XCOM 2 Reviewed at RPS

[undercovergeek]

I guarantee I hate timed missions more than anyone - but they fit in this game and fit perfectly

If you still can't stomach it there's a mod that adds some more time, a bit more time, lots more time, endless time, a tiny bit of time - in fact it's taking the piss to suggest there isn't a mod to suit your play style

[Queeg]

I was really looking for an excuse to take the plunge.  Thanks. 

[Windigo]

I was really looking for an excuse to take the plunge.  Thanks.

Just remember ... FULL COVER and grenades are your friends

[JasonPratt]

And mindebuffblockers. Those are your friends, too.

And armor plating. Because not only is defense your friend, but it allows you to carry not only a psionic blocker but also one (1) grenade. Instead of either a blocker or (1) one grenade.


Re timed missions -- my current campaign feels like less than 50% timed (I haven't kept official track but my impression is that I recall feeling more relieved than not about this); but my original campaign was definitely near 100% timed. Bad luck I guess.

[IronX]

Does anyone have any sound strategic advice, ie what's best to build, what missions should get priority etc? I do well enough on the tactical side, but it's my strategic game that lets me down. I've read having lots of engineers to build facilities is a good thing to have, but I never seem to have enough supplies or other resources to get anywhere.

[JasonPratt]

Everything costs money, including things that make progress. Except for things that cost intelligence instead.

Therefore, given a choice, go for the money or the intelligence (with preference for money, since more things cost money than intelligence).

Also, give priority to any missions that set back the Avatar project (which sometimes includes things like the first Blacksite mission, even though it doesn't say so). Ultimately, unless you're playing ironman mode where you aren't allowed to save scum, the Avatar project is the only way to actually lose the game. ...except if they find your base and shoot it down. Which can end the game faster than the Avatar project. So if you have a choice between reducing Avatar points and protecting your base, you should usually protect your base unless you're objectively sure you can kick a base invasion in the ass.


You get money (supplies) by doing supply missions (and also trading intelligence for supplies sometimes). But over the long haul, mostly it's by opening up new regions on the map (which cost intelligence to open) and building radio towers (which cost money to build). And you need a radio booth to do that, eventually two of them (although the second one can wait for a while). Building towers reduces your intelligence cost for opening new regions, by the way.

Without a strong economy you won't have the resources to do anything else. Sure, you can free engineers and scientists on missions, at the risk of crippling your team (or killing them if you aren't save scumming like a save scumming thing.) But you can buy them safely with supplies and (from the black market) intelligence. So given a choice, I recommend going for supplies and/or intelligence over getting new engineers and scientists -- because there are ways to get those things without fighting. (And also by fighting.)

So far in my current campaign I unlocked the Training Room first, so I can buy an extra troop slot asap; and also the xp boost; and also the extra movement points on the first couple of turns. Then the resistance radio room, so I can open up paying areas and find (and reach) Avatar projects to stop. Then a power room, because after those two I needed more power to continue. Then a workshop in the center column down one (below the radio room) so I can station an engineer there (note permanently) to create 2 gremlins (which act like two engineers and can be permanently assigned to the four adjacent areas or help clear them out faster). That seems the most efficient build order, but I'm planning to get rid of the first power room once I build a new one on a shielded power core (of which there should be two randomly placed on your base grid).

[SirAndrewD]

Does anyone have any sound strategic advice, ie what's best to build, what missions should get priority etc? I do well enough on the tactical side, but it's my strategic game that lets me down. I've read having lots of engineers to build facilities is a good thing to have, but I never seem to have enough supplies or other resources to get anywhere.

Build resistance comms, guerrilla tactics school and power facilities to start. 

The resistance comms lets you start to move towards the avatar facilities, which is intergral if you don't want to lose the game. 

Tactics school will get you to squad size five and six fastest, which is the best way to start keeping people alive. 

After the tactics school and comms, proving grounds are probably the best bet.  That will get you some of the better armor and equipment, like EXO suits and Spider suits early, and Wraith and WAR suits late. 

