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[Incendiary]

Last mission I found a Pod with 4 Mecs and 2 Heavy Mecs .. they pointed at me and thought they were really tough guys.

One EMP Bomb later they stopped laughing. Killed the 4 Mecs outright and the 2 heavies had 2hp left and were stunned.
Pretty good.

I discovered after EMP bombing a pod of a Heavy MEC and two Codexes that Codexes can be one-shotted with EMPs. Between them and Bluescreen Rounds and robotic enemies have become super easy to destroy. EMPs are a basic survival need now and if they get nerfed I'm never going to try Commander Ironman.

Concealment idea: If you kill enemies you see in one turn, you go back into concealment the next. If they last more than oe they sound an alarm and you are unconcealed like normal

"Did you guys hear that? Was that an explosion and screams of terrible agony?"
"Nah, Jim, you're just imagining things. Let's get back to playing poker."

 

[Kaffeemann]

Grenadiers are stupid good when you get Salvo + Volatile Mix + Heavy Ordinance. On the other hand I've had my Sharpshooter take out a pod all by herself with Bluescreen Rounds + Face Off + Lightning Hands. And my Specialist with Guardian + Proving Ground Specialist Bonus + Advanced Stock & Auto Repeater has killed multiple guys through Overwatch. And my Ranger with Reaper + Proving Ground Ranger Bonus + Mobility PCS has decimated a squad as well.

I think all the classes are stupid good.

The issue with grenades and grenadiers is that they completely circumvent two of the games most important mechanics: cover and hit percentages.
Grenades are guaranteed hits and destroy most of the enemies cover.

Grenade damage should fall off towards the edges or something.

 

[Moff]

the game teaches you to ambush enemies with overwatch when you are in concealment, but is that really the smart choice?
becaue that basically means you only have overwatch shots (save for the initial attack) and after that the pod gets a whole turn.

if you simply break concealment with the first turn the characters have many more possibilities before the enemies get their turn

do you ambush with overwatch?

 

[Shake Appeal]

Grenade damage should fall off towards the edges or something.

Long War did this, and it was awesome. It also split basic grenades into two kinds: One that reliably destroyed cover, and one that reliably dealt damage.

the game teaches you to ambush enemies with overwatch when you are in concealment, but is that really the smart choice?
becaue that basically means you only have overwatch shots (save for the initial attack) and after that the pod gets a whole turn.

if you simply break concealment with the first turn the characters have many more possibilities before the enemies get their turn

do you ambush with overwatch?

Yes, because 1. you get to shoot the aliens out of cover, and 2. there is no aim penalty on concealed overwatch shots.

However, depending on how the ambush is set up, and depending on my confidence in killing everything (or my sense of where they will move to relative to my pieces), I may leave one or two people out of concealment to give me more flexibility. Like, it's nice to have a Specialist who can drop an Overwatch Aim Protocol on someone if the pod scampered in an awkward way.

 

[KingV]

I think people's issue with the "free move" is a totally arbitrary feeling that it's somehow unfair. But the "free move" is just a simple rule that helps to set up interesting tactical encounters. Enjoy it; it's making your game experience better and more challenging. Learn to anticipate and adapt to it.

It bothers me more in Xcom2 than EU or EW, especially early game on missions with a time limit.

Since my team has bad accuracy and weak weapons, encounters take longer, leading missions to take up more turns, which puts me in more of a time crunch, which means I don't have turns to spare to over watch.

So sometimes all that can stack up, and combined with a bad roll it can seem unfair.

 

[Apoc29]

Enemies are not guaranteed to be attracted to the mimic beacon. I tossed one in the open within proximity of a few soldiers and a Stun Lancer chose to run past the beacon and try to hit a guy in cover.

 

[KingV]

the game teaches you to ambush enemies with overwatch when you are in concealment, but is that really the smart choice?
becaue that basically means you only have overwatch shots (save for the initial attack) and after that the pod gets a whole turn.

if you simply break concealment with the first turn the characters have many more possibilities before the enemies get their turn

do you ambush with overwatch?

