UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

Sniper (EU2012)

2014-05-06T02:51:21Z

Leman Russ: /* Abilities */

[[File:SNIPERS (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Sniper Squad]][[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|right|frame|64px|Sniper]]

A class able to inflict massive long range damage on enemy targets from a position of safety. They are good at inflicting [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]], and can augment the chances further with their special '''Headshot''' ability. Special training can allow the sniper to provide long range cover fire, disarm enemies or reconnaissance. The drawback being a Sniper can't move and shoot except with the '''Snap Shot''' talent.

:'''Primary Weapon:''' [[Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Sniper Rifle]], [[Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Sniper Rifle]] or [[Plasma Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Sniper Rifle]].
:'''Secondary Weapon:''' [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The Sniper relies heavily on positioning, favourable terrain and the cooperation of squad mates to locate their marks. The Sniper is otherwise a poor close range combatant. Rank promotions will give Snipers the biggest increase in [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] when compared to the other [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] (+40 points total). Their drawback is that upon reaching Colonel rank a Sniper will also receive less 1 Health Point than any of the other classes (+3 total) but the same Will (+14 total)

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability

|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Headshot''' ''Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Snap Shot''' ''Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty.'' [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|EW DLC]]: ''Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -10 Aim penalty.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png|32px|center]]'''Squad Sight''' ''Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius.'' [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|EW DLC]]: ''Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius, but these targets cannot be critically hit unless using Headshot.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|32px|center]]'''Gunslinger''' ''Confers 2 bonus damage with pistols.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|32px|center]]'''Damn Good Ground''' ''+10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation in addition to the usual elevation bonuses.'' (including while flying)
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Disabling Shot''' ''Allows the Sniper to fire a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction. The target may use Reload to fix the weapon. The shot cannot inflict a critical hit. 2 turn cooldown.'' (-10 Aim, reduced Damage)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|32px|center]]'''Battle Scanner''' ''Scanning device, when thrown creates a new source of vision for 2 turns. Can only be used 2 times per battle.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|32px|center]]'''Executioner''' ''+10% Aim against targets with less than 50% Health.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|32px|center]]'''Opportunist''' ''Eliminates the Aim penalty on reaction shots, and allows reaction shots to cause critical hits.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|32px|center]]'''Low Profile''' ''Makes partial cover count as full.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_ITZ.png|32px|center]]'''In The Zone''' '' Killing a flanked or uncovered target with the sniper rifle does not cost an action.'' (applies only once to Pistols)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DOUBLETAP.png|32px|center]]'''Double Tap''' ''Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Headshot, or Disable Shot, provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown.'' (Can't be used with ''Snap Shot'')
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

* Sniper Rifles suffer an aim penalty when targeting enemies in close quarters, making the pistol more useful than on other classes.
* '''Snap Shot''' or '''Squad Sight''', makes for two completely different play styles of snipers. Plan your build ahead.
* '''Squad Sight''' still requires free line of sight from the sniper to the target.
* '''Damn Good Ground''' is best combined with an [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] with flight or a grapple hook.
* '''Battle Scanner''' is often more useful on '''Snap Shot''' snipers, due to its limited range. It can also be thrown through [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFO]] doors.
* '''Gunslinger''' with Foundry [[Foundry_(EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_I| Pistol upgrades]] puts pistols on par with most Rifles.
* '''Disabling Shot''' is useful for captures or to disable high damage targets and mind controlled soldiers.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
The Sniper works exactly as you would expect: long range, high damage, low mobility engagement. Depending on the level and your position, a Sniper will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or he'll spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Building a sniper revolves around managing their killing power while stationary versus their complete lack of it while on the move. Despite this, there are a number of no-brainer choices in their ability tree, greatly limiting the viable customization.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|[[File:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png|32px]] '''Snap Shot vs. Squad Sight''' [[File:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png|32px]]
|}
'''Snap Shot''' is a future investment. It is designed to help the Sniper contribute on maps in which obtaining line of sight is difficult. However, the accuracy penalty drops the Sniper's [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] from the best in the game to noticeably worse than both Assaults and Supports and sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. However this can be compensated later by other Sniper abilities ('''Damn Good Ground''', '''Executioner''') and equipment ([[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel]]/[[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]] armors) to turn the Snap Shot Sniper into a mobile flying/stealth Marksman that will be very effective at midrange fights (around 10 game tiles). '''In The Zone''' will further turn it into a killing machine, by allowing it to move and kill outflanked targets without using any action.

