Overview
Need some tactical support in and out of the battlefield? Here’s some helpful tips. Includes classes, weapons and armor descriptions for a loadout ready to engage this extraterrestrial threat invading. Recommended for the beginner to XCOM, or the veteran who is confused about a few tactics. Whatever it is, you can likely find it here.This is still under updates and changes for Enemy Within, and some of the Alien Species section. As I try to keep updating, I will comment when something has happened.With the new Easter Eggs section, you can now understand and look for the hidden secrets of XCOM. Enjoy!
A WORD OF WARNING
Should you decide to play XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you will feel the intention of throwing the computer or the controller out the window, door, or whatever else is nearby. If you feel this, stay calm, and don’t do it. Try again, and just give it another go, unless you’re on Ironman.
Basic Information
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
-Arthur C. Clarke, shown at the beginning of the game without Enemy Within.
“Those who play with the devil’s toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword.”
-Buckminster Fuller, the quote at the beginning of Enemy Wtihin.
“Hello, Commander. In light of the recent extraterrestrial incursion, this council of nations has convened to approve the activation of the XCOM Project. You have been chosen to lead this initiative: to oversee our first, and last, line of defense. Your efforts will have considerable influence on this planet’s future. We urge you to keep that in mind as you proceed.”
-The Council Representative, at the beginning
It is March 1, 2015. Unknown objects crashed into Earth, and “extraterrestrial” threats plauge the planet. And that is how the XCOM Project was born.
You command the actions done in XCOM to fight the threat. 16 Countries make this project come true. There are two parts you have control over: your soldiers’ movement on the battlefield and in base, managing the HQ and working towards defeating the threat.
A game of strategy and hard decisions you must make as the commander, your actions influence how the game will play out. By making one decision, there are consequences to it. This goes throughout the game. It is your job to protect the earth and humanity. Victories will be foreshadowed, defeat may strike, but in the end, that decision you made is yours.
Also, if you are of the one percent of the population that has beaten the game on Impossible, this guide is probably not for you. If you are just starting, I reccomend you read on.
“Good Luck, Commander.”
-End of the council representative’s transmission
For those who like my guide, I have gotten Enemy Within. I will add more content specifically for that in the future as I play it more. For those without it, it’s pretty amazing.
Starting Continents
Your choice of starting continent will vary on how you play. As this is the very first thing you have to decide in the game, this comes first in decisions.
Europe
Expert Knowledge: Workshops and Laboratories cost 50% less to build and maintain.
This is a fair bonus, but not too strong, in my opinion. If you are just starting out, I highly recommend starting here. Or, if you are aiming for “A Continental Fellow,” I would start here. This continent is, in my opinion, the hardest start. Its main bonus is that it has 4 countries, which means you can have all 4 drop out and still have the bonus.
North America
Air And Space: Interceptors and their weapons cost 50% less to build and maintain.
While it seems relatively small, Interceptor Weapons, especially when building a large fleet, can get expensive. This lowers the cost of buying interceptors early on, along with the cost of upholding them halved as well. As Interceptor Weapons are now half off, you can pay for 2 for when you normally have 1. It also reduces the cost of the Firestorm, which, in late-game, are essential. All these things add up nicely. As an addition, you start in the U.S., which gives the most credits per month. A solid choice, and I recommend it.
South America
We Have Ways: Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.
This is a simple bonus, but one that stacks up over time. Autopsies and Interrogations take about a week or less, depending on difficulty and scientist count. All in all, you will spend a lot of time just trying to disect aliens and talk to the extraterrestrials. This saves you a lot of time for more important things that take time to research, but get them done instantly to get their bonuses. Despite this, I don’t recommend it as a starting continent because there are only two countries. Again, for “A Continental Fellow,” I would do this continent early.
Asia
Future Combat: OTS and Foundry upgrades cost 50% less.
A popular choice for the higher difficulties due to the fact that cash tends to be a lot more strained, and you get crucial discounts that will affect the game from start to end. By far the best bonus out of all five available, Asia also has 4 countries, so you could lose all of them and still have the bonus. The most recommended continent for Classic/Impossible difficulties.
Africa
All In: Monthly Credits increased by 30%.
A flat bonus of cash at the end of the month. It’s great to pick up, although it’s not the worst to lose, either. Having more cash throughout the game is never a bad thing throughout the game, although there are indeed those times when you wish you had some more money than you have, which is why I find this place one of my more consistent areas.
Basic Missions
Missions make up the battles you command between the XCOM forces (your troops) against the aliens (enemy troops). In all missions, you must clear out all of the aliens on the site. The basic mission types are divided like this:
(Screenshot to be inserted later)
About twice per month, this will pop up.
Alien Abductions: Basic missions that take place in urban areas. Your job is to clear out every single alien at the abduction site, and to bring home as many troops as possible. Almost any alien can appear, so be ready for anything during these missions. Abductions will take place in multiple areas at the same time, so you must decide where you wish to deploy to.
I’m pretty sure all of us can understand that WBN means World Broadcast Network.
Terror Missions: These missions occur randomly while scanning for activity after the first month. These take place in “densely populated urban centers” that have civilians you must save for greater rewards. You must, like abduction missions, kill all the aliens. To prevent furter civilian casualties, approach the civilian, then they will run to the Skyranger (The ship you deploy in), counting them as “saved”. There are 18 civilians that are in the deployment zone. To maximize rewards, save as many civilians as possible and finish with no squadmates killed, and all aiens dead. Pull off an Excellent rating in each category will earn you the “As A Scapel” Achievement/Trophy. Fail a Terror Mission, and the country withdraws from the council, and panic rises in the continent.
Take note on where the fire and rubble is. Use it to find the UFO, if any.
UFO Crash Sites: By shooting down UFOs, you will immediately recieve this mission. These occur randomly, like all the other missions after the UFO is shot down, and typically take place in rural areas. Early on, these ships often carry a few groups of aliens and a dangerous alien “of pure energy,” as described by Dr. Vahlen, the lead scientist of XCOM, an Outsider. These are powerful, early-game threats that appear on UFOs only. They are replaced by Sectoid Commanders after the Alien Base Assault, then the Sectoid Commanders are replaced by Ethereals and a Muton Elite guard or two. The size of the map and the number of aliens aboard are affected by the UFO Class size, from Small Scout UFOs to Battleship UFOs. On Scout UFOs, you’ll often need to find it first. Abductors are sometimes out of your Line of Sight at first, and be careful if landing at the back of it, as there’s 2 Outsiders back there. Supply Barge UFOs are often not too hard to spot, and you often land near it. There’s no hunting Battleship UFOs, as you land ON it. By splashing one of each UFO in one game, you earn the “Hunter/Killer” Achievement/Trophy. And by taking down 40 of them, “Shooting Stars” will be yours. If you can clear a UFO Crash Site with one soldier on Classic or Impossible, you will earn “Lone Wolf.”
UFO Landing Sites: Very similar to UFO Crash Sites, only you don’t shoot them down and are defended better than at crash sites. Battleship UFOs, however, never land. With the Hyperwave Relay built, you can see which aliens are on the ship, how many there are, the UFO class, and its objective (for UFOs in the air, typically to scout the targets in the area. Landed UFOs is typically to harvest live specimen, or humans.)
Council Missions
Expect a call like this about once a month.
These missions are those given by the council.
Target Extraction: This mission is done randomly when the council requires your assistance, and is the first one you’re given if the tutorial is on. In this mission, you start at the Skyranger, and must make your way to the VIP, who is on the other side of the map. You must fight the aliens on the way to the target, so be prepared. When escorting the target to the Skyranger, watch out for Thin Men come in with High Altitude Lawyer Overwatch drops (HALO, credit to Beaglerush on YouTube) coming out of nowhere to slow your progress. They go into Overwatch the first turn, then attack in the following turns. Once the VIP makes it to the Skyranger, and all the aliens are dead, the mission is a success.
Target Escort: This type of mission is very similar in terms of how the mission will play out like the Target Extraction mission. However, you start with the VIP under your control, and must escort them to the Skyranger, on the other side of the map. As you proceed, watch out for Thin Men as they will HALO you as you head out, as they’ll suddenly appear and try to stop you. After the VIP makes it to the Skyranger, finish off the rest of the aliens for mission success.
Bomb Disposal: This is the only mission where you really have a turn limit to go against. You’ll need to move quickly, find the bomb, disarm it, then finish off the rest of the aliens alive. You initially have three turn on the timer to disarm the bomb. Along the way to finding the bomb, you will find “power nodes,” which will buy you some time to find the bomb. Each power node disabled will give you an extra turn to find and disarm the bomb. After you disarm the bomb, expect Thin Men with the ability to HALO to drop out of the sky and assault your team before completing your mission. After disarming the bomb and finishing the last of the aliens, the mission is a success.
(If a soldier dashes to a power node to disarm it the next turn, you can click on the unit, then disarm it. This is only necessary when you have one turn to extend the timer before you have to retreat.)
Asset Recovery: Your job in these missions is to find the assets and eliminate all the aliens at the site. In other words, this is a special Alien Abduction mission, with good rewards when successful. The only way you’ll be able to lose the asset is by missed crossfire, so watch where you fire your gun! These missions tend to have a single type of alien that appears out on the mission late in the game, which means you may be fighting Sectoids in December.
Site Recon (Enemy Within Only): A special council mission to go check out a zombie-infested village. Sounds fun. It’s the exact opposite. You start on one side of the map, and must make your way to the other side where the ship is. Expect a couple packs of Chryssalids on the way, but when you get to the ship, you must hurry. Once you find the whale that makes the Chryssalids, have one soldier dash toward the transponder. It should take a maximum of three turns until you activate it, and the soldier is back to full movement. Activate it, then run like hell to the Skyranger EVAC point. If you leave anyone outside the EVAC zone, they’re gone and dead. Chryssalid corpses aren’t availiable after this mission, however. They’re destroyed by the airstrike.
Essential Storyline Missions: Many Spoilers Follow!
UNLESS YOU ARE VERY STUCK IN THE GAME, DO NOT READ THIS SECTION, AS THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS FOR THE STORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES.
These missions must be done in order to complete the game. By doing this, you will earn at least 15 Trophies/Achievements.
Operation Devil’s Moon: The tutorial mission for XCOM, the way you fight in this mission is very scripted, as is the first month, going in a certain order of time. Listen to Central Officer Bradford for tactical advice while on this mission. The “And So It Begins…” Achievement/Trophy will be given to you after completing this.
Starter Mission: This is simply your first contact with the aliens, and you complete this mission like an Alien Abduction mission, only your choice of where the base should be is where the starter mission will take place, and there is no panic in the countries you don’t attack.
One of two layouts you can recieve for this mission. I prefer the other map, though.
Alien Base Assault: After going through the lenghty process of capturing the necessary aliens and building the Skeleton Key, you will be able to launch an attack on the alien base. There is heavy resistance, so be prepared. This is also your first encounter with a Sectoid Commander, a powerful psionic alien. You should attempt to capture this tough enemy, as it appears on its own, so it’s much easier in that point of view. After completing this mission, panic worldwide will be reduced by 2, and Sectoid Commanders will take the place of the Ousider’s role of guarding the UFO, often in a pair or a group of 3. Before attempting this mission, consider having your soldiers oufitted in Carpace Armor or Skeleton Suits armed with Laser Weapons to make life easy while in here. Finding it will give you “X Marks The Spot,” and a successful assault will give you the “Off My Planet” Achievements/Trophies.
