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XCOM: Enemy Unknown |OT| Neo GAF is Under Alien Control

I... Sorta just beat Ironman Classic. I've only had three runs too, a run just to take the tutorial, a full wipe on the first abduction mission, and this successful one.

Problem is that on the final mission there's these two sectopods. I had my scout run out, and when I saw two sectopods I freaked and retreated. Then I started to set up my squad around cover and move my ghost units into position - but lo and behold the Sectopods use random mind reading and micro-bomb my units (volunteer included) without even having LOS, and without even giving any warning. I expected my run to end right then and there, but I get to restart the mission like I just loaded a save. Second run went like butter and the boss died to a Ghost'd Double Shot Sniper, who actually died to a cyberdisk in the first run...

TECHNICALLY I succeeded, even got the "no looking back" achievement, but it kinda feels Pyrrhic.
 

Miletius

Member
Assault run n gun+ rapid shot will take down most things, if it doesn't, a sniper to finish off would be of the same result. The approximate flanking positions should be ready before encountering the enemies, so there isn't much need for supporting instead of just killing stuff off.

Group suppression will suppress a tile? Or so enemies around the target you choose to suppress, dealing 1 to 3?damage to the affected targets according to what weapon your heavy is using. From my testing, default LMG is 1, beam is 2, plasma is 3.

I agree that in most cases a sniper is going to outclass anything, really, but there is room for heavies in the lineup, especially against missions with large clumps of enemies.

A heavy with heat and rockets on the
last mission, in particular is godly, since you face so many cyberdiscs and the room with 2 secopods. Then again, psionic storm can pretty much kill them in 2 turns as well, provided you have range.
 

McNum

Member
And if I remember right, soldiers hit by a Chryssalid turned into zombies.

Not soldiers killed by them.
Made reaction fire "fun".

Zombie shambles into view. *Reaction fire!* Zombie dies, becomes Chryssalid. You soldiers are out of TUs to reaction fire since they just shot the zombie. It's now the new Chryssalid's turn, it is close and has all its TUs. Hope you like cascading death scenarios.

The new ones, they're still a threat and a little scary, but the old ones are still worse, simply due to the mechanics behind them.
 

SRG01

Member
Fuck Chrysalids. Fuck them so much.

This game was going well, too... You are so, so fucked if you run into them without advanced weaponry. It wouldn't be so bad if Zombies wouldn't spawn the next turn, or wouldn't move as fast. Thought I could salvage the situation shortly after by doing the base, but no. Chrysalids. Six of them.

;_;

It's nearly impossible to face those six Crystallids all at the same time unless you run into that area headfirst.
 

Astery

Member
I agree that in most cases a sniper is going to outclass anything, really, but there is room for heavies in the lineup, especially against missions with large clumps of enemies.

That's the thing, it's very situational and not as reliable due to that.
 

Rufus

Member
It's nearly impossible to face those six Crystallids all at the same time unless you run into that area headfirst.
I wish. Both groups were close together behind a ramp, so as soon as I moved a guy over there to see what's beyond it I triggered both groups. A prolonged firefight with some Sectoids might have given them time to converge, I guess.
 

deim0s

Member
Restarted my Classic difficulty for the 3rd time, w/o Ironman this time. Left the first 9 missions - with minimal casualties. Does Ironman mode tack on something to the difficulty or probably that's just me?
 
Does anyone else think snipers are OP? With a plasma rifle and double tap, they deal by far the most damage and are basically never in danger
An assault trooper with ghost armor and an alloy cannon and specced for offense is the king of burst damage. They're also more versatile.

Heavies are godlike against mechanical enemies. If specced for rockets, they become invaluable against large groups of enemies, and if specced for holo-targetting and suppression, they become the ultimate anti-RNG.

Supports are the utility belt of the team with increased movement range, two item slots, a smoke grenade that provides as much defense as full cover, suppression, and medikits that can recover 30+ health over the course of a mission.

Firaxis did a really good job of balancing the classes imo.
 
The classes are pretty well balanced once you get deep enough into their trees. Though support is the only class I don't see a real use for more than one of at a time. But maybe that's because there isn't a whole lot of interesting choices to be made with their talents.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Supports with ghost armor are great too. MASSIVE range for movement, they complement squadsight snipers well.
 

PBalfredo

Member
Has anyone been effective using Disabling Shot on their sniper? It sounds good on paper as it keeps the enemy from firing, but its got an aim penalty. Moreover pretty much any enemy I'm shooting to disable, I might as well be shooting to kill with the sniper's high power and crit %. The only thing I can think it would be useful for is setting up aliens to be captured alive. Unless disabling shot also works on cyberdisks and sectopods, it seems that Battle Scanner is the far superior choice.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Has anyone been effective using Disabling Shot on their sniper? It sounds good on paper as it keeps the enemy from firing, but its got an aim penalty. Moreover pretty much any enemy I'm shooting to disable, I might as well be shooting to kill with the sniper's high power and crit %. The only thing I can think it would be useful for is setting up aliens to be captured alive. Unless disabling shot also works on cyberdisks and sectopods, it seems that Battle Scanner is the far superior choice.