As soon as you get a mission to build the Shadow Chamber, do it as fast as you can, as it unlocks the story goals.

The main strategic goal should be expanding your contacts and making sure you have access to assaulting Avatar facilities.  If the doom ticker fills up, you'll have a month to take it down a notch, and the only way to do that for sure is to hit a facility. 

Advanced Warfare center is good too, but don't build it first.  It will help get your people healthy, but my policy early on was just churn through redshirts when people were hurt.  The ones that lived ended up being good soldiers.

You'll be running to the wire on supplies and intel early to mid.  I honestly ended up being unable to actually build things like EXO suits and Spider Suits at all, not a one, because I was running so to to the wire to stop Avatar progress and simply never had the resources.   It can really push you to the limit if you're unlucky.

[IronX]

Great advice - thank you both. I'll try it out on my next campaign. I lost the previous one because I couldn't delay the Avatar project more than twice.

Getting the extra squad members made a huge difference tactically, although by the stage I got them I was facing waves of horrendously powerful aliens/robots. I think not opening up new regions (resistance comms) was where I mostly failed.

I skipped the Shadow Chamber, but will build that next time.

[JasonPratt]

Great advice - thank you both. I'll try it out on my next campaign. I lost the previous one because I couldn't delay the Avatar project more than twice.

That was exactly how I lost my first campaign.

[SirAndrewD]

Great advice - thank you both. I'll try it out on my next campaign. I lost the previous one because I couldn't delay the Avatar project more than twice.

That was exactly how I lost my first campaign.

I was almost in the same boat, but realized fast that if I could expand my comms I could sort of exploit the 30 day final ticker to keep things going.

The Shadow chamber is integral to keeping you alive since it gives you more facilities to hit. 

Also, without spoiling anything, use that skulljack, especially when hitting a blacksite.  The results are both horrific to behold and beneficial if you keep your head about you.

I essentially took all the notches off the doom ticker after my last base assault by using the skulljack on a codex. 

[IronX]

I used the skulljack once on a leader, but didn't try it on a codex. Next time I see that little minx, she's getting... skulljacked.

[SirAndrewD]

I used the skulljack once on a leader, but didn't try it on a codex. Next time I see that little minx, she's getting... skulljacked.

Good luck. 

In the words of Winston Zeddemore, "If someone asks if you're a god, you say yes!"

Keep your troops on overwatch and a good ranger ready to go.

[Grim.Reaper]

I had some good missions recently with xcom2, think I might be getting a little better at the battles.....last two, no deaths, even during tough UFO and VIP extraction missions!  But still many of them come away injured to some level....got to figure out how to limit the wounds.  Finally really thinking about how to deploy my troops versus just charging in,  using overwatch a lot more and maximizing concealment as much as possible.  I do wish it was possible to get back into concealment mode after dealing with threats, kind of go back in hiding...but I guess the battlefield is pretty small where other troops would have heard the commotion.

[JasonPratt]

Note: an experienced all-ranger team can in fact go back into concealment once a mission. (...or is that the snipers? Can't recall.)

Getting through a mission without damage, or with minimal, is highly dependent on being able to focus maximum team fire on minimum pockets of enemies at a time while operating in as much cover as possible -- although abusing the rules for enemy squad activation can help offset a bad defensive cover, which can make a rooftop approach important for timed missions. Cover may be sparse there, but your to-hit (and maybe damage) chances convert to fewer enemies able to even shoot back when it's their turn.

Remember, the surest way to take no damage from an enemy is to bleeping kill it first. (And the next surest way is to stun or otherwise incapacitate it for finishing off later.)

[Grim.Reaper]

Easier said then done:)  It seems as soon as enemies are spotted, they are bound to at least get you some wounds...think part of my problem as well is not paying attention to all the upgrades and fully using them....kind of using this play through as a way to learn things, will go back later and try to do things right.