(Enemy Within Only) XCOM Base Defense: After assaulting the alien base, keep your top 6 soldiers fully equipped. Within about 2-3 weeks after assaulting the alien base, the aliens will attempt something similar to what you did: assault the HQ. You will recieve no warning, and, while scanning the globe, may encounter this mission. Things will begin to shake, like an earthquake, and time will stop passing. Soon after, it is then Code Red. There is a breach that must be repelled. You will immediately start with the top 3 soldiers in the barracks (the three at the top of the list), with 2 Security Officers, which are basically Rookies and are largely expendable. However, getting 4 kills with the officers gives you the “All Hands on Deck” achievement. Your top three soldiers are on the lower floor, two by the Hologlobe and one behind it, next to the railings. The two security officers are on the high ground, next to the railing. You have one turn to move everyone into position, and the first wave will drop in. If you Overwatch everyone, they will all fire at the alien who landed first, in the center of the Hologlobe. From there, about another 3-5 aliens will drop in. At the same time, you will recieve the soldier 4th in the list, with whatever equipment they already had, with two security officers. More soldiers from your barracks will be sent if you lose any soldiers, so you may never even see your fifth and sixth soldier appear if nobody dies. Also, the aliens will constantly come towards you, so you could camp in the first area, wait for everyone to come, and kill them from there. Expect at least 30 aliens, more than what would appear on a Battleship Crash Site. If you can hold the line and keep XCOM HQ safe, this mission will complete, and you are awarded the “They Shall Not Pass” achievement.
Remember this layout when you do the mission. It’s always the same on the inside.
Overseer Crash Site: The Overseer UFO will appear some time after building the Hyperwave Relay, so have your squad ready when this moment comes. This will be your first contact with the Ethereal, and is an extremely powerful psi alien. It will be flanked by a group of “guardian” Muton Elites, so it’s no easy task to do. Before engaging the Ethereal, kill all of the aliens ouside of the control room where the Ethereal waits, as you don’t want extra aliens in the fight while engaging the tough enemies. After completion of this mission, an Ethereal protected by Muton Elites will replace the Sectoid Commanders. You’ll need a Firestorm armed with the best weapons possible at the time you build it, and will be the only one that is fast and strong enough to withstand the craft. Have one in each continent that has a satellite, so go ahead and ready yourself before building it. For the best results, you will need Plasma Weapons (or the Alloy Cannon), Heavy Armor (Titan or Archangel), and an entire squad of Colonels at this point. Success gives you the “And Hell’s Coming With Me” Achievement/Trophy. Also, Ethereals replace the Sectoid Commanders on the UFOs, along with a Muton Elite or two.
This is the final step. Proceed at your own caution.
Temple Ship Assault: The final mission, you must have, at this point, the best armor and weapons in the game, and Psi Armor must be both researched and constructed to do this. This mission is a true test of endurance. You will fight every single type of alien on this mission, with the exception of the Outsider, including the Uber Ethereal, the final boss. You must have a gifted psionic soldier, and one of them, if multiple, must wear Psi Armor. That soldier you select to bear the Psi Armor will be, after the Ethereal Device is activated, will be known as the “Volunteer,” and is essentially the VIP on this mission. Lose the volunteer, and you must start all over, from the first kill on this mission. The volunteer will also be gifted with the Rift ability, devastating almost all enemies on this mission, especially against the Cyberdisc and Sectopod. Cyberdiscs get killed immediately by it with a Will of at least 90 on lower difficulties, and Sectopods take a high 16 damage with that same Will number. The enemies appear similarily in their order of appearance, by type, with the exception of the Cyberdisc, Drone, and Thin Man. They appear in this order: Sectoids and Sectoid Commander, Cyberdiscs and Drones, Floaters and Heavy Floaters, Chryssalids, Thin Men, Muton and Muton Berserker, Sectopods, Muton Elites, and the Uber Ethereal, accompanied by 2 normal Ethereals and 2 Muton Elites. Medikits are essential, so your squad’s health is at near-max the entire time. Success results in completion of the game and a viewing of your stats. ” By building the Gollop Chamber, you will recieve the ” On The Shoulders Of Giants” Achievement/Trophy. Activating it will give you “The Volunteer” Achievement/Trophy. Completion will award you with the “Humanity’s Savior” Achievement/Trophy. Success on Classic gives you the “Earth First” Achievement/Trophy. If you succeed on Impossible, “Our Finest Hour” will be yours. Classic/Impossible Ironman completion will give you the “No Looking Back” Achievement/Trophy.
Slingshot Missions
If you bought the Slingshot DLC, you will be able to do this special set of Council Missions. You must get it while it’s availiable; otherwise, you can never do it.
Friends in Low Places: This is the first mission of Slingshot, similar to a Target Escort Mission. You start out nearby some statues, and must make your way to the other side, where more aliens are. After the first turn, some Thin Men will drop out of the sky (Not HALO, since there’s no high ground) and ambush you. Take them out, and watch out for a tough alien at the end of the map, either a Chryssalid or a Muton. As it is very early in the game, it can be very hard to kill it, since you’ll only have basic weapons and armor. Watch out for one more ambush after the Chryssalid/Muton, then make your way to the Skyranger. Zhang, the VIP in the mission, will now be a soldier you can control, with very high stats and starts out as a Lieutenant Heavy, valuable at this time and helpful for your Officer Training School. Completion earns you the “New Friend” Achievement/Trophy.
Confounding Light: This is part 2 of the Slingshot Missions. A Battleship UFO is flying over a Chinese city, and there is little time to waste. You have 10 turns to activate the 4 transponders on the train, then get it moving by going to the front. Thin Men are in varying numbers depending on how long you delay it. Each time you activate a transponder, a Muton holding a Plasma Rifle (not the Light variation) will drop, sometimes in more numbers depending on when you are doing this mission. Move fast, and this mission won’t be too hard. If you can, try to capture one of the Plasma Rifle Mutons during this mission. You’ll be able to research a very powerful alien, get one of the best weapons in the game, and on your way to beating the game. Completing the mission gives you the “Bait the Hook” Achievement/Trophy, and you get “All Aboard” if you complete the mission with at least 4 turns remaining.
Gangplank: The final mission of Slingshot. Yes, you are basically assaulting a Battleship UFO for this one, so expect at least 20 aliens, including a Cyberdisc and some Mutons with Plasma Rifles. This is simply an endurance mission, for you must proceed carefully, as the sheer number of aliens can easily overwhelm you if you find too many at once. There are 6 power cores on the ship that power the Battleship, so you must either disable or destroy them. Expect different types of aliens to drop down every so often. It’s best to keep your squad near each other so you can overwhelm whatever you may run into. Success will give you a huge amount of loot from the Battleship UFO, and the “The Bigger They Are” Achievement/Trophy.
EXALT Missions (EW Only)
These three missions pit you against EXALT. It should be noted that they like to attack in sheer numbers rather than superior technology, unlike the aliens. They will continually harass you until they are struck at their heart.
To find EXALT cells across the globe, you can perform Intel Scans, which will reveal any possible EXALT cells in operation. While vulnerable, you can send a Covert Operative, who goes without armor, using only a pistol, and their equipment. They will be gone for about a week, when the operative will be ready to be pulled out. The first two missions are randomly assigned as you play, while the last one is to finish off EXALT once and for all.
Covert Extraction: This mission starts with your squad starting at the Skyranger as usual, with the Covert Operative usually on the other side of the map. You don’t have to get straight to the Covert Operative, but them being isolated reduces their ability to survive without good training. On their way to the EVAC point, the Covert Operative must hack two EXALT Comm Relays scattered across the map, where you must move the operative next to it to hack. These two may be hacked in any order, but I recommend taking out the one further from the EVAC zone. As time goes by, more EXALT soldiers will show up in pairs or trios. When you hack a relay, every EXALT soldier on the map immediately gets hit by something similar to Disabling Shot, as they must reload to attack again. Once the two are hacked, get the operative back to the Skyranger for mission success. However, you need to make a choice. If you wish to stick around and kill the remaining EXALT soldiers, this’ll help raise Exp. in your soldiers. Or, if you’re getting constantly harrassed, you can pull out at that time to finish the mission. Either way, you’ll have the soldiers still alive back at base along with some new intel.
Covert Data Recovery: Think of this as King of the Hill. There’s an area on the map, marked in green as the Encoder, and a blue area, marking where the transmitter is. Your objective here is to hold back EXALT from the encoder at first. If that fails, protect the transmitter’s position. Unlike most times, your Covert Operative may start close to your position. This is because their starting location is based off where the transmitter is at. The timer for each is varied, either 2 or 3. There are 2 groups of EXALT soldiers active already, and waves of other troops will flock in every couple turns. Defend the position at all costs, and kill all the enemies. If you complete this mission without losing either point, you gain the “Elite Defense” achievement.
EXALT Base Raid: This is actually a fairly simple mission. There are only 5 groups of 3 soldiers on this map, and there’s a lot of areas to it as well. There is a front entrance, which I don’t recommend going through, and there’s the rooftop, which is a powerful asset due to the high ground bonuses from Damn Good Ground, Depth Perception, and the natural Aim bonus. There is usually a group of EXALT soldiers to the right of the main entrance, one to the left, 2 in the Command Center room, and one at the very back of the map. These soldiers will roam the map, so ensure you’re covered at all angles. Completion of this mission reduces panic worldwide and eliminates EXALT as a threat, leaving only the aliens left to deal with. If you narrowed down where EXALT has been hiding at to a single country, you will earn “Where In The World” achievement after the mission where the base has been narrowed. You will earn “Apothesis Denied” after this mission is over, and beaten.
Tactics While on a Mission
All missions will require you to eliminate all of the aliens at one point, so your objective in most missions is to find and kill all of them. Here’s a few tactics that can help you survive:
Cover: This is one of the simplest tactics, but a necessary one. By staying in cover, you reduce your chances of baing hit and make it much harder for the aliens to land a critical hit on you. On higher difficulties, you’ll want to stay in high cover much more often than in low cover.
Flanking the Enemy: Another simple tactic, but important nonetheless. This allows you to take away an alien’s cover bonus and act like it is “exposed” to the flanker. The Assault Class’s Run & Gun can accomplish this much easier, along with a Support Class’s Sprinter, to a lesser extent.
Vehicles: These are probably the most dangerous to you as the aliens. Exploding vehicles deliver a large amount of damage, and can turn the tide of battle, if timed correctly. If you find a flaming vehicle near your troop, get it away from it ASAP.
Psionics: This can potentially turn the tide of the battle at nearly any point, from protecting your team from harm to devastating the enemy. Mindfray is a good alternative if the target is extremely hard to hit, since it relies on your will to the enemy’s will. Mind Control, shared by Ethereals and Sectoid Commanders, greatly sways the tide of the battle at any point. Also, Mind Controlled aliens are often targeted, rather than your troops, which can buy you some time to set up and engage.
(Note: If a mind controlled alien dies by getting shot by an enemy alien, you get the weapon they were holding.)
Dashing: Don’t do this too often, as you risk running into too many aliens you can deal with at once. Unless an Assault uses Run & Gun, so it can close in on the alien. Or you know there’s no threat, or you need to get the hell out of a Sectopod’s AoE (Area of Effect, if you don’t know) attack. There are a few other exceptions, too.
A Little Secret
I’ve heard some discussion about the name of the missions. If you’re wondering where those names come from, you can find it here:
Example of strange Operation Names
First Word:
Banished, Black, Bleeding, Blinding, Bloody, Broken, Brutal, Burning, Cold, Crimson, Cryptic, Crystal, Dark, Defiant, Demon, Devil’s, Driving, Dying, Empty, Enduring, Fading, Fallen, Final, First, Flying, Forgotten, Frozen, Glass, Hidden, Hot, Lazy, Lone, Lost, Morbid, Patient, Purple, Red, Rotting, Sacred, Secret, Severed, Shattered, Silent, Soaring, Spectral, Stone, Swift, Twisted, Unceasing, Vengeful
Second Word:
Apollo, Bell, Blade, Breath, Calm, Crone, Crown, Daze, Dream, Druid, Empire, Engine, Fall, Father, Fear, Fog, Future, Grave, God, Hammer, Hawk, Hydra, Hymn, Jester, Justice, King, Line, Law, Moon, Mother, Night, Palace, Paramour, Pipe, Preist, Prophet, Pyre, Rain, Ring, Savior, Scepter, Serpent, Shield, Shroud, Skull, Smoke, Stallion, Star, Stranger, Stroke, Summer, Sword, Tears, Thorn, Throne, Thunder, Vanguard, Whisper
Panic Bad, Calm Good
Panic, whether in a country or on the battlefield, is bad. Here’s a few ways to avoid panic in both areas:
In Countries:
Satellites: Satellites in launched in countries with panic (not 1) will have their panic level reduced by up to 2. This can be lengthy, since it takes 20 days to do a satellite, but also gives you more credits to spend monthly. Also, Alien Abductions are less likely to happen there, so it’s quite worth it. Get them quickly so Alien Abductions are much less likely, and cover continents to earn more bonuses. These stack up quickly, so get them sooner than later!