It's good on your own people if they get mind controlled. I have it on one of my snipers because I don't feel like I need THAT many battle scanners.
 
There's nothing quite as satisfying as stepping into a room, triggering an ambush from three enemy squads, and them having your In the Zone Sniper kill 5 enemies in one turn. After getting terrorizing by sectoids early in this game, turning the tables on impossible like this is great. Now I want to try a squad of 2 explosive heavies, three squadsight snipers, and one support to scout.
 

Ketch

Member
So I was doing pretty well on my classic Iron man run. I got all of NA and South america covered, I got 3 more satellites in the que ready to go as soon as my uplink is finished building... I just interrogated a thin man, and I'm ready for the outsider.

I've got a 6 man squad, I've got carapace armor to go around, I've got everyone outfitted with laser weapons, I've got alien grenades and 8 days until plasma rifles.

but then...

I loose an interceptor to a large scout class ufo, even after using a dodge booster
the ufo then destroys my satellite over china
china goes to max panic
I loose one of my only two heavies on a bomb mission from the council

and then finally I shoot down a ufo, but my lead assault (my one guy with the arc thrower) gets iced by a Muton who runs out into the open exposing himself to being flanked and crits him for 15 damage from loooong range while he's in full cover... I literally hung my head for a good minute. I finished out the mission no problem, but when I got to the outsider I just blasted him with a rocket from my heavy... alien scum.

4 days until the next council meeting...
 
Restarted my Classic difficulty for the 3rd time, w/o Ironman this time. Left the first 9 missions - with minimal casualties. Does Ironman mode tack on something to the difficulty or probably that's just me?

Ironman is all psychologically difficult. It makes things more tense and make every decision matter, and fuck-ups seem like a much bigger deal because you can't reload if you get a party wipe, you have to live with it.
 

sonicmj1

Member
Well, I beat the game on Normal Ironman. Yay!

2ED1C56B5A481661BEBAC5B214BB4717CFBAC236

I was feeling good, so I figured that I'd start my Classic run.

Classic is nothing like Normal.

The huge swing in basic accuracy between Normal and Classic has totally screwed me up, and I feel completely tactically unprepared. Shots that would hit most of the time in Normal are coin flips in Classic, and aliens are much, much more accurate.

I'm not giving up, but I'm not quite sure how to deal with this.
 
Ok seriously how are any of you getting anywhere on classic ironman....what strategy do you use? Buildings first etc I just got wrecked in 122 days....pathetic. Only got 1 satellite up, and it got shot down after a scout UFO took out my raven. How do you decide which mission you will go on. Do you always just go to the one with the highest panic level cause that got me anihilated. I got the shard but at that point I was pretty much dead in the water anyway with how many nations had left the council....
 

Phoenix

Member
Has anyone been effective using Disabling Shot on their sniper? It sounds good on paper as it keeps the enemy from firing, but its got an aim penalty. Moreover pretty much any enemy I'm shooting to disable, I might as well be shooting to kill with the sniper's high power and crit %. The only thing I can think it would be useful for is setting up aliens to be captured alive. Unless disabling shot also works on cyberdisks and sectopods, it seems that Battle Scanner is the far superior choice.

Disabling shot does work on sectopods and lord knows you'll need it at the higher levels.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
God damn...took down a battleship and the mission on it was nuts. Took out 23 enemies...3 sectopods, a shitton of elite mutons, and an ethereal. Luckily I got my psi unit fully leveled right beforehand and used mind control very well to my advantage, to the point where I was waiting my last two turns on overwatch with my entire team surrounding the final mind controlled enemy, and they all shot at him the moment it went off. :)
 

TTG

Member
What am I gonna do? Held out as long as I could before assaulting the alien base and 2 days before my beam research is ready, I get a mission in which 1 of my support guys is killed and the other is wounded. Now I gotta go into this with either 3 heavies, or sniper with no squad sight and low level aim or with a rookie in tow. That, or I rest up while Mexico bails on me(making it 2 countries gone).

I'm thinking of just going in there with 3 heavies. Nothing like a bunch of rockets to the face to crowd control those mutons and cryssalids.



God damn...took down a battleship and the mission on it was nuts. Took out 23 enemies...3 sectopods, a shitton of elite mutons, and an ethereal. Luckily I got my psi unit fully leveled right beforehand and used mind control very well to my advantage, to the point where I was waiting my last two turns on overwatch with my entire team surrounding the final mind controlled enemy, and they all shot at him the moment it went off. :)

I hate that there was no way to fry the guys's brain, or target him at least. I would always go for the self inflicted grenade and then start position my guys around. What a pain.
 