On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] the Aim penalty after moving has been reduced from -20 to -10, making it more attractive.

'''Squad Sight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe like the [[X-COM|original game]]. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100, or 66 game tiles for Sniper Rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27, or 18 game tiles). Squad Sight removes the last requirement, allowing the rest of your squad to spot for your sniper as he relaxes three-quarters of the level away. Squad Sight allows you to make use of high ground more effectively (further amplifying your killing power), cover your [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]] as they advance, and actually hit anything, ever. Snipers that are not in vision range can not be attacked, making this ability an amazing boost to both offense and defense.

On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], this ability has been changed and only Headshots can cause [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|Critical Hits]] when targeting an enemy with Squad Sight (enemies targeted without Squad Sight will calculate Critical hits as normal).

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|[[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|32px]] '''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground''' [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|32px]]
|}

'''Damn Good Ground''' rewards you for parking on high ground and blasting away, which is what you want to be doing anyway. This helps the Sniper as your go-to for getting rid of a high priority target, and partially makes up for the fact that you are generally shooting into cover. You should be shooting from high ground more often than you shoot your pistol, and Damn Good Ground accentuates that. Both Snipers will get a ton of mileage out of Damn Good Ground. Once you research [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]], getting the benefit of DGG becomes very easy, making it a good pick late game.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. The boost to pistols is mostly effective to help snipers survive [[Floater (EU2012)|Floater]] and [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]] overflanking moves. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. Gunslinger is a little redundant for Snapshot Snipers, and becomes more so as abilities and promotions make up for the aim penalty. For Squadsight Snipers, Gunslinger will make the sniper more useful in situations demanding lots of movement, or where drawing line of sight is difficult, like larger [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]]. Gunslinger is significantly less useful for psionic snipers, since they can use Mind Fray on most occasions where they would use a pistol. Finally, Gunslinger combined with Double Tap and [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved Pistol III|Improved Pistol III]] turns your Sniper into a unit that can fire with better Aim and deal more damage with a [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]] at all ranges (6 base damage for each shot, or 12 combined damage), than a Support with a [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifle]] (7 base damage).

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|[[File:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png|32px]] '''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner''' [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|32px]]
|}

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. This ability is useful if you have a dangerous target you're not confident you can kill this turn ([[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]]s and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]s), if you're going for a capture, or to neutralize a mind controlled friendly. There is a small Aim penalty (-10) attached to this shot, and the attack does reduced damage; if going for a capture, make sure you don't accidentally kill the target. 
'''Note:''' Disabling shot is the only thing you have that can prevent your mind controlled troops from flattening your non-mind controlled ones, short of killing them first; if killing the mind controller is not an option.
* NOTE: Disabling Shot does '''not''' take effect until the end of your turn. If you use this ability on an alien in Overwatch, it will still fire on you if you move in its line of sight during the same turn. This is a bug.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]. Giving it to a Snap Shot sniper turns it into a scout/sniper unit. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens, either landing a rocket in them while they're bunched up, or getting a free sniper shot on one out of cover. Its limited range means that the Sniper will not be in range to use it on open maps where he's miles away from his team, but a Sniper with Squad Sight can use it and it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot. Battle Scanners can be thrown through alien doors, making them handy in [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]]. On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] be careful through since this action will open the UFO door.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|[[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|32px]] '''Executioner vs. Opportunist''' [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|32px]]
|}

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but there are two things to consider. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim but it can very useful for a Snap Shot sniper to deliver the killing blow. Second, snipers are generally able to kill most ordinary targets in one shot, which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. When fighting very high hit-point enemies such as [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], 50% of such an enemy's health amounts to quite a significant chunk of health. As the random number generator can be fickle at times, pushing your to-hit rate up to 100% against a major enemy is never a bad thing.

'''Opportunist''' improves your ability to cover the rest of the squad during [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], helping mostly when aliens decide to patrol into your team blindly. With the range on Sniper Rifles, this ends up being a nice bit of coverage. Enemies triggering Overwatch are frequently in the open, partially reducing the need for this, but it's still an improved chance to save you time during your actual turn. The biggest sell for Opportunist is that your Sniper's Overwatch shots can now score critical hits: with a Plasma Sniper Rifle on hand, pretty much any aliens, even [[Muton Elite (EU2012)|Muton Elites]], that wander into view during Alien Activity are often dead on arrival, or at least severely wounded. If you go for two Snipers with Opportunist, try to place them with different lines of sight, so that they're less likely to waste a shot shooting at the same alien.