Missions: All mission kinds, from Alien Abductions to landed UFOs, will reduce panic in some way. UFO crash sites and landing sites do reduce panic, but you may not notice it at all. Terror missions have 2 outcomes: one where you reduce the country’s panic a lot and the continent’s as well, or they withdraw and the rest of the continient panics further. Alien Abductions and Council Missions always reduce panic (if any), but countries you didn’t attack in during Alien Abductions will have their panic rise across the continent.
The Alien Base Assault: This essential mission, when completed, will reduce worldwide panic by 2. Extremely useful if you’re going to lose countries and there’s no other way to save them, do this tough mission, but you’ll need some good equipment to fight down there.
On the Battlefield:
Will: The Will stat also affects how often they’ll panic; lower means they’re more likely, and higher means they won’t as often. Watch out early on, as killed soldiers will frequently spread panic to your nearby soldiers. On high difficulties (Impossible most likely), the soldiers will panic more often. Mutons and their Berserker subtype will try to cause panic through their Intimidate ability, but doesn’t always happen; just when it says it.
Psi Inspiration: At the second rank of psionic powers, you have the option to choose this ability. It will remove the panic in nearby soldires (about 3 tile radius) and raise will by 30, giving you a better chance to Mind Control a very powerful alien (Ethereal for the Xavier Achievement/Trophy).
The Assault Class
My Assault volunteer in EU Classic
The Assault Class is designed to be able to fight on the front lines effectively. They have a good aim stat if Hidden Potential is not activated. For promotions, the right ability path is made for the aggressive Assault, while the left ability path is made for a “tanky” Assault. (Bolded promotions, for those with them, are my recommended choices.)
Abilities: Which is Better?
Squaddie: Run & Gun
This ability is given to every soldier of this class. They’ll close in quickly and finish off the enemy at close range, if necessary. After dashing, you may enter Overwatch or fire (including the special shots at the Lieutenant rank). It has a 2-turn cooldown.
Corporal: Tactical Sense vs. Aggression
With Tactical Sense, you can reduce the chances of getting hit, and may be worth it if you run into too many aliens at once. The maximum defense stat is at 20%, with 5% for each seen alien by the unit, providing a good chance to avoid an attack that could be fatal. However, it’s unlikely you’ll ever end up with a soldier seeing 4 aliens at once, unless bad spawns sprout up. Aggression gives you a much better chance to score critical hits on alien targets. A 30% bonus at max is extremely strong, as you can halve an enemy’s Hardened bonus. This will serve you well into the end-game as well, while Tactical Sense is better early- to mid-game. In my opinion, Aggerssion is better on lower difficulties, but Tactical Sense is better on higher difficulties.
Sergent: Lightning Reflexes vs. Close and Personal
Lightning Reflexes serves its purpose from early in the game into the end of the game, able to avoid all reaction shots that come at you first every turn, even suppression fire. Close and Personal is an extremely risky ability that requires you to get extremely close to your target, but can pay off, as you have a near-perfect chance to hit the target and a critical hit, if combined with Aggression. Due to the risk of Close and Personal and the wide availiability of Lightning Reslexes, Lightning Reflexes can be seen as superior over Close and Personal.
EW Change: Close and Personal now has a major boon in the game, and is a very good idea to consider. With it, if you fire a normal shot within 4 tiles of a unit, that shot doesn’t waste an action. Theoretically, this allows you to take three shots at once, and likely spelling death. A cool alternative to the Lightning Reflexes. Just be sure you ALWAYS have one with LR to deal with Overwatch.
Lieutenant: Flush vs. Rapid Fire
Flush is designed to take an enemy out of cover and out into the open, where it is vulnerable. This doesn’t always happen, and simply moves into another spot of cover. It gives a +30% chance to hit, but only does around the damage of a Plasma Pistol: 3-4 damage (with a Plasma Rifle). It takes up 1.5x the ammo a normal shot does. Rapid Fire gives you a double-strike for that unit, giving 2 attacks for a -15% penalty for such quick shots. This can easily deal out huge amounts of damage to the enemy, including Ethereals and Sectopods, whose high health makes them a serious threat. It uses up 2x the ammo that a normal shot does. Between these two, Rapid Fire is superior over Flush.
Captain: Close Combat Specialist vs. Bring ‘Em On
Do you have problems with Muton Berserkers and Chryssalids? Or are there issues with high-health aliens, such as Cyberdiscs, Sectopods, and Ethereals? Close Combat Specialist is the easiest counter to the first set, especially Berserkers. Any alien that approaches within 4 tiles of the Assault soldier takes a free shot at it, and, due to its close range, has an extremely high chance to connect. This is extremely powerful, and is easily potent at neutralizing these threats. For problems with the second set of aliens, Bring ‘Em On is for the aggressive person, and is what makes abilities that improve its Critical Hit % much more valuable. The unit itself doesn’t need to see an alien to recieve its bonus, just as long any alien is in the squad’s sight. This can easily take out those more dangerous aliens within a few hits, and helps if you use Rapid Fire. The choice here varies with what you have problems with, melee units or high-health aliens.
EW Note: Close Combat Specialist has bad synergy with Mimetic Skin, as the shot will still fire, regardless. Be careful when considering this choice.
Major: Extra Conditioning
This powerful ability gives your unit even more health, making it harder to eliminate as well. To maximize this bonus, give your Titan Armor and Archangel Armor to your assault as soon as it’s availiable.
Colonel: Resilience vs. Killer Instinct
Your choice here, similar to the Captain rank, is based off what’s the biggest problem: getting flanked or high-health aliens (again), in this case. Reselience provides immunity to all chances of a critical hit, even if you’re getting flanked. If flanking damage is very bad, and critical hits land often, take this. I’m not sure if it overrides Absolutely Critical, a Second Wave option, so please comment so I can update this. Killer Instinct packs a serious punch to all of your Run & Gun uses. If you chose all of the options on the right side, this will maximize Run & Gun’s usage and damage. If you chose the abilities that enhance this and arm the troop with the Plasma Rifle or Alloy Cannon, this will kill many aliens with a single shot, and near-guaranteed with Rapid Fire, provided they both hit and are critical… In either case, you’ll need to make a fairly tricky decision here.
The Heavy Class
Heavy with Ghost on (and about to kick the Sectoid Commander’s butt)
The Heavy Class is specialized with explosives and high-damage attacks, either with their LMG (Light Machine Gun) or Rocker Launcher, and are the only class not able to equip pistols. They can deal huge amounts of damage if their attacks strike, but have the lowest aim of all classes (Hidden Potential not on). For this reason, give your heavies a S.C.O.P.E. to back its poor aim. The left ability path is for people who like to blow stuff up, while the right ability path is for the supportive Heavy.
Abilities: Which is Better?
Squaddie: Fire Rocket
The rocket launcher is exclusive to the Heavy, and replaces the pistol (3 weapons seems to be overkill, apparently). Its main usage is to destroy cover and deal large amounts of damage. Similar to a sniper rifle, you can’t move and fire it, and you get one shot if you don’t have Rocketeer. Hovever, it has a 90% chance to get to its target with the normal rocket launcher, so it won’t always go the way you wish it to go. Dr. Vahlen also disapproves of the use of the rocket and other explosives…
“Commander! You may want to exercise restraint while using explosive weapons… while certainly effective at killing the aliens, it also eliminates the usage of obtaining the alien’s artifacts. Just something to consider.”
-Dr. Vahlen
Believe me, take this into consideration when operating, and only blow up aliens when you really need to. You will need those resources.
Corporal: Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting
Bullet Swarm is much better than Holo-Targeting in a huge array of situations. Bullet swarm allows you to fire twice, fire and grenade, fire and reload, fire and overwatch, fire and suppress, fire and move, or fire and hunker down. This will play extremely useful in almost every situation given to a heavy. S.C.O.P.E. is recommended so it can help land those poor-accuracy shots. +10% aim can be gained simply by giving a unit a S.C.O.P.E., and only serves really useful to enemies with a high defense stat.
Sergent: Shredder Rocket vs. Suppression
Shredder Rocket gives you a second rocket for missions. This one does less damage than a normal one, but makes the enemies take 33% more damage from everything that hits it. Two rockets means more damage, and damage is good. Suppression can also be used by Supports, and is better for them, as a Heavy’s weapons must be reloaded after firing 3 times, instead of the normal 4 (without Ammo Conservation foundry project), and since Suppression takes up 2x the normal amount, you won’t likely have enough the majority of the time. Shredder Rocket may not be used frequently, but the increased damage taken by hit aliens means that they’re much more vulnerable.
Lieutenant: HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction
HEAT Ammo is better than Rapid Reaction for a couple reasons. Double damage against a Cyberdisc or Sectopod will deal out huge amounts of damage, especially when given a Heavy Plasma. S.C.O.P.E. makes your shots connect more often, giving you more hits and more damage, and killing it quickly. Don’t be fooled, as Rapid Reaction requires the first overwatch shot to connect to make a second one. I thought the first one is a guaranteed hit, and I soon regretted that decision. This will likely take up huge amounts of ammo quickly, and ammo is quite low for them. For these reasons, HEAT Ammo is better.
EW Change: HEAT Ammo now only does 150% damage against robots. Even so, HEAT Ammo is still better.
Captain: Grenadier vs. Danger Zone
While Danger Zone can seem a bit of a double-edged sword for the giant blast ranges now, I recommend that you don’t take Grenadier, since you’ll want to have a S.C.O.P.E. on them, making this ability useless. Suppression now effects aliens within 2 tiles of the targeted alien, and rockets have a blast zone of 5 tiles. This means that those one-tile-apart aliens that can’t get hit at first are now able to be blasted. Due to the uselessness of Grenadier since you need a S.C.O.P.E. on you heavies primarily, Danger Zone is better. Besides, it’s called Danger Zone. How can you not pick up an awesome-named ability like that for?
EW Change: Grenadier gives a one-point damage boost to your grenades. While nice, it’s not much, and Danger Zone is much better.
Major: Will To Survive
With 2 less damage while in cover and not flanked, you will take much less damage, meaning less time recovering form combat wounds. This powerful ability will make levelling your heavy worthwhile with a heavy that can tank through more attacks.
Colonel: Rocketeer vs. Mayhem
The choice here is preference; more explosives or enhanced explosives. Both are good, and the choice here can be tricky. With 2 rockets (normal), you can easily level enemy cover and make them more vulnerable. With Shredder Rocket, you now have 3 rockets, and will be helpful on harder difficulties. Mayhem makes, primarily, Suppression a low-damaging, certain way to deal light damage. Assuming you chose Danger Zone, you can deal light damage to multiple enemies. The XCOM Wiki refers to Mayhem’s rockets as the “Oh Crap” button when using rockets, and normal rockets can kill Chryssalids without the Blaster Launcher. Take your pick, as there’s no easy choice here. These are both great options, but I like going with Mayhem more often.