The one advantage for ambushing with over watch is that IIRC there I no aim penalty for over watch while in concealment, so you can peg aliens in open ground before they hit cover. It might make sense to leave a grenadier or ranger without over watch though.

 

[Mupod]

the game teaches you to ambush enemies with overwatch when you are in concealment, but is that really the smart choice?
becaue that basically means you only have overwatch shots (save for the initial attack) and after that the pod gets a whole turn.

if you simply break concealment with the first turn the characters have many more possibilities before the enemies get their turn

do you ambush with overwatch?

I don't overwatch with everyone, generally only those who it makes sense on. Specialists with their overwatch bonuses almost always participate but I sometimes leave the hacker free to go after robots. Snipers with kill zone are ridiculously good to the point where you often don't NEED your team on overwatch - hell it carries over into the enemy turn where they can keep on shooting (it even reacts to enemies firing at you). Grenadiers of both types can be good to finish off stragglers who make it into cover. No point at all to overwatch with a psionic and my ranger hardly ever participates in ambushes since she's scouting for me.

 

[Falk]

Overwatch is also better in XCOM2 just from the automated staggering.

 

[mbpm1]

Overwatch is also better in XCOM2 just from the automated staggering.

God yes. No more of six guys firing at a corpse

 

[Incendiary]

the game teaches you to ambush enemies with overwatch when you are in concealment, but is that really the smart choice?
becaue that basically means you only have overwatch shots (save for the initial attack) and after that the pod gets a whole turn.

if you simply break concealment with the first turn the characters have many more possibilities before the enemies get their turn

do you ambush with overwatch?

I usually ambush with two guys in overwatch and leave three to mop up any unforeseen consequences. That way I still get the overwatch bonus from concealment, but am not super screwed if my shots miss.

The issue with grenades and grenadiers is that they completely circumvent two of the games most important mechanics: cover and hit percentages.
Grenades are guaranteed hits and destroy most of the enemies cover.

Grenade damage should fall off towards the edges or something.

Yeah, I do miss the outside chance of my explosives shooting off randomly into oblivion instead of hitting my target.

I think it's balanced enough as-is though if you add a minor miss chance. In early game you want to be able to destroy cover so you have a chance, especially with the higher health enemies. In later game you're more focused on destroying armor/dealing direct damage than cover, so the types of grenades you choose reflect that. I rarely carry any cover destroying grenades on my grenadiers anymore because having two EMP grenades and a shredder cannon is way more important than destroying half-cover that my sharpshooter can aim past anyway.

 

[Sciz]

If they didn't have increased grenade range and carry capacity, they'd be hands down the worst class.

I could run around with nothing but gunner specced grenadiers and still be a happy man. Four excellent debuffs, a guaranteed hit, and a double shot? Throw a bunch of +aim on them and they're bullet gods. Bluescreen chain shots almost instagib healthy sectopods. And they still get two grenades!

 

[Sblargh]

Beagle is the most "play to win" xcom player I have seen. No qualms whatsoever to abusing any OP tactic.

 

[mbpm1]

The perfect XCOM player, then

XCOM Avatar

 

[Kaffeemann]

Oh, and talking about Grenadiers: isn't it total bullshit that Demolition can miss?
Come on man, you are a trained specialist and can't hit a wall or huge rock?

 

[mbpm1]

Oh, and talking about Grenadiers: isn't it total bullshit that Demolition can miss?
Come on man, you are a trained specialist and can't hit a wall or huge rock?

The key point of XCOM 2 is that they aren't trained I thought. They come from all over
sorry, your grenadier was drunk that time

 

[Incendiary]

I want an alien enemy that can catch grenades and throw them back. Not so OP now, are you punk?

 

[Shake Appeal]

Oh, and talking about Grenadiers: isn't it total bullshit that Demolition can miss?
Come on man, you are a trained specialist and can't hit a wall or huge rock?

I've never taken Demolition on anyone because, well, Shredder is the other option, but yeah, this does seem silly. Like, you have one job.

 

[Dick Justice]

So, how do people feel about enemies getting a free movement turn when spotted outside of concealment? I know I hated this in the 'first' game and was just wondering. I guess I have an issue with anything that doesn't apply to both your team AND the enemy.