On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], Opportunist is indirectly nerfed on Squad Sight Snipers due to the fact that Squad Sight shots can no longer score critical hits.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|[[File:SNIPER_ITZ.png|32px]] '''In the Zone vs. Double Tap''' [[File:SNIPER_DOUBLETAP.png|32px]]
|}

'''In The Zone''' offers unmatched offensive potential in the right conditions. Snapshot snipers, if armed with Ghost Armor, can sneak behind a squad of entrenched enemies and picked them off on the next turn. Squad Sight snipers will rarely flank an enemy, so will need to focus on exposed targets. Aliens that can't take cover - [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]], [[Zombie (EU2012)|Zombies]], [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]], [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]], [[Berserker (EU2012)|Muton Berserkers]], [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], and [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] - and flying units (treated as exposed for the purposes of In The Zone) will be your primary targets. In the event that you kill an exposed alien with an Overwatch shot, you'll get another non-move action next turn. Finally, squad mates can assist the sniper by blowing away cover with [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|rockets]] or grenades. Note: In The Zone can be triggered with a pistol, but only once per turn.

'''Double Tap''' is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) without an aim penalty, and the ability to re-target. You will never ever regret having it. If you took Snap Shot, keep in mind that the second shot suffers -20 Aim penalty (due to a bug) and you can't Double Tap after moving.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high critical rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill targets in a single shot is not a very good asset to the [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]], so you will want to keep up with tech here. Snipers also benefit from pistols much more than other [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]], give them your best for those turns that they can't sit still or cannot fire their main weapon.

'''Armor:''' The best defense is a good offense. The second best defense is being too damn far away. Snipers have both of these, so you generally don't need to prioritize armor. [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]] will help get you to a good position, and the defense bonus stacks nicely with Low Profile. [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel]] is your go-to for the end game. A case for [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] can be made for Snap Shot Snipers with In The Zone, as it will allow your Sniper to get into position with far less hassle. However, Ghost Armor can be expensive, and there are a couple other classes which should get the Ghost Armor first, so plan accordingly.

'''Item:''' Snipers generally get the most benefit from equipping a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] as it augments their already high accuracy and critical rate. If you're finding their normal aim progression to be sufficient, you may want to arm items that mitigate the Snipers' close combat weakness such as a [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vest]] or [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]]. Alternately, arm equipment to provide additional functionality such as an [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] for capture, grenades for anti-cover, or another [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikit]] to prevent poison attacks from [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]].

===Gene Mods===
For the Sniper, [[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]] are focused on, like everything else with the Sniper, Squad Sight or Snap Shot.

'''Brain'''
For the Brain, Snapshot Snipers can go either way, depending on the base Will of the soldier. Lower Will Snipers will want Neural Dampening, while higher can go with Feedback. Squad Sight Snipers are the same, but the Brain is much lower priority since they are less likely to be in the line of fire.

'''Eyes'''
For Squad Sight Snipers, Depth Perception will make you feel less guilty about taking Gunslinger instead of Damn Good Ground while Hyper Reactive Pupils will see very little benefit. For Snapshot, either will work fine. As with Brain, priority here should go to Snapshot rather than Squad Sight.

'''Chest'''
You can never go wrong with Secondary Heart for either one. Squad Sight Snipers will get little benefit from Adrenal Neurosympathy since they usually aren't in the middle of the squad, while Snap Shot will enjoy the benefit. Once again, priority should go to Snap Shot first than Squad Sight.

'''Skin'''
Bioelectric Skin is a must for Squad Sight Snipers. It's not uncommon to leave them far behind the rest of the Squad and the last thing you need is a [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seeker]] popping up and saying "Hi!" to your Squad Sight Sniper when the rest of the Squad is embroiled in a fierce firefight on the other side of the map. Mimetic Skin will help Snapshot Snipers out on those turns they can sit still. Squad Sight Snipers are of higher priority for Skin than Snapshots are.

'''Legs'''
Muscle Fiber Density will really help either Sniper get into a good position easier, while Adaptive Bone Marrow will help make up for the Sniper's inherent squishyness. Either will work and there really is no priority, though you may want to get Adaptive Bone Marrow on Snapshots faster since they're more likely to be in the thick of things.