CzarTim

Member
I played a Multiplayer game earlier where the other guy missed every single shot with 5 soldiers against 2 cyberdiscs right over them. Three turns, all misses. I felt really bad, but easy win heh.
 

pa22word

Member
Ugh, why must I download a 2 GB file following retail installation? Come on 2k, that's horseshit. One of the biggest reasons I went physical is that a 2 GB dl takes me over 2 hours...that and the hardcover artbook and patch are pretty sexy bonuses :D

Also, does anyone know if the 360 version is 2 disks as well? Thinking of buying it for my little bro.
 

Clunker

Member
Currently in the story mission where you
invade the crashed Overseer UFO
and I am shutting my pants at the new enemies here: first time seeing elite Mutons and the mechs, though I was able to stun an elite Muton on my first encounter. Really loving the feeling of power you get when you finally reach the top levels of gear and weapons; I had been rolling with carapace and laser weapons for quite a while; and I'm now able to afford alloy cannons and the ghost/Titan/archangel armor just in the nick of time.

I've been fastidious with keeping a regular rotation of troops and it's paying off now; I've got a lot of good vets in all 4 classes, but comically there's a rising newbie in the ranks that just won't die. James Walker is a rookie that I painted bright red and flung into battle initially on a suicide run to keep the enemy engaged, but he surprised me with awesome crits and stayed alive. He's my "all-in" Assault now - he has no qualms throwing himself into the fray, and so far he comes out alive every single time. No one else on the squad seems to like him - they gave him the nickname "Socks," for Christ's sake - and he's a giant bullseye target in bright red armor and a huge Halo-ish helmet, but the man gets results.

Re: the
psi lab
- is it generally advised to wait until troops are almost Colonel before having them tested due to higher Will scores? So far the only one to get it is my best Sniper, which is fantastic.
 

Dakota47

Member
I've been fastidious with keeping a regular rotation of troops and it's paying off now; I've got a lot of good vets in all 4 classes, but comically there's a rising newbie in the ranks that just won't die. James Walker is a rookie that I painted bright red and flung into battle initially on a suicide run to keep the enemy engaged, but he surprised me with awesome crits and stayed alive. He's my "all-in" Assault now - he has no qualms throwing himself into the fray, and so far he comes out alive every single time. No one else on the squad seems to like him - they gave him the nickname "Socks," for Christ's sake - and he's a giant bullseye target in bright red armor and a huge Halo-ish helmet, but the man gets results.

Rookies like that are awesome.
 

taoofjord

Member
So i started with classic ironman, had fun but lost multiple times... Dropped to classic and got quite a bit further but got screwed over by not upgrading my interceptors quickly enough. I need to start over and kind of want to go to normal but I'm worried that it will be too easy. Thoughts?
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
So i started with classic ironman, had fun but lost multiple times... Dropped to classic and got quite a bit further but got screwed over by not upgrading my interceptors quickly enough. I need to start over and kind of want to go to normal but I'm worried that it will be too easy. Thoughts?

I personally thought normal ironman was decently balanced. Sure it got easy in the end all countries were on 1 panic all the time and I was raking in the money, but that didn't stop me from making bad decisions as a newbie and ruining the world.

With that said, if you're new to the series I think normal is a more than adequate challenge.
 
Ugh, why must I download a 2 GB file following retail installation? Come on 2k, that's horseshit. One of the biggest reasons I went physical is that a 2 GB dl takes me over 2 hours...that and the hardcover artbook and patch are pretty sexy bonuses :D

Also, does anyone know if the 360 version is 2 disks as well? Thinking of buying it for my little bro.
That 2GB download is a post launch patch and therefore not on the disc.
 

Volodja

Member
So i started with classic ironman, had fun but lost multiple times... Dropped to classic and got quite a bit further but got screwed over by not upgrading my interceptors quickly enough. I need to start over and kind of want to go to normal but I'm worried that it will be too easy. Thoughts?
The missions offer too little of a challenge on Normal, especially after you get better equipment. I think I only lost 1 soldier that had experience on his back and 2 Rookies in the whole campaign, mainly thanks to a chain of dumb decisions and bad luck with the enemy shots.
The geoscape requires you to be just a touch careful with panic, but overall it is still pretty much a walk in the park.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
so I've been playing a bit. Brilliant game, just right up my alley

anyway, FUCK.
WHY do all my delicious and deadly female snipers have to die? I've just lost Esperanza from Spain and Kathy from Ireland.

those goddamned alien pieces of shite will pay for this, I say. PAY FOR THIS
 

kurahador

Member
Played my first multiplayer game and won!!!

The guy gang-up up 3 of his soldier up close to my Cyberdisc, it explodes and damage all 3.
Then my Muton toss a grenade. Love this game. <3
 
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