Don't mind it too much. To not have it would make things too easy. What I do have a problem with is certain enemies getting to attack you as soon as they appear, with no reasonable chance for the player to actually prepare (e.g. faceless, chryssalids).

Also, ballistic goggles now available on the workshop.

Raised goggles coming soon apparently.

 

[jaekeem]

I've never taken Demolition on anyone because, well, Shredder is the other option, but yeah, this does seem silly. Like, you have one job.

it's demolition vs suppression isn't it?

 

[Falk]

There should be a perk called "Nerves of Steel" that delays an overwatch shot till at the end of a move if an enemy is charging, the logic decision for that being: locus end is 1) closer than when enemy comes into view 2) not in cover.

 

[ISee]

PSI Troops are so good in this game.
Setting up a Trap and then engaging with the upgraded Void Rift for damage and Mind Control/Panic works like a charm so far. Then the ability to give one of your troops another round, disturb/control the enemy and the possibility to do damage regardless of cover/armor. Crowd Control seems to be very powerful, I love it so far.

edit
Most under fire: The enemy

 

[pislit]

HA! I just realized I have to delay all these objective-researches so that I don't have to send undermanned, underpowered, underdressed, underskilled operators towards that fucking female Raiden who can mind control and kamehameha everyone.

 

[Mupod]

PSI Troops are so good in this game.
Setting up a Trap and then engaging with the upgraded Void Rift for damage and Mind Control/Panic works like a charm so far. Then the ability to give one of your troops another round, disturb/control the enemy and the possibility to do damage regardless of cover/armor. Crowd Control seems to be very powerful, I love it so far.

try null lance on a pack of chryssalids for a laugh.

but yeah domination is insane. 97% to keep an andromedon forever? OK.

 

[mbpm1]

HA! I just realized I have to delay all these objective-researches so that I don't have to send undermanned, underpowered, underdressed, underskilled operators towards that fucking female Raiden who can mind control and kamehameha everyone.

It's like Dark Souls

If it's hard you're doing it right

if it's way too, impossibly hard, go another way

 

[ISee]

try null lance on a pack of chryssalids for a laugh.

but yeah domination is insane. 97% to keep an andromedon forever? OK.

Will do, this sound like fun .

By the way, does Will still affect psy powers?

 

[Sciz]

By the way, does Will still affect psy powers?

Nope. Psi has its own stat this time around.

 

[BeesEight]

So is bleed-out only a mechanic if you research the option in the Guerrilla Tactics School? I'm about three quarters through a second run on Commander and I've yet to see a single soldier go into the state. And it's not like I have the cleanest runs in the game either.

Also, I salute anyone brave enough to play ironman at this point. I've had too many bugs crop up, like ruined cars exploding, soldiers losing actions, soldiers getting stuck in place and unable to move etc... (or my personal favourite: a combat hacker who kept getting feedback damage from hacks on the map even when the hack was successful or she wasn't the one hacking) It's not too much of an issue when you can reload the turn and they don't come up too often but I'd be surprised I could get through an entire campaign without it having a significant impact.

 

[Sullichin]

it's demolition vs suppression isn't it?

Yea, Blast Padding vs Shredder, then demolition or supression.

Gotta get on this psionics shit. Seems way overpowered

 

[pislit]

What is the meaning of that blank? A tie?

 

[Sblargh]

Rescue an engineer.
Put him in the AWC to deal with the injuried of the rescue mission.

 

[Incendiary]

What is the meaning of that blank? A tie?

It usually means you never got shot at. Congratulations!

 

[Khrae]

What is the meaning of that blank? A tie?

Whenever I've seen it is because the aliens never got to fire a shot

 

[Jarekx]

Have one bar left til avatar project finishes and I'm On a mission that will reduce it and save me.... Got called into work. Gonna be a slow day.

 

[Sober]

It bothers me more in Xcom2 than EU or EW, especially early game on missions with a time limit.

Since my team has bad accuracy and weak weapons, encounters take longer, leading missions to take up more turns, which puts me in more of a time crunch, which means I don't have turns to spare to over watch.

So sometimes all that can stack up, and combined with a bad roll it can seem unfair.