The Support Class
The Support soldier that earned me Aint No Cavalry Comin’
The Support Class specializes in being either a medic or making the team survive better with smoke grenades. Supports are easily availiable to ensure that everyone makes it out alive. They are able to wield Assault Rifles and Pistols. With stats, assuming Hidden Potential isn’t on, the Support has slightly better aim than the Assault Class, but nowhere near the amount of aim a Sniper normally has. The right ability path specializes in Smoke Grenades and tactical points, while the left promotion path specializes in healing and Medikits.
Abilities: Which is Better?
Squaddie: Smoke Grenade
This ability can save your soldiers on the battlefield if used correctly and at the right time. It will raise the defense of all units in the smoke, including enemies, by 20%. That’s what saves lives; the 20% aim decrease by the enemy makes you take much fewer hits. There’s only one usage per mission without Smoke and Mirrors, so make it count. At the Captain rank, the grenade will be enhanced in some way. Details when you read to that point.
Corporal: Sprinter vs. Covering Fire
As of right now, Sprinter is much better than Covering Fire. Sprinter will give your support the ability to move 10 tiles instead of the origional 7, giving your support the ability to scout better and get to those flanks you want more often. When dashing, you can also move 20 tiles, from the normal 14 tiles. Coivering Fire reacts after the enemy fires, and it may be too late already.
EW Change: Covering Fire reacts before the enemy fires their shot. A cool trick, but I’d still recommend Sprinter.
Sergent: Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors
This choice will decide which path your support will take: one specialized with Medikits or Smoke Grenades. The first support you have should take Field Medic, since early on, you’ll likely take high amounts of damage and likely have a few bleeding out. Field Medic solves these early-game problems, and sees usage to the end-game. Smoke and Mirrors helps if you find your squad getting hit too many times, but will only become much more powerful when you unlock the Captain rank smoke grenade enhancers.
EW Change: Smoke and Mirrors gives you 3 Smoke Grenades for one mission. While nice, I would go with Field Medic.
Lieutenant: Revive vs. Rifle Suppression (in general without Ironman)
The choice here can be a little tricky, and also if you’re playing Ironman or not. Revive can see much usage in Ironman, since you can get a soldier get back on their feet and into the fight again, hopefully not falling again. Without Ironman, you can simply reload a previous save unless it’s a lot of progress back… then you may want to use it. Rifle Suppression is better for the support to use than the heavy. Heavies can deal much more damage than the support, and the support can use it to pin down an enemy without the heavy having to. Your choice is largely up to you, unless you’re playing Ironman. If that’s the case, Revive may be better, but Rifle Suppression is better in general.
Captain: Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs
This isn’t one of the easier choices. Dense Smoke now makes your Smoke Grenade(s) count as full cover for any unit within its increased radius. Along with the +20% Defense, Dense Smoke gives another +20%, making +40%. Be aware that, due to the increased area that is under the smoke, more aliens can get into its cover. Combat Drugs is an interesting choice that beefs up your soldiers significantly. With a +20 Will, +10% critical chance, and a hidden +20% aim not given, this is a powerful ability that can make those possibly 80% hit chances guaranteed a hit. Psionic units can also benefit from the will bonus given. You make the call here; both are strong, and can be a hard choice.
EW Change: The hidden 20% Aim boost has been removed, and instead has the normal 20% defense bonus.
Major: Deep Pockets
Although not seemingly powerful at first, a second backpack slot can give your Support a huge variety of 2 items to choose from. Medikits are recommended, and an Arc Thrower if you haven’t done all of the interrogations yet.
EW Change: Deep Pockets now makes all limited-use items, such as Medikits, Arc Throwers, and Grenades, an extra use. This is nice, and, coupled with the new Tactical Rigging Foundry Project, makes this a nice ability.
Colonel: Savior vs. Sentinel
Savior is great for your top medic; with at least 8 HP restored per use, there’s a lot fewer deep cuts and more dead aliens. It’s the perfect choice if you find yourself short of Medikits, effectively boosting their powers. Sentinel allows 2 Overwatch shots now, but must be on two separate movements, unlike the Heavy’s Rapid Reaction, where the first must hit and can happen on the same move. The two Overwatch shots aren’t bad, but you’d pass up Savior. Choose wisely.
The Sniper Class
My Sniper back in EU Classic.
The Sniper class is specialized in dealing large amounts of damage from a long range. Thay hate close combat situations, and are very vulnerable in those situations. Keep them at a distance from other aliens, and they can be extremely deadly. They are armed with Sniper Rifles and Pistols. Their Pistols will see frequent use, since Snipers can’t move and fire their sniper without Snapshot. The right ability path is set for the Sniper to stay in one spot more often, while the left side gives more mobility while still being able to deal heavy damage. Early in the game, it’s hard for them to get kills. Late in the game, you have to worry about your Snipers not getting kills.
Abilities: Which is Better?
Squaddie: Headshot
Perhaps one of the Sniper’s best abilities, this ability gives a +30% critical hit chance and increased damage if Critical, a large bonus only matched by Aggression, but only if 3 aliens are seen by the same Assault. This can deal a huge amount of damage if it connects, but has a 2 turn cooldown. It can deal out up to 10 damage with even the BASIC Sniper Rifle, no Damage Roulette Second Wave option required.
Corporal: Snapshot vs. Squadsight
Snapshot allows your Sniper to be like most other soldiers, being able to move and fire their main weapon with a -20% Aim. That’s way too big of a drop. No other soldier can Squadsight, which, if the Sniper has it in its Line of Sight (LoS), can shoot it. This means your Sniper will now be much less likely to get up close anymore. This only works for Sniper Rifle shots, but Overwatch with Pistols will work with it, meaning a Pistol shot across the map, possibly. Because of Squadsight being risk-free, it’s the recommended choice.
EW Change: Snapshot has been changed to only a 10% drop, and Squadsight has been nerfed so that you can only cause criticals with Headshot unless they’re not in Squadsight range. Squadsight is still better, but Snapshot has a new light in it. If you go with 2 Snipers, I would recommend one of each.
Sergent: Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground
Honestly, these two abilities should be on the other side of the ability path, since Snapshot Snipers can already move and fire their Sniper Rifle, and Squadsight Snipers will rely on Pistols more often. Besides, Damn Good Ground helps get rid of the Aim penalty slightly. Back to the point, using what’s stated above, Gunslinger is best for the Squadsight Sniper, for they can’t fire their Sniper Rifle without moving, and gives a bonus 2 damage for Pistols, making them more powerful for them, and probably their main weapon on the move. Damn Good Ground now makes the Aim bonus +30% (+20% from normal height bonus, +10% with this) and a 10% Defence bonus. By finding the right place to stand, this ability is good, but this choice is pretty much to what Corporal ability is given.
EW Note: If you are in dire need of a Covert Operative, grab Gunslinger. This makes them much more powerful than before.
Lieutenant: Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner
Disabling Shot is helpful if you can’t kill “That One Alien Who Will No-Scope You In The Face If Not Killed” moments. Although a bit limited in use, it also helps against capturing aliens. It only does 1 to 3 damage, so it also helps in weakening it. Do note it doesn’t work it the enemy isn’t carrying a weapon, and has a 2-turn cooldown. Battle Scanner helps with sticking your head in before going into the room itself, or you’re trying to confirm an enemy’s location. It also won’t alert the aliens, as it’s not a soldier, and affects Squadsight Snipers, as they can shoot it if in the LoS. While there’s only two uses per mission, those two could save you from a life-threatening and unexpected attack. With Seekers also liking to make a move on lone units, the choice for Battle Scanner becomes more appealing as well. However, given the changes to Sectopods in the late game, I would recommend Battle Scanner for an early Sniper, with a second packing Disabling Shot.
EW Note: With Sectopods now taking half damage from everything, Disabling Shot is a must for most Snipers, simply due to the fact where it’ll take a lot longer to deal with.
Captain: Executioner vs. Opportunist
Opportunist is by far one of the most powerful abilities in the game. If you could remove that annoying -20% penalty AND have a chance to critical hit, it sounds like it’s almost cheating and overpowered. But it is neither of those. Executioner is only really useful on Snapshot Snipers, as it slightly increases aim if the target is under 50% health, which isn’t bad, but Opportunist is too good to pass up. End of story.
Major: Low Profile
Now you don’t have to worry about where your Sniper should take cover anymore, as low cover is now always high cover, esentially meaning, if your Sniper is in any form of cover, they get a +40% to Defense, meaning your other soldiers can use those high cover spots instead of Snipers. Very powerful.
EW Note: This has amazing synergy with the Gene Mod Mimetic Skin, which will always activate when they go into cover. I highly recommend you give them that Gene Mod to get massive benefits from it.
Colonel: In the Zone vs. Double Tap
Argued as the hardest decision to make for any promotion, it isn’t hard to see why. Both abilities have the ability for your Sniper to take multiple shots, but in different ways. In the Zone gives your Sniper the ability to keep killing aliens over and over again, but requires the Sniper to flank or have it exposed, and relies on your accuracy. Although high, it is not likely to ever be a guarantee. You could kill masses of aliens, but that matters if you hit them again and again. Risky, but can rack up many kills quickly. It does, however, mean that other soldiers can’t get kills, meaning less promotions for lower-ranked ones. Double Tap guarantees you will take 2 shots per turn as long as you don’t move. It works just as fine with Pistols as well as with Sniper Rifles (doesn’t say that Pistols are excluded). This means that you can weaken multiple aliens, heavily wound a high-health one (likely Sectopod or Berserker), kill and wound, etc. The major difference is that you don’t have to kill the aliens, so other soldiers can now kill the weak aliens and score promotions faster. For both, keep an eye on how much ammo you have left. I prefer Double Tap, but those who can wield In the Zone effectively can be advised to it, who probably use Snapshot.
Yes, I have used a Snapshot In The Zone Sniper before, but I feel like it’s still just not to my playstyle. However, it pairs really well with Low Profile and Mimetic Skin, allowing you to set up much more efficiently.
MEC Trooper Class: Innate Abilities and Tactical Subsystems (EW Only)
MEC Troopers are a special class in their own right. They have their own special perk tree, and have a set of armor and weapon special to them. Their health may be high, but they’re nigh invincible, and are pretty bad shots. They can be taken down, and care should be taken, as they can’t use cover. To get MEC Troopers, you need to convert a soldier that is not a Rookie or Psionic. The class they were previously before the change will give special bonuses, based off class. The Recommended Subsystems are simply my suggestions. If you feel another combination is better, comment about it. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that only Squaddie rank can undergo augmentation, and the process takes 3 days!
Assault: Shock-Absorbant Armor: When converted, an Assault will gain this ability. For any enemy unit within 4 tiles of it, they’ll take only two-thirds of what it would have been. This is a good passive ability, and has nice synergy with the Kinetic Strike Module, as it requires up-close-and-personal attacks. This is also a good defense against a Chryssalid zerg rush or a charging Berserker. This is a fairly well-rounded ability that pairs up well with some subsystems, including the Electropulse as well. Recommended Subsystems maximize its mobility and close combat powers.
Recommended Subsystems: Kinetic Strike Module, Restorative Mist, Electropulse
Heavy: Body Shield: This is a great ability for your MEC Trooper, as the nearest alien to the unit eats an extra 20% penalty on top of the 10%. To sweeten the deal, they can’t critically hit you, so don’t worry as much as charging into a Thin Man’s face early on. This also works well with either MEC-1 subsystem and the Electropulse, allowing you to have less risk in you near-suicidal charge. It’s a very powerful ability, and I recommend converting one if you have an extra. All sorts of combinations work well together, so none are truly more powerful than the other. The recommended Subsystems gives the MEC efficiency in both close quarters and long range.
Recommended Subsystems: Kinetic Strike Module, Grenade Launcher, Electropulse
Support: Disortion Field: Any soldier within the circle (visible by the faint, static-looking outline) gets a 10% boost to Defense while in cover. While the MEC won’t benefit from it, nearby allies can, making your team much harder to get shot in the first place. Of course, you will still get hit, but your chances of surviving are at least lower. I don’t totally recommend this because Supports normally have those healing abilities, but if you’re overflowing with them, convert one. The recommended Subsystems allows the MEC to stay around its allies to further support the squad.