===Summary===
All-around designed for long-range combat, one of the [[Making The Game Harder (EU2012)|making the game harder]] suggestions is simply "Never choose Squad Sight." A Sniper with Squad Sight and Damn Good Ground, flying high with Archangel Armor (an additional Defense bonus on top of DGG, for the rare time an enemy does get in range) and equipped with an upgraded Scope can pretty much ignore whatever [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]] aliens may have, and with Double Tap, one sniper fights like two soldiers, and two full snipers may seem like overkill. With Disabling Shot, the second shot can be used to simultaneously soften and disarm aliens for other solders to kill and level up with. With Opportunist, any alien that moves out of cover is almost a guaranteed kill. Watch your ammo levels, though.

With a six-member [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]], and the [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]] and many levels having a degree of symmetry, a regular tactic is to send two 3-member squads on each path (a sniper with each, taking back positions), which keeps any aliens on the other path from flanking around: a well-positioned sniper will reach out and help with front-line combat, and should shoot first for any frisky aliens who try to rush through, like [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]] (who fall easily to a Headshot even from the basic Sniper Rifle), rather than leaving the front-line troops move-less in attacking, or having them fall back to defend, leaving a gap for any more aliens to rush through. With that in mind, both Floater species are perhaps the biggest threat to snipers: their frequently-used Launch ability is utilized to flank your rearmost soldier, which will often be your Sniper. Your mid-range fighters being close enough to provide backup, or another Squad Sight sniper, and having them cover one another, is the best defense against this.

An excellent late game tactic involves two Squad Sight Snipers (and at least one with Opportunist), and a forward soldier with [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]: the ghosting soldier "recons" for the Snipers, and finds a 3-member squad of aliens, inactive and out of cover. The Sniper with Opportunist goes into Overwatch. Then the other sniper fires, killing the first alien. Activating the squad makes the aliens go into cover, triggering the overwatching sniper, which will have equal aim, probably also killing another alien. Lastly, the cloaked soldier takes their shot, at 100% critical chance, possibly finishing off the squad.

A [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] Sniper is generally hard to train in open terrain situations, as you will not have the tendency to have them up front to attack with Mind Fray, though it is a valuable alternative to the pistol in the event of a Floater jump. "Psi Panic" has similar limitations when outdoors, and Telekinetic Field probably won't have the range to cover your front-line soldiers, who would benefit the most from it. Psi Inspiration can be used as a kind of support, boosting other psi soldiers before sending them forward to Fray/Panic/MC. Lastly, Mind Control is an excellent auxiliary move for any aliens that happen to flank the sniper.

'''[[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] Supplemental:'''

For the existing classes, most changes went into Snipers, from long-distance Squadsight only getting [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]] if Headshot is used, to Snap Shot having only a -10 penalty, easily negligible by [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]], certain [[Medals (EU2012)|Medals]], and Gene Mods effects. Essentially, while you find they may not hit as hard anymore (in the case of a Squad Sight Opportunist no longer mowing down alien squads halfway across the planet), they can be set up to rarely, if ever, miss- especially with certain [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] options active giving +100 Aim scores. With Training Roulette, Squadsight and Snap Shot are still chosen at the second leveling, and Disabling Shot and Double Tap remain, as well. You may get something useful, like HEAT Ammo, or something absurd (but still useful) like [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] (with a bolt-action rifle; think about that for a second), or somewhat useless, like Grenadier.

With that: [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Tactical Rigging]] unlocking a second item leaves an open question for Snipers, of what exactly else to carry. Most players will not have their Snipers near the front line, so grenades aren't more than a holdout weapon for a launched [[Floater (EU2012)|Floaters]] (when the [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]] and Mindfray are better options than [[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]] or [[Flashbang Grenade (EU2012)|Flashbang Grenades]]). If you find them regularly troubled by [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]], the [[Respirator Implant (EU2012)|Respirator Implant]] is the obvious choice, while slapping [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] on them is good for the +4 HP, but the melee effect probably won't be a regular thing for them, especially for those flying safe in [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]]. On the other hand: if you've been playing with Training Roulette, and haven't managed to get something like your usual Medic Support, your Sniper's extra slot could hold a Medikit in reserve for a battered front-line soldier, allowing them to fall back and be healed.

The first inventory slot you will probably still keep S.C.O.P.E.s on.