There is a reason frag grenades are the best thing in the early game. Throw some grenades and take ~65% shots, don't try to be a hero on 25%-35% shots or overextend and accidentally reveal a pod.

 

[Incendiary]

I've realized the thing that bothers me the most about the Warden Armor is it looks like my soldiers are taking on aliens in futuristic onesie pajamas. If the armor had some segmentation they'd be fine, but right now it looks like my battle hardened soldiers are looking for a glass of warm milk and a cuddle buddy.

 

[MonorailCat]

The worst part about starting a Legend or even Commander Ironman run is the stupid first mission.
In part it's just a RNG crapshot to net get any soldier killed or wounded (which is pretty necessary for a good start into the campaigm on higher difficulty)

You have no tools to work with and if your rifle shot deals 3 damage instead of 4 .. you are just fucked, because your rookies will even get critted behind full cover half the map away.

 

[McNum]

Ah, looks like the aliens are beginning to want it again in my game. Good. Two more blips on the Avatar Doom Tracker right after each other. Up to seven. I'm gonna nuke that back to five shortly. Got Beam weapons for all but sniper rifle and pistols, and those are fun. And I just connected to the next story mission, I think.

Spoiler

"Alien Forge"

. If that doesn't mean at least a Sectopod, I'll be disappointed.

Oh, a Codex fighting tip. Codexes dislike EMP bombs. How much do they dislike EMP bombs? 12 damage of disliking EMP bombs. Can't split if they don't have any HP left to share.

 

[Shake Appeal]

it's demolition vs suppression isn't it?

Oh yeah. I've always taken suppression, I think. I love to suppress.

 

[Spookie]

This last mission is fucking tedious. I make a coffee and came back and the enemy was still taking it's turn.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Regarding the first dark event mission, do I need to be in any rush to do it? I've still only got a squad of 4 and crappy weapons plus no proper armor and trying it as I am is costing me most of my squad just trying to reach the objective, let alone survive the fight to get away. I feel a little underpowered for such a big fight right now but I don't wanna screw myself over by letting the bar climb to far.

 

[Dick Justice]

Is it possible to ignore particular mod authors on the Steam Workshop so that their mods don't show up for you? There's at least one guy who's just spamming multiple shitty logo mods.

 

[RandomSeed]

This last mission is fucking tedious. I make a coffee and came back and the enemy was still taking it's turn.

Bake a cake next time too, this isn't rocket science.

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

There should be a perk called "Nerves of Steel" that delays an overwatch shot till at the end of a move if an enemy is charging, the logic decision for that being: locus end is 1) closer than when enemy comes into view 2) not in cover.

Or a perk that makes it so you don't take an overwatch shot below a certain % thresh hold.

 

[ACE 1991]

Just a few missions in on normal, any solid really important tips for the strategy layer so I don't screw myself over or waste resources on something useless?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Regarding the first dark event mission, do I need to be in any rush to do it? I've still only got a squad of 4 and crappy weapons plus no proper armor and trying it as I am is costing me most of my squad just trying to reach the objective, let alone survive the fight to get away. I feel a little underpowered for such a big fight right now but I don't wanna screw myself over by letting the bar climb to far.

This is a mistake. Don't worry about the bar until you are powerful. By the time it is a problem, you should have upgraded weapons and or armor.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

This is a mistake. Don't worry about the bar until you are powerful. By the time it is a problem, you should have upgraded weapons and or armor.

Ah thought it might be the case. Thanks! Gonna go back to an older save and focus on fleshing out my squad first then. Shame though since they were getting promoted like crazy until the med packs ran out.

 

[Lanrutcon]

Don't mind it too much. To not have it would make things too easy. What I do have a problem with is certain enemies getting to attack you as soon as they appear, with no reasonable chance for the player to actually prepare (e.g. faceless, chryssalids).

Also, ballistic goggles now available on the workshop.

Raised goggles coming soon apparently.

Fuck that is awesome. Getting it now.

 

[Spookie]

Bake a cake next time too, this isn't rocket science.

What the fuck does that even mean?

 

[Shake Appeal]

Is that the same guy who did the berets? He's good.