Recommended Subsystems: Flamethrower, Restorative Mist, Proximity Mine Launcer
Sniper: Platform Stability: This given ability increases your hit and critical chance by 10% for both. This makes the MEC a stone tower with high offensive abilities. Combined with Overdrive at Major, allowing two shots when standing still, will count for both, making this a much better deal. However, do not convert a Sniper into a MEC immediately. Rather, wait for them to hit Colonel so they have a massive 105% Aim, instead of something lower. This will make them hit targets so many times it’s crazy. The recommended subsystems increase the MEC’s ability to set up and kill from long ranges.
Recommended Subsystems: Flamethrower, Grenade Launcher, Proximity Mine Launcher.
Tactical Subsystems:
MEC-1 Warden: Flamethrower vs. Kinetic Strike Module
Both of these subsystems are for close combat, so the choice here is pretty much preference. The Flamethrower attacks a cone-shaped area with fire, burning anything that doesn’t resist it for 6 damage. This will damage organic aliens, as well as your soldiers without flame-resistant armor. Watch where you can point the flames! The highlighted boxes will show what tiles will be hit. It can hit many aliens at once, but you only get two uses that can’t be expanded. Upgrading this with the Jellied Elerium Foundry Project increases damage to 9. The Kinetic Strike Module, or KSM, is an uppercut attack that has extremely limited range, requiring you to be in the face of the alien. This deals a base 12 damage every time, against anything. It also hits robots, and has unlimited uses, so, as long as you are able to, punch to your heart’s content. This also has cool animation kills against Sectopods, Mechtoids, and Muton Berserkers, most notably the Berserker, as there is an achievement for killing one with the KSM. The MEC Close Combat Foundry Project increases its damage to 18, and, if used as the first action, only wastes that one action, allowing you to punch twice, punch and shoot, and other combinations.
Note: If you are playing with the Absolutely Critical Second Wave Option, the damage of both of them are increased by 50%. This makes the KSM one-shot everything with the upgrade, save for a Sectopod. Really powerful combination?
MEC-2 Sentinel: Restorative Mist vs. Grenade Launcher
The choice here is largely dependant on what type of MEC you are trying to create. If you are trying to create a support MEC trooper, then Restorative Mist is the path to take. Giving your MEC the ability to throw grenades isn’t a bad idea, either. Both are limited-use: The Mist can only be used once, while the grenades twice. Restorative Mist will normally restore 4 HP like a Medkit, but the Improved Medkit Foundry Project will increase it to 6 HP restored. The Greande Launcher initially deals 4 damage on the targets marked over a larger radius than a normal grenade, and upgrades to 5 damage when the Alien Grenades Foundry Project is completed. If you take Expanded Storage, both will have their capacity increased by 1.
MEC-3 Paladin: Proximity Mine Launcher vs. Electropulse
If you took Kinetic Strike Module at the MEC-1 stage, then Electopulse is makes this an amazingly powerful combination. The increased mobility will definitely help with closing in on robots that need another turn to be bought to kill them. The Electropulse deals 5 damage to everything within roughly a 4-tile radius. It DOES go through walls, so you can get that “Tingling Sensation” achievement this way if you know what you’re doing. It also disables robots for a turn. That turn could be the difference between killing it next turn and dying this turn. The Proximity Mine Launcher has 3 uses initially, and is similar to the Grenade Launcher. However, it deals more damage (8), and only explodes on enemy movement. However, you can blow it up early and deal even more damage that way! Such tactics may not be likable for Valhen, but is definitely efficient. It can be expanded to 5 with Expanded Storage.
Note: Electropulse IGNORES the Sectopod’s Reinfored Armor and the Mechtoid’s Psi Shield (if any), and always stays fixed at 5 damage. It also affects allies, so watch you positioning.
MEC Trooper Promotion List (EW Only)
Squaddie: Collateral Damage
This basic ability of MEC troopers may not have a large area of affect nor deal a lot of damage, but is a strong ability regardless of where you may be at in the game. There aren’t too many ways to destroy cover without killing the alien behind it normally if you’re short on Weapon Fragments, but this allows you to do so under most circumstances. While it does low damage, it still can work to guarantee a kill on an alien. Or, target an explosive with it and blow up the alien behind it instead!
Note: If Collateral Damage kills an alien, it WILL destroy the fragments it would normally leave behind.
Corporal: Advanced Fire Control vs. Automated Threat Assessment
While +15 Defense on Overwatch seems good on paper, Automated Threat Assessment just doesn’t work out all the time. The reason is because ATA ends once the Overwatch shot is taken; therefore, it loses usefulness if an enemy even moves. Meanwhile, Advanced Fire Control is essentially Opportunist minus the critical damage. This is a pretty straightforward choice in my opinion, unless focusing on a MEC specialized in tanking enemy attacks.
Gene Mods (EW Only)
The new Gene Mods of Enemy Within enhances your soldier’s abilities beyond what they’re capable of, from jumping 20 stories high to turning invisible to two hearts. There are five sections where Gene Mods can be inserted: Brain, Eyes, Chest, Skin, and Legs. Each section has two Gene Mods to choose from. While both can’t be together at the same time, they can be swapped.
Brain Mods
Neural Damping: This provides an extra 20 Will against psionic attacks, renders the soldier immune to panic, and, instead of becoming Mind Controlled, will be knocked unconscious for one turn. This is great for those lower-Will soldiers that have taken multiple critical wounds and have comically low Will levels. This Gene Mod goes well on anyone, but is best for low-Will soldiers. It’s also a good idea to give it to your Heavies, so thier explosives don’t turn on you.
Unlocked by: Berserker Autopsy
Recommended on: Heavies, Low Will soldiers
Cost: 35 Credits, 20 Meld
Neural Feedback: If this soldier ever gets hit by any psionic attack of any kind, the soldier will immediately send a pulse at the attacker, dealing damage depending on Will and also rendering their psionic powers useless for a couple turns. Soldiers with 100 or more Will are great with this mod, as this instantly kills Sectoid Commanders if attacked by a Psi ability on lower difficulties. It also renders an Ethereal a walking tower because all of its abilities are psionic. An achievement requires this mod: by killing an alien through Feedback, you will earn the “Mental Minefield” Achievement/Trophy.
Unlocked by: Sectoid Commander Autopsy
Recommended on: High Will soldiers
Cost: 35 Credits, 10 Meld
Eye Mods
Hyper-Reactive Pupils. Even experienced soldiers will miss shots every so often. It’s not pleasant, but you may be able to survive that attack from the aliens, and get a second chance. This mod ups your chances of landing that second attempt. If a shot misses, then the next shot gets a 10% Aim boost. This works great with abilities such as Rapid Fire, Bullet Swarm, Sentinel, and Double Tap. It works even better for Heavies, as firing a Rocket counts as a Miss, and thus gives that boost to the Heavy’s next shot! A very good mod, both early on and late in.
Unlocked by: Meld Recombination
Recommended on: Heavies, Assaults, Supports
Cost: 15 Credits, 5 Meld
Depth Perception: Sure, the 5% boost to Aim and Critical Chance isn’t that appealing when on higher ground. You first have to get there, but don’t get that great of a boost. This mod actually works well with Snipers with Damn Good Ground. A total of a 35% Aim boost, 10% Defense Boost, and 5% Critical Chance boost makes this something to consider for your Sniper that likes to sit on high places and fire away. It’s worth considering this if you want a Squadsight Sniper sitting far back, sniping away at anything that crosses their path.
Unlocked by: Meld Recombination
Recommended for: Snipers
Cost: 15 Credits, 5 Meld
Chest Mods
Adrenal Neurosympathy: This is an interesting perk, one that affects the whole team if executed correctly. When a soldier with this modification gets a kill, the unit will let out a burst, which, for the soldier himself and surrounding soldiers in his Line of Sight, will get a 10% Aim boost, 5% Critical Chance boost, and +1 Mobility. It’s a strong perk, but only comes into effect every 5 turns. And these buffs don’t stack, so having just one with this modification is fine.
Unlocked by: Muton Autopsy
Recommended for: Rifle Assaults, Snapshot Snipers
Cost: 25 Credits, 10 Meld
Note: There is an Achievement/Trophy, “Anger Management,” that you will get if you proc everybody with Combat Rush. This shouldn’t be too difficult.
Secondary Heart: Ever get a Psionic Soldier, or potential one, or in general, anybody getting Critically Wounded, and the penalty of that annoying 15 Will lost? This mod can solve that problem. With this modification, a solider will always become Critcally Wounded with 5 turns to Stabilize instead of 3. This also prevents the Will drop of the soldier Critically wounded. This is a wonderful modification you should give those that you can’t afford to lose. However, explosives and Chrysallids will just ignore this perk, so be careful.
Unlocked by: Cyberdisc Autopsy
Cost: 75 Credits, 15 Meld
Skin Mods
Bioelectric Skin: This Gene Mod is fine until you’re able to go grab your Mimetic Skin, or you’re having serious Seeker Problems. In a roughly 7 to 8 tile radius, the soldier can detect cloaked Seekers or enemies on the other side of a wall or closed door. The first part deals with your Seeker Problem, while the second can assist in your door breaching techniques. Overall, this mod is completely overshadowed by Mimetic Skin.
Unlocked by: Chryssalid Autopsy
Recommened For: …None, unless you don’t want to go Mimetic Skin
Cost: 35 Credits, 15 Meld
Note: This mod is, however, required to get the Achievement/Trophy “Tingling Sensation.” You need to kill an unseen enemy that isn’t a Seeker and kill them. There’s a couple ways to do this: First is to use Electropulse on a seen mark and zap them. The second, faster way is to toss a grenade through a door where they’re marked.
Mimetic Skin: There’s a reason as to why this mod is so expensive: It’s ridiculously overpowered. Run a full squadron of this, and you’re practically invincible. However, this also requires good tactical planning. Moving while seen by aliens, not being in Full Cover without Low Profile, firing in any way, and, occasionally, Chryssalids, will decloak you, exposing you to any possible aliens in sight. And, at the wrong times, every enemy can be in sight. Playing properly, you won’t get hit at all. And Overwatching, if the unit fires, will break the cloak as well.
Unlocked by: Seeker Autopsy
Recommended For: Everybody, if Possible
Cost: 150 Credits, 65 Meld
Leg Mods
Muscle Fiber Density: A wonderful modification to have, especially for your Snipers. High ground is much easier to get to now. Just simply approach a building, then let the mod do its work. This buff will always be a nice edition for anyone that specializes in mobility. And, if needed, it can serve as a hiding utility, jumping to high ground to break vision. All-in-all, this is a versatile Gene Mod that is very helpful.
Unlocked by: Thin Man Autopsy
Recommended for: Supports, Snipers
Cost: 60 Credits, 25 Meld
Adaptive Bone Marrow: While outclassed by Muscle Fiber Density, this is a good modification for your high HP soldiers, such as Zhang. This mod will always have a soldier regenerate to their base HP, which is the HP of a unit without the armor. The soldier will regenerate 2 HP each turn. For example, you have a soldier with 12 HP. The soldier will regenerate HP, two every turn, until they are up to 12 HP. The nicest boon to this Gene Mod is that it reduces the time for wounded soldiers with this mod by 66%. This also stacks with Rapid Recovery from the Officer Training School, and pairs well with Secondary Heart.
Unlocked by: Meld Recombination
Recommended for: Assaults, Heavies
Cost: 30 Credits, 15 Meld
The Psionic Class
The special Psionic Class is given to soldiers that have been found with “The Gift” in the Psionic Labs. The higher Will stat a soldier has, the likelier that soldier will be gifted. The Psionic Class stacks with their own class, and their symbol will now glow purple. After doing the Alien Base Assault and did an autopsy/interrogation on the Sectoid Commander, the Psionic Labs can be constructed. Do so quickly, so you can find the gift sooner than later. The left Psi abilities are defensive, while the right Psi abilities are offensive.