==See Also==
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Ghost Armor (EU2012)

2014-01-19T22:01:48Z

Leman Russ: /* Notes */

{{Ref Open | title = Ghost Armor}}[[File:Ghost Armor Research (EU2012).png|right|100px|]]
An advanced prototype based on our earlier [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton armor]] design, this variation makes use of our latest developments in the field of optical camouflage. By studying the unusual phasing behavior exhibited by the [[Hyperwave Beacon (EU2012)|Hyperwave beacon]], we've come to understand how this device is capable of existing outside of our visible plane. With this "phasing" behavior in mind, we've implemented several experimental metamaterials into the weave and structure of this suit's outermost layers. As a result, the "Ghost" armor provides near-invisibility to the wearer, allowing for enhanced evasion and infiltration capabilities in the field.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) [[Research (EU2012)|Research]] Archives}}
{{Ref Open | title = Description }} [[Image:GHOST ARMOR (EU2012).png|right|100px|Ghost Armor]]
By integrating a stealth field based on the phase-shifts observed in the hyperwave beacon, this suit makes it extremely difficult for the wearer to be detected in the field. It should be noted, the stealth system is only effective when used by a soldier in cover.
*Medium armor
*Stealth systems allow wearer to become invisible
*Ghost mode can be activated up to 4 times per battle
*Activating Ghost Mode does not cost an action, nor end the soldier's turn
*Provides a moderate bonus to Defense, equivalent to partial cover
*Wearer's movement speed is increased
*Grappling hook module has been adapted from the Skeleton Suit
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

==Notes==
[[Image:ghost_deco_1.jpg|150px|right]]
{{Armor Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=Ghost Armor
|costs=§250 Alloys:40 Elerium:50 Min. Engineers:40
|health=+6
|defense=+20
|movement=+3
|abilities=Grapple Ghost
}}
*Unit can become invisible up to four times per mission.
*Activating the stealth does not cost any actions nor end the turn. It's possible to use stealth multiple times in one turn, if you have the ability to act after attacking.
*Invisibility lasts for 1 turn or until the unit fires. This could be on your turn or on the alien turn after firing from [[Overwatch (EU2012)|overwatch]] or due to Close Combat Specialist. If your soldier decloaks during the alien turn he may be attacked by any aliens that haven't yet used their actions.
*When your turn starts your invisibility automatically ends, alerting enemies to your presence. This won't trigger Overwatch attacks, but you cannot continuously stay invisible for multiple turns even if you immediately activate Ghost again on the next turn.
*Occasionally, Ghost Mode can fail, and aliens will be alerted to that soldier's presence after moving: Ghost Mode will immediately deactivate on the rare chance that this happens.
*Enemies behave as if you don't exist while you are invisible. You won't trigger alien 'wake-up' actions when moving into their line of sight, and they won't try to attack you. (You may still end up hurt from explosions, etc.)
**Civilians, however, can see you perfectly. You'll be able to trigger them in terror sites and Council missions.
*Attacking from stealth adds +100% critical chance. Against some enemies, this still may not guarantee a critical hit.
** With [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]]'s "Absolutely Critical", it can be 100%, even on Hardened enemies.
** However, it's been reported that the Expansion Pack, [[XCOM:_Enemy_Within_DLC_(EU2012)|Enemy Within]], will reduce this to a +30% Crit bonus.
*Despite not taking an action, activating Ghost Mode counts as manipulating an item, and thus cannot be used if you have already triggered an ability prohibiting item use, such as Run and Gun.
**However, it is possible to activate Ghost Mode first, THEN activate Run and Gun.
*If a soldier is suppressed then activating Ghost Mode will make the [[Suppression (EU2012)|suppression]] stop.
*Wearing [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] with Ghost armor will make it strong as [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan armor]] (+10 Health) plus the benefits of the added +20 Defense and no critical damage from melee attacks.
* In [[XCOM:_Enemy_Within_DLC_(EU2012)|Enemy Within]], if a soldier has [[Gene_Mods_(EU2102)|Mimetic Skin]], they will not be able to use Ghost Mode, but they can still make use of the movement bonus and grappling hook.
 

