th March: Complete operation “Driving Fear” (Blacksite)
- Research “Alien Encryption” available
20th March: Start Research “Alien Encryption” (5D)
24th March: +1 Engineer
27th March: Shadow Chamber Available
29th March: Start Building Shadow Chamber (7D) + Rapid construction with avenger in Headquarter + Engineer
30th March: “The Avatar Project” Timer gets active
3rd April: Start Shadow Project “Blacksite Vial” (5D)
8th April: Complete “Black Site Vial” Mission
9th April: The next big goal is to make contact with the area where you get the Avatar in the stasis suit. Start making contact 3 Tiles away to “Operation Heavy Altar” (20D)
10th April: Start Building Proving Grounds (7D) + Engineer
13th April: +1 Engineer
15th April: Research completed “Plated Armor”
17th April: Proving Grounds completed
17th April: Start producing Skulljack in Proving Grounds (7D)
17th April: Start building Power Relay (6D) + Engineer
20th April: Start building Radio Relay next to Blacksite Vial Tile to reduce contact Intel Cost. (4D)
20th April: Production Skulljack finished and equipped
27th April: Used Skulljack on Advent Officer. Brain Codex!
29th April: Start Shadow Chamber Research “Brain Codex” (6D)
29th April: Contact with resistance on target tile “Operation Heavy Altar”
29th April: Complete Mission “Operation Heavy Altar”
- Advent Stasi Suit Research available
2nd May: Research “Study the Codex finished
- Codex Brain Coordinates Mission two tiles away available. Make contact asap but resistance comm upgrade necessary.
- For further shadow chamber researches three / four scientists are necessary. I had 10 days of delay here because of missing scientists!
11th May: 1+ scientist
11th May: Start Research “Recovered Advent Stasis Suit” (5D)
22nd May: Resistance Comm Upgrade
26th May: +1 Scientist, again long delay caused by to less scientist (3/4).
26th May: Start Research “Encrypted Codex Data
4th June: Make contact with resistance on target tile “Psionic Gate”
4th June: Complete Mission “Psionic Gate”
- Shadow Chamber Upgrade available
6th June: Codex attacked with Skulljack
- Avatar Autopsy available
7th June: Shadow Chamber Upgrade
- Research “Psionic Gate”
7th June: Start Research “Psionic Gate” (6D)
13th June: Researched “Psionic Gate” finished
- Research “Avatar Autopsy”
13th June: Start Research “Avatar Autopsy” (6D)
18th June: Research “Avatar Autopsy” finished.
Others
-> 12 Days left for other researches (Magnetic weapons / Plasma Grenade)
For the last two missions “Operation Sky Shriek” and “Leviathan” it is not necessary to make contact to the resistance first
Good Luck Soldier
Vigilo Confido