Psi Adept: Mindfray
Every Psi Soldier will be given this ability, and ruins the aliens when it hits. Psionic attacks ignore cover, and you’ll need to use them to level up. Mindfray reduces Will, Aim, and Movement for 2 turns and only has a 1-turn cooldown. When it hits, it always does 5 damage. While not extremely useful in the late-game, it can still screw up Muton Elites’ high Aim, thus recieving less damage.
Psi Specialist: Psi Inspiration vs. Psi Panic
Psi Inspiration is powerful, but Psi Panic has its uses, too. Using Psi Inspiration has a 4-turn cooldown, but a +30 Will boost, and removes the Mindfray and Panic in your soldiers. Although it has a 3-tile radius, this ability can help Mind Control an Ethereal, thus getting you closer to the Xavier Achievement/Trophy, which is what you need to do. Psi Panic is a double-edged sword. Panic can cause several things, and more often than not, they shoot you. They may flee, but they’ll be back sooner or later. They may also shoot their buddies, but I haven’t seen it yet. It has a 2-turn cooldown. Psi Inspiration, in my experiences, is the better ability.
Psi Operative: Telekinetic Field vs. Mind Control
If you have 2 Psionic soldiers, it may be best to have one take Mind Control (the high-will one) and another with Telekinetic Field. Telekinetic Field has a huge area effect that makes everyone in it basically in full cover, providing a +40% Defense bonus. This is a very strong ability, and is best used when Smoke Grenades are out, or many troops are exposed. A 4-turn cooldown means that it’s a bit limited in use, but still Mind Control is the most fun ability in the game, in my opinion. You can use one alien for 3 turns (not counting the turn you Mind Controlled it), but has a 5-turn cool down. Because both abilities are strong, having one with Telekinetic Field and the other with Mind Control is best. If you get more than 2, consider their Will. If it’s low, Telekinetic Field is better. MInd Control is good on the soldiers with high Will.
Weapons
All soldiers will have a primary weapon and a secondary one, but it varies from class to class. These are all of the weapons and the type. Plasma Weapons will show what aliens wield them, if any.
Rifles:
Assault Rifle: Basic weapon usable by Rookies, Assaults, and Supports. These are the weakest primary weapons, but still deadly at higher tiers.
Base Damage: 2-4, Critical Chance: 10%, Critical Damage: 4-6
Laser Rifle: Upraded Assault Rifle, capable of dealing significantly more damage. Must be researched by Beam Weapons research project to be built.
Base Damage: 4-6, Critical Chance: 10%, Critical Damage: 8-10
Light Plasma Rifle: These carbine-style weapons are precise, yet also somewhat costly. They don’t pack the same punch as the Plasma Rifle, but serve well in non-Impossible Council Missions since Thin Men only have 3-4 Health. Used by Thin Men, Outsiders, Floaters, and Mutons (first encounters). Must be researched by Light Plasma Rifle project to be built and used, and then can be used by the usable classes.
Base Damage: 4-6, Critical Chance: 10%, Critical Damage: 8-10
Plasma Rifle: The strongest in its class, it can kill aliens quickly. Used by Mutons (after first encounters) and Heavy Floaters. Plasma Rifle research project must be done to build and use these.
Base Damage: 6-8, Critical Chance: 10%, Critical Damage: 11-13
Light Machine Guns:
LMG: Basic weapon exclusive to the Heavy class. You can only fire this type of weapon 75% of the time (3 without Ammo Conservation, 6 with it) than the other weapons. Unlike most weapons, there is no base Critical Chance, meaning the only way to score a critical is through flanking or exposed enemies.
Base Damage: 3-5. Critical Chance: 0%, Critical Damage: 6-8
Heavy Laser: Strong upgrade from the LMG, dealing much more damage and makes jobs easier. Heavy Lasers project must be researched to build it.
Base Damage: 5-7. Critical Chance: 0%. Critical Damage: 9-11
Heavy Plasma: Capable of killing Cyberdiscs with HEAT Ammo in one shot, this high-powered weapon strikes hard into foes. It is only used by Muton Elites. To use this weapon, the Heavy Plasma research project must be done to use these.
Base Damage: 8-10. Critical Chance: 0%. Critical Damage: 14-16
Shotguns:
Shotgun: Basic weapon that can be used only by the Assault class. Very effective at close ranges, with higher Range bonuses, but Range penalties from longer distances. Shotguns also have a higher base Critical Chance compared to the Assault Rifle.
Base Damage: 3-5. Critical Chance: 20%. Critical Damage: 6-8
Scatter Laser: An upgrade from the normal Shotgun, it deals out better damage than the normal shotgun while also providing a higher Critical Chance. Precision Lasers research project must be completed to use these.
Base Damage: 5-7. Critical Chance: 25%. Critical Damage: 9-11
Alloy Cannon: Very powerful primary weapon that has the potential to kill Sectopods with the right abilities chosen by that one Assault. Isn’t used by any of the aliens in the game, as it isn’t even Plasma weaponry. To use and build these, complete the Alloy Cannon research project.
Base Damage: 8-10. Critical Chance: 30%. Critical Damage: 14-16
Sniper Rifles:
Sniper Rifle: Basic weapon exclusive to the Sniper class. Without Snapshot, you can’t fire this weapon in the same turn if you moved. It has a Range penalty at close range firing, and has a higher base chance to cause Critical Damage.
Base Damage: 3-5. Critical Chance: 25%. Critical Damage: 6-8
Laser Sniper Rifle: Significant upgrade from the normal sniper rifle. Still holds the Sniper Rifle’s restriction for not being able to move and fire, although grants a higher Critical Chance. Precision Lasers must be completed to construct and use these.
Base Damage: 5-7. Critical Chance: 30%. Critical Damage: 9-11
Plasma Sniper Rifle: In the right hands and the right times, this can kill Muton Elites, even when they have full health. As before, the restriction stays. It is not used by the invading aliens because, apparently, there’s no such thing as an alien sniper. Plasma Sniper research project must be done to make these and use them.
Base Damage: 8-10. Critical Chance: 35%. Critical Damage: 14-16
Pistols:
Pistol: Basic secondary weapon that can’t be used by Heavies. Can be used to either finish off an alien, by a Gunslinger, or to weaken an alien for capture.
Base Damage: 1-2. Critical Chance: 0%. Critical Damage: 2-4
Laser Pistol: Slight upgrade from the normal pistol. It serves the same purpose of a normal pistol. Research Beam Weapons to make and use these. Unlike other Pistols, this one has a base Critical Chance.
Base Damage: 1-3. Critical Chance: 10%. Critical Damage: 3-5
Plasma Pistol: A powerful pistol, and is a Gunslinger Sniper’s best friend. This can kill accompanying Drones (easier difficulties with Pistol Upgrades) near other big machines, so you won’t have to waste ammo from your primary weapon on them. These are only used by Sectoids and Sectoid Commanders. Complete the Plasma Pistol research project to make and use these.
Base Damage: 2-4. Critical Chance: 0%. Critical Damage: 4-6
Rocket Launchers:
Rocket Launcher: Quite strong, but is similar to a Sniper Rifle, as you can’t move and fire this weapon. These are only used by Heavies, and is used in place of the Pistol.
Damage: 6 (+2 with Mayhem)
Blaster Launcher: A weapon that causes mass destruction against the aliens. Honestly, I think it may be a bit too overpowered. That’s because it always hits its target for at least 9 damage (normal one). You must shoot down a Battleship UFO (yes, that massive one), or complete Gangplank to get Fusion Cores, which is necessary to do so. Just like the normal rocket launcher, there’s no moving and firing this weapon. This powerful weapon, thankfully, isn’t used by the invading force. Research the Guided Fusion Launcher project to make these.
Damage: 9 (+3 with Mayhem)
Armor
As long as the armor on a soldier doesn’t get penetrated (damage to unit doesn’t exceed health bonuses before getting healed), healing time isn’t necessary. To make all of these except Body Armor, you’ll need to complete a research project of the same name. This is all of the armor in the game:
Body Armor:
Basic armor given to each troop. Gives +1 HP, and is light armor. This is very bad very late on, so you’ll want to upgrade this at earliest convenience.
Carpace Armor:
Improved armor that is better than Body Armor. Gives +4 HP, and is medium armor. Don’t make too many of these, as the Skeleton Suit is availiable soon after, so have some for just your squad.
Skeleton Suit:
Improved armor that is better than Body Armor. Gives +3 HP, +10 Defense, has a Grapple, is medium armor, and troops are able to move farther than normal. This is better than the Carpace Armor, since you can trade just 1 HP for +10 Defense, a Grapple, and further movement. Also cheaper, this is ideal when you go to the Alien Base.
Titan Armor:
This armor gives the highest health bonus at +10 HP. On top of that, it’s sealed and flame resistant, so you need fewer worries with Thin Men and flames that block your paths now. As heavy armor, it also confers the highest health boost to the Major Assault, along with Archangel Armor. Make several suits of these, as they’re going to serve you well. When you build one, you will get the “Man no More” Achievement/Trophy.
Archangel Armor:
This is the only armor that gives you flying abilities. It gives +8 HP and allows flight, as long as you have fuel. This is good armor, but know that it doesn’t have the Titan Armor’s resistances. Best used for Heavies, since they have low aim, and height bonuses can be earned, and Squadsight Snipers, where they can see so much more out in the fight. Contrary to what it says, it gives height bonuses if you’re high enough, and it also triggers a Sniper’s Damn Good Ground. This is heavy armor.
EW Change: Archangel Armor and Ghost Armor have the same Fire and Poison Resistance as Titan Armor, making them much more viable to use. It’s a very helpful buff that was given in Enemy Within.
Ghost Armor:
The ideal armor for scouts and sneak attacks. Confers +6 HP, +20 Defense, increased movement, a Grapple, and the choice of invisibility, which can be used 4 times in a single battle. While almost all aliens won’t be able to see you, Sectopods can, so be careful. It also greatly increases your chances for a critical hit. Includes the other bonuses from the Skeleton Suit. In short, it’s a better Skeleton Suit, and is medium armor.
Psi Armor:
This armor can only be worn by psionically gifted units, and must be worn by one to beat the game. Gives +6 HP, slightly better movement, +10 Defense, and +20 Will. As this is essential, you’ll need one of these quickly.
Equipment
These items can be put into the backpack slot of any soldier. They can only have one at a time, unless a Support reaches Major, allowing 2 items.
Frag Grenade: An unlimited item, it is a basic grenade that does 3 damage to troops within the blast effect. Primarily used to destroy cover or kill early aliens. No research is required.
Medikit: Make these in Engineereing for only money. It heals 4 HP initially, and doesn’t require research or anything extra to make. A Sergent Support with Field Medic can use 3 for the price of 1. A Colonel Support with Savior increases its HP recovery by 4. Improved Medikit Foundry project can improve its healing capabilities by 2.
S.C.O.P.E: A targeting module that requires the Weapon Fragments research project completed, with no special items to build it, just money. It gives +10% aim to the soldier, and a +10% critical chance with the Improved S.C.O.P.E. Foundry project.
Nano-Fiber Vest: Requires the Alien Materials research project completed, and no special items are required. It gives a +2HP bonus, stacked with armor bonuses.
Arc Thrower: A required item in the game that requires a research project of the same name to complete. This only costs money, and nothing else. Most effective at 3HP or less, it’s more effective the lower the target’s HP, up to 90% at 1HP. Improved Arc Thrower foundry project makes it more effectve, and is now better at up to 6HP, and 1HP now gives a 95% chance to stun. Drone Capture Foundry project now makes you able to hack Drones to your side, with the HP count stil factored in. S.H.I.V. Repair Foundry project gives it the ability to repair S.H.I.V.s.
Alien Grenade: Exploseves similar to the Frag Grenade, only slightly stronger. Used by Mutons and their Elite variants, Cyberdiscs, Sectoid Commanders (rarely ever used), and Heavy Floaters. Note that the Muton Elites, Cyberdiscs, and Heavy Floaters can lob them much farther than normal, so watch out! Capture an alien holding this item to get it, then do the Alien Grenades Foundry project for an unlimited amount of them.
Chitin Plating: By doing a Chryssalid autopsy, you can build these strong items. It requires a few Alloys and dead Chryssalids, and the rareness of Chryssalids means that they can’t be built easily in large numbers. It gives +4HP and a 50% damage reduction against Chryssalids and Berserkers, effectively making them almost useless as problems now.
Combat Stims: A Berserker autopsy will reveal this makable item. It requires a couple Alloys and a dead Berserker. It gives the unit, when used, 40 more Will, 50% damage reduction and Critical hit immunity, and a free Sprinter ability for 2 turns.
Mind Shield: An Etheral autopsy will make this item availiable. It gives 30 more Will to the soldier, and buffs its attack, not just defense against it. It requires a number of Elerium, some Alloys, and a dead Ethereal.
New Items introduced in Enemy Within
Needle Grenade: A special grenade that is revealed through the Chryssalid Autopsy. This has a larger blast radius and deals the same amount as the Frag Grenade, but witha few differences. First, it doesn’t destroy cover, meaning it can be used more often for UFO missions without destroying those UFO parts. Second, you can use it to wound aliens near your own soldiers. This is beause units in cover from the blast aren’t affected. This can help quite well without risking your troops from getting blown up. To build this, you need some Chryssalid corpses.
Respirator Implant: This item is the bridge between the Nano-Fiber Vest and the Chitin Plating items. This gives a boost of 2 HP, while also giving immunity to getting strangled by Seekers and poison from Thin Men. To unlock this, complete the Seeker Autopsy, and building it only requires money. Note that, if everyone is immune to strangulation, their Plasma Pistol can do more damage than their Strangle. The shot can do up to 6 damage, while getting strangled only causes 2 damage on impact.
Ghost Grenade:This grenade grants invisibility to anyone inside its radius when thrown, except for Seekers and Mimetic Skin soldiers. While invisible, units recieve a 30% boost to critical chance, but firing or waiting until next turn will break invisiblilty. Don’t use it on any aliens, if any are nearby. It’s also the only way to make a MEC and S.H.I.V. invisible.
Flashbang Grenade: This grenade reduces the aliens’ movement and aim by 50%, and also removes Overwatch and Suppression. This grenade also only affects aliens, so your soldier can be near the alien and not be affected by it. These are very effective against aliens you’re trying to capture and against tougher foes, like Muton Elites. Note that this doesn’t work against robots, Sectoid Commanders, and Ethereals, but it does work against EXALT.
The Invaders
The aliens have all sorts of different aliens. This section will try to help you know what to expect from each type of alien. When I list the aim and HP of aliens, the order is: E/N/C/I. Also, all aliens on Classic or Impossible have an additional 10% chance to deal critical damage. Robots have no will and can’t be targeted by most psionic abilities. Rift is the exception, and because they have no Will, it will do heavy damage. The aliens are listed in approximate order of appearance, with the exception of the Sectoid Commander and the Ethereal.
Sectoid: Individually weak, but strong in groups, the Sectoid is the first alien you will encounter. They have very low health, but can Mind Merge with another alien to give them a 25% boost to critical chance, but if the merger is killed, the merged will be killed as well. A Mind Merged Sectoid can kill anyone with 6 HP or less if you’re unlucky. Don’t take them too lightly, or you’ll regret it.
HP: 3/3/3/4. Aim: 65/65/65/75. Defense: 0. Will: 10
Outsider: These aliens only appear on UFOs before the Alien Base Assault. They only have a small amount of health, but their attack is deadly; even on Normal, you can get killed in one hit. They wield Light Plasma Rifles, which are obtained if you attempt to capture one. If a capture attempt is successful, it will retreat back to its crystal.
HP: 3/3/5/5. Aim: 70/70/80/80. Defense: 0/0/10/10. Will: 20
Thin Man: They’re like their name, a thin, tall man whose aim is deadly on higher difficulties. They also love to poison the heck out of you with Poison Spit, and even blow up into a cloud of poison when killed. Don’t worry about not knowing if they’re an alien or not; your troops are smart enough to know that these are actually enemies. They tend to appear on Council Missions, and sometimes on UFOs and Abductions, but seem to have the nasty effect that they always land their shots on Classic/Impossible..
HP: 3/3/4/6. Aim: 65/65/75/75. Defense: 0. Will: 15
Floater: Exactly what they’re called, these aliens have a jetpack fused onto their back, allowing flying capabilities and high mobility. These aliens are not especially hard to beat, but they easily cause a thorn in your side with the ability to use Launch to get to your flank in one move, but must wait until next turn to fire, giving you an opportunity to flank and kill it,. They often appear on Abductions starting in month 2, and early-game terror missions. Their flying capabilities make them a major threat towards the civilians.
HP: 4/4/4/6. Aim: 50/50/60/60. Defense: 0. Will: 10
Chryssalid: You’re going to learn to hate these aliens, especially on higher difficulties. They only appear on Terror missions and on some UFOs.Their ability to make more of themselves is just one of the major issues of them. Their attack can also poison you, should you live. High mobility makes them getting to you really easy, and the only location between the two of you that’s safe is anywhere over 10 tiles from it. They are Hardened, so they have a reduction to crits happening, but don’t take cover.
HP: 8. Aim: Melee Only. Defense: 10. Will: 120
Muton: Heavyweights who deliver a punch like their size. These big enemies are hard to take down alone, but focused fire will take them down. Initially wielding Light Plasmas in the third month, they switch to full-blown Plasma Rifles afterwards. They get Plasma Rifles in the following month on Classic or Impossible, but Mutons get Plasma Rifles from July onward. Watch out for their Alien Grenade. Clustering two soldiers up, especially on Classic and Impossible, screams “Grenade!” for them. Watch for Blood Call, too. When they appear late game, take advantage of their low Will to Mind Control them.
HP: 8/8/10/10. Aim: 70/70/80/80. Defense: 10. Will: 10
Cyberdisc: A robotic flying saucer at first, these enemies are very fast in either form. They start in its “Closed” form, then switch to their “Open” form when attacking. Their main cannon is powerful enough to take out soldiers quickly, but they love ot grenade you with Bombard, allowing them to throw an Alien Grenade at anything they see. When closed, they are Hardened. When open, they are not. Strike them while they are open, but they will close when hit, so make that shot count. They also fly, and ignore cover when moving. They are also dangerous in closed form, with Death Blossom, but is rare.
HP: 16/16/20/20. Aim: 70/70/80/80. Defense: 10
Drone: Normally accompanying Cyberdiscs and, later, Sectopods, these little guys hit you with weak beams, but their main annoyance is in their healing capabilities of robots, a major issue especially against Sectopods. It is not recommended to focus on them immediately, but take at least one out. They heal 2-4 HP on robots. These guys like to float in the air, and also ignore cover. They can detonate themselves, but it is very rare.
HP: 3/3/5/7. Aim: 60/60/70/70. Defense: 10
Muton Berserker: A melee-only unit, but have the HP, Defense, Movement, and Will to stay alive. Unlike their other Muton brothers, they have an exceptional Will stat, so it’s not recommended to try Mind Controlling them at first. Anyone under 11 HP is doomed to the Berserker’s attack. Each time they get attacked in some way, they will charge at their attacker. This can be used to your advantage, as Close Combat Specialist will make the soldier take an extra shot if the Berserker is stupid enough to get a little too close. They never take cover, so try removing it with an In The Zone Sniper to keep up a killing spree. Try to stay away from cover so the Berserker doesn’t Bull Rush it and destroy it. They are accompanied by Mutons, and if one gets a Blood Call off, it’s not going to be pretty.
HP: 20/20/20/25. Aim: Melee Only. Defense: 20. Will: 80
Heavy Floater: A direct upgrade from the Floater, these heavy units sport a Plasma Rifle and an Alien Grenade. They can toss their grenades far with Bombard, and have much better aim than the normal Floater. Clustering soldiers up is the worst thing you can do, as they’ll simply destroy it and then pummel you with plasma. They often float in the air, so they’re bait for the worthy In The Zone Sniper. They don’t use Launch as much as Floaters do, but will still use it to try and gain an advantage. Low Will makes them good targets for Mind Control, so don’t be afraid to take one under your control if necessary.
HP: 12/12/14/16. Aim: 70/70/80/80. Defense: 10. Will: 25
Sectopod: Have fun with these massive giant robots of death as they launch cannon beams and barrages of rockets at you. Jokes aside, these dreadful robots have good aim, a powerful attack (9-11 damage), and an annoying Cluster Bomb that can be used even if you can’t even see it. I hope you have a soldier with HEAT Ammo available, as their massive health means they will more than likely survive one turn without HEAT Ammo. Shred them with a Shredder Rocket, then start taking it down. They are always accompannied by Drones, which, when healing it, will make these robots all the more tougher. Though its unusually high 30% defense is there for such a massive enemy, it’s likely due to trying to shoot its weak point.
EW Change: To make the Sectopod much more of a late-game threat, Firaxis decided to give it a 50% reduction from all attacks while still maintaining its original HP stat. This means it will take twice as long to destroy one and Drones heal it twice as much. Many complain about it, but it seems fair, as they were a little too easy. Along with HEAT Ammo only doing 50% more damage, it can very well take a couple turns to destroy it, but it’s still possible to destroy it in one turn with heavy concentrated fire.
HP: 30. Aim: 80/80/90/90. Defense: 30.
The Invaders: Part 2
Due to guide limitations, I had to make a second section for all of the aliens.
Muton Elite: Noticable by their red, ornate armor and Heavy Plasmas, these heavyweights are an upgrade from the Muton, similar to the Floater to a Heavy Floater. The only thing that Muton Elites don’t have that Mutons have is Blood Call, though will still be Blood Frenzied if one does use it. A Blood Frenzied Muton Elite is extremely dangerous, so either kill the Mutons first, or take out the Elites, the latter being more effective. LIke Mutons, they are easy Mind Control bait, and the hideous damage you can do with them, coupled by their high aim, can easily killed their old allies. Much like Heavy Floaters, they also have Bombard, and will use them to great effect in many situationsl.
HP: (EU) 14/14/14/18. (EW) 14/14/18/20. Aim: 80/80/90/100. Defense: 20/20/30/30. Will: 20
Zombie: The only way this “alien” will appear is if a Chryssalid kills a human (civilian or soldier). It rises as a Zombie the next turn. While slow-moving, its attack is powerful. It also has a fair ammount of HP, but the fact that they aren’t Hardened and never take cover makes them easier to beat than you might think at first. But don’t let one linger around too long; after 3 turns, you have another fresh Chryssalid.
HP: 10/10/10/14. Aim: Melee Only. Defense: 0. Will: 120
Sectoid Commander: You will first encounter this alien during the Alien Base Assault, at the very end, in the last chamber. It will rarely ever use its Plasma Pistol, as it’s very weak, but instead uses a new, dangerous power: psionics. It will almost always use Mind Control on someone, and it’s likely to be the lowest-willed soldier. The only safe thing to do around them is to kill it immediately. Only one will appear in the Alien Base Assault, but appears in pairs or groups of 3 in UFOs, until Ethereals appear.
Enemy Within: After the Alien Base Assault, a Sectoid Commander may appear with a Mechtoid. The dangerous combination of the Mechtoid’s firepower and the Sectoid Commander’s psionics makes this a deadly combination. Because of this, Sectoid Commanders are now much more common than before.
HP: 10/10/14/14. Aim: 85/85/95/95. Defense: 20. Will: 90/90/115/125
Ethereal: Encountered during the Overseer Crash Site mission, the Ethereals are the alien’s commanders. They are far more powerful than the Sectoid Commander, packing Rift and Psi Lance instead of any weapons. Psionics is its only source of dealing damage. They are always with a Muton Elite or two, and can be very dangerous to leave it around for a turn. They will almost always use Mind Control, but will vary their other psionic powers into the mix as well.
Enemy Within: If you get the XCOM Base Defense mission late on, you may encounter the Ethereal here instead of the Overseer Crash Site. Because of this, I recommend you do the Alien Base Assault within the first 5 months (July at latest).
HP: 20/20/20/25. Aim: 100/100/110/110. Defense: 40. Will: 120/120/145/155.
Seeker (Enemy Within Only): A new unit appearing in Enemy Within early in the game, these alien robots strike from the shadows with a Strangle if cloaked. Upon activation, they will immedately cloak and move towards you. They sometimes are in the air, floating around, but often try heading straight for you. They have a ranged weapon, one similar to the Plasma Pistol, but often Strangle more often than not, and show a tendency to go after units alone, like Squadsight Snipers. Note that, despite these aliens being robots, they aren’t Hardened, so they take the full 50% (100% with Absolutely Critical) critical chance increase when sitting in the open. Seekers begin to appear in April.
HP: 4/5/5/6. Aim: 65/65/75/75. Defense: 10
Mechtoid (Enemy Within Only): Think of these as the equivalent as your MEC Troopers. They have a lot of firepower, can fire twice per turn, and have a good amount of health. They are accompanied by a Sectoid or two, or a single Sectoid Commander. A Mind Merge with the Mechtoid will give it a shield that reduces damage by half and grants it 6 more HP. Killing the Merger is essential to keep dealing damage, but instead of killing the Mechtoid, it will lose 3 HP. After the 6 HP from the shield is destroyed, it takes normal damage again. They aren’t extremely accurate, but are still very dangerous. They have a different Critical Chance increase by difficultiy than other aliens, as listed below. Despite them being robots, they are still alien enough, like your MECs are still human enough, to be affected by psionics, and they have next-to no Will if any. Mechtoids appear beginning in June.
HP: 16/20/22/24. Aim: 60/70/80/80. Defense: 10%. Will: 0. Critical Chance: 0/0/15/30
Easter Eggs
There are all sorts of little “easter eggs,” secrets in-game that allude to something. I decided to create a list of these for informational purposes if you don’t know what each means:
Central Officer Bradford’s Commentary (Situation Room)
“We’ve been picking up some odd transmissions lately… some nut calling himself ‘Commander Straker’ has been all over the news ranting about shadow operatives.”
This is a reference to Commander E. Straker and the SHADO agency from the UFO TV Series, though I’ve never seen it because I barely watch any TV.
“This is Central, I’m recieving you… what do you mean you think you saw a snake? What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
A reference to the Snakemen of the original XCOM, replaced by the Thin Man.
“Are you really using your console to play Civilization?…At least I hope you are trying to achieve the Military Victory…”
Refers to Civilization V, which was being developed at the same time of this game. The Military Victory is called a Domination Victory in Civ. V.
“…and are you positive that a UFO crash landed in the low-downtown house backyard of a middle-class family… the Tanner residence. Roger, looking into it.”
Referring to the TV Sitcom ALF from the 1980s. Again, I barely watch TV, so I have little knowledge of this.
(EW Add-In) “Don’t patch that through – No, we’re here to track alien activity, not investigate haunted houses.”
This refers to the iOS game Haunted Hollow released by Firaxis.
(EW Add-In) “I don’t want to hear anything else about forming an ace patrol… we don’t have time for alien dogfights.”
A reference to Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol, made by… you should know.
Site Recon: “…at least it wasn’t a cruise liner.”
A reference to the game XCOM: Terror From the Deep and the Terror Missions in that game.
Soldier’s Commentary (Successful Stun with Arc Thrower)
“One point 21 gigawatts baby!”
This refers to the film Back to the Future, and is the equivalent ammount to power the Delorean Time Machine.
“Ride the lightning.”
This is a reference to the band Metallica, whose second album has the same name.
See that number in the upper right corner? It reads “1994” and likely alludes to when the original XCOM was released.
These warning signs can be seen in the Workshop and in Satellite Uplinks.
Research Project References
Thin Man Autopsy: Codename Viperus
This likely refers to the Snakemen in the original XCOM.
Floater Autopsy: Codename Crimson Cape
In the original XCOM, the Floaters wore red capes, and refers to that.
Seeker Autopsy: Codename Lovecraft
Refers to Howard Phillips Lovecraft, a fiction horror writer and creater of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Chryssalid Autopsy: Codename Ripley
This refers to the heroine of the Alien films, Ellen Louise Ripley.
Outsider Shard: Codename Novato
A reference to the location of the 2K HQ, in Novato, California.
Hyperwave Communications: Codename Tachyon
Referring to a type of particle in the original game.
Ethereal Device: “A team of brothers have already conceived of just such a facility.”
The Gollop Chamber and this description refers to the Gollop brothers, who developed the original XCOM.
References to The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
The new fedora hat option appears in Enemy Within.
EXALT’s dress-style has a look similar to what the operatives wear in The Bureau.
Meld Recombination Research Project shows “redacted data stores created in the 1960s” in its finished project description.
Second Wave Options
There are many Second Wave options that add variety, randomness, and also make it harder. Here is a quick run-down of each one, along with availability:
Available from Start:
Damage Roulette: I have never tried this, but it almost completely randomizes damage numbers. From what I hear, it’s way too risky to try, so I would avoid it.
New Economy: This randomizes the money generation from each country in the Council with a Satellite. I used this a couple of times, but it screws you up quite a bit. I don’t recommend it.
Not Created Equally: This randomizes your Rookie’s stats, with Will ranging from 25 to 59, in incriments of 2, and Aim ranging from 55 to 85, in incriments of 5. I recommend this option for variety and uniqueness in each soldier.
Hidden Potential: This randomizes the HP and Aim growth in your soldiers. Will and Movement growth is the same as before. If you play with Not Created Equally, this should be turned on so no two soldiers are ever alike.
(EW) Training Roulette: Randomizes almost every ability in the class perk tree. Class-specific abilities and the Squaddie abilities are always kept. Rather than showing those randomized, it’ll be easier to explain which aren’t randomized:
Assault: Run & Gun (Squaddie), Close And Personal (Sergeant), Rapid Fire (Lieutenant), Killer Instinct (Colonel)
Support: Smoke Grenade (Squaddie), Smoke and Mirrors (Sergeant), Dense Smoke (Captain), Combat Drugs (Captain)
Heavy: Fire Rocket (Squaddie), Shredder Rocket (Sergeant), Danger Zone (Captain), Rocketeer (Colonel), Mayhem (Colonel)
Sniper: Headshot (Squaddie), Snap Shot (Corporal), Squadsight (Corporal), Disabling Shot (Lieutenant), In The Zone (Colonel), Double Tap (Colonel)
All of the other abilites are randomized. This is available from the start with Enemy Within.
In general, Assaults have the most flexibility when choosing abilities, as none of their ranks are locked down to their own abilities. Supports follow, but have Captain locked as the Smoke Grenade upgrade. Heavies have several abilities locked down to them, and Colonel is locked to their own abilities, but Snipers have the least, with Corporal and Colonel ranks unable to be changed. Despite all this, this makes every soldier, like with Not Created Equally and Hidden Potential, unique.
(EW) Save Scum: If you are that kind of person, this will randomize RNG over and over again, which basically means you can never miss a shot. If you are that kind of person, then go for it. Obviously, this is useless in Ironman.
(EW) Aiming Angles: This is a double-edged sword. As you get closer to flanking an enemy, your aim increases, and vice versa. This can help with those few percentage points that you are missing for a 100% shot. I tend to use it because it makes the game more “realistic” in my eyes.
Available after beating Normal:
Red Fog: I’ve yet to use this, but soldier stats deteriorate after getting wounded. This completely screws up one soldier, but can be reversed through healing the soldier. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you are looking for a hardcore game, go for it.
Absolutely Critical: Another double-edged sword, like Aiming Angles. This guarentees, if the shot hits on flanked or exposed enemies, that the shot will be critical, but the shot may not hit itself. If you want to perfect your tactics, this option is nice along with Aiming Angles. Just be sure to watch you own soldier locations as well.
Notes: Hardened units will have 100% resistance rather than 60%, but they are hindered still, as the net reduction is 0.
The Greater Good: A simple Second Wave option, unlike others, that simply makes it slightly harder. All you need to do with this option on is to capture a Sectoid Commander or Ethereal, the former being quite easy due to its location in the Alien Base Assault.
Marathon: Another Second Wave option I’ve yet to use. This makes the game, like its description, much longer. Research time, costs in Engineering, and also some alien appearances have been elongated significantly, making this more built on endurance rather than a quick sweep. You will have to stay at this one specific game with this option for a long time.
(EW) Mind Hates Matter: This option gives you the choice whether to have soldiers psionic or gene modded, but not either. So, if a soldier is Gene Modded, they can’t be tested for Psionics. If the soldier is Psionic, then they can’t have Gene Mods. With this option, choose wisely on who goes where.
Available after beating Classic:
Results Driven: This makes maaging Panic much more of a factor on countries that have Satellites. Keep their Panic low, and money will flow in with larger quantities. Watch those Panic levels if you turn on this Second Wave Option!
High Stakes: This Second Wave Option is exactly what it’s called: It’ll randomize your Abduction rewards. High risk, and maybe high reward will be given. Be careful with this Second Wave Option.
Diminishing Returns: Looking for a challenge? Feel confident in your Interceptor Game? This Second Wave option makes getting more Satellites more expensive, making it harder to cover every continent, and draining more cash. Losing Satellites is an easy way to lose more cash, and in greater amounts this time. Good luck if you choose this one!
More Than Human: If you want this game to be a little more… realistic, then choose this option. This’ll limit the number of Psionic Soldiers you have to about 1 or 2, making the Gift very rare. But in reality, who would exactly like having 6 Psi Soldiers? And the chances of getting there is extremely rare anyways without Pronegy.
Updates and a Few Words
Through the several games I’ve played, there’s some things that are ridiculous to try, and other things that are riciculously overpowered against aliens. There’s so many possibilities in XCOM that some things can go really well or really messy.
Although the main part is done, this is far from completed. It took much time to complete this guide, and it’s off the best of my knowledge. With school and football, I’ll try my best to keep updating this over time. Comments will be accepted, and a Q&A section will fill up with some questions asked in comments and the answers I can give (or yours, if I don’t know them).. If you want to watch videos of a guy playing XCOM: Ironman Impossible, go to YouTube and search it up. Author I like: Beaglerush.
Contents “Under Construction:”
MEC Trooper Promotion Line
Gene Mods (EW Only)
Second Wave Options
Information and much of this is credited to the XCOM Wiki
Matthew out. Vigilo Confido.
Q&A
Tacobelljuansalsapedroburrito: If both my Snipers have Battle Scanner, can I only use it two times per battle regardless?
No. I also won’t recommend both Snipers having Battle Scanner, but you can if you want. Each gets two uses per battle, so you get four in each operation.
Mad_Saulot: How do you choose a soldier’s class, or is it random?
Classes are random, but are slightly more towards the class you have the least of. Only those in rewards for missions, are their classes set in stone.
Mad_Saulot: How do you select specific soldiers for a specific mission?
You must first choose “Clear Unit,” then click on the empty slot. Choose the soldier you wish to bring for the mission, then that soldier will appear for the mission.
Tacobelljuansalsapedroburrito: If I chose Squadsight for my Sniper, can I use Mindfray even though I’m very far away?
No. You can’t use psionics from long-range, but if visible without Squadsight, they can still use it. Generally, a Squadsight Sniper is the worst to get gifted.
As more questions are asked, this will update further.