==See Also==
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}
{{Research (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Research (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Equipment (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Armor (EU2012)]]

MEC Trooper (EU2012)

2013-12-13T23:13:06Z

Leman Russ: /* Abilities */

[[File:MEC Squad (EU2012).png|right|thumb|400px|A MEC Squad]][[File: CLASS MECH.png|rigth|frame|64px|MEC Trooper]][[Image:Bellator (EU2012).png|right|100px|Translation: "Warrior in the Machine"]]

The MEC Trooper is a new [[Classes (EU2012)|class]] of [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] that is introduced by the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]]. A MEC Trooper requires [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] and can be created from any of your existing soldiers (from any class, except Psionic) after building the [[Cybernetic Lab (EU2012)|Cybernetic Lab]]. The soldier will lose all of its existing abilities but see its HP increase and will have its own [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] tree, starting with Collateral Damage.

MECs are walking tanks that are usually used for either Fire Support or Close Combat. Tactically they're a mixture of the [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] and [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]] classes, being built for frontline roles. Since MECs can't use [[Cover (EU2012)|Cover]] like regular soldiers they're equipped with specialized [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] to be deployed, in the form of the Mechanized Exoskeleton Cybersuit ([[MEC suit (EU2012)|MEC Suit]]). MECs can't carry regular [[Equipment (EU2012)|items]] but the MEC Suit offers a choice of two different Tactical Subsystems at each tier level.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[Minigun (EU2012)|Minigun]], [[Railgun (EU2012)|Railgun]] and [[Particle Cannon (EU2012)|Particle Cannon]].
:'''Tactical Subsystems:'''
::[[MEC-1 Warden (EU2012)|MEC-1 Warden]]: Kinetic Strike Module or Flamethrower
::[[MEC-2 Sentinel (EU2012)|MEC-2 Sentinel]]: Grenade Launcher or Restorative Mist
::[[MEC-3 Paladin (EU2012)|MEC-3 Paladin]]: Proximity Mine Launcher or Electro Pulse

The MEC's Ability choices are mainly divided between Fire Support or Survivability stats/abilites on each tier, giving the player the choice of either going full defence, high damage or a trade of between both.
MEC Troopers gain a total of +10 [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will through promotions.

====Abilities====
As part of the conversion process, each soldier turned into MEC will gain a bonus ability based on its former class and will retain its previous rank, replacing its previous abilities with MEC ones:
* [[File:MEC SHOCK ABSORBENT ARMOR.png|32px]] - [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]]: '''Shock-Absorbent Armor''' - ''Damage received from enemies within 4 tiles is reduced by 33%.''
* [[File:MEC BODY SHIELD.png|32px]] - [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] - '''Body Shield''' - ''The nearest visible enemy suffers -20 Aim and cannot critically hit this unit.''
* [[File:MEC PLATFORM STABILITY.png|32px]] - [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]]: '''Platform Stability''' - ''Any shots taken without moving have +10 Aim and +10% critical chance.''
* [[File:MEC DISTORTION FIELD.png|32px]] - [[Support (EU2012)|Support]]: '''Distortion Field''' - ''Nearby allies in cover receive +10 Defense.''

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
![[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:MEC COLLATERAL DAMAGE.png|32px|center]]'''Collateral Damage''' ''Area of effect attack that destroys most cover and hits all eligible targets for 34% damage. This attack cannot cause critical hits.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| [[File:MEC ADVANCED FIRE CONTROL.png|32px|center]]'''Advanced Fire Control''' ''Shots from Overwatch no longer suffer any Aim penalty.''
| [[File:MEC AUTOMATED THREAT ASSESSMENT.png|32px|center]]'''Automated Threat Assessment''' ''Confers +15 Defense when in Overwatch.''
|- align="center"
![[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:MEC VITAL POINT TARGETING.png|32px|center]]'''Vital-Point Targeting''' ''Confers 2 bonus damage against targets that have been autopsied.''
| [[File:MEC DAMAGE CONTROL.png|32px|center]]'''Damage Control''' ''When the MEC takes damage, all further damage will be reduced by 2 on the following 2 turns''.
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:MEC JET BOOT MODULE.png|32px|center]]'''Jet Boot Module''' ''When activated, confers the ability to jump to normally inaccessible heights for the rest of the turn. Has an unlisted 1-turn cooldown.''
| [[File:MEC ONE FOR ALL.png|32px|center]]'''One For All''' ''When activated, the MEC becomes a high cover element. Moving or using an arm-based weapon will return the MEC to standard posture.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:MEC REPAIR SERVOS.png|32px|center]]'''Repair Servos''' ''Confers 2 health recovery at the start of each turn. A total of 6 health can be regenerated per battle.''
| [[File:MEC EXPANDED STORAGE.png|32px|center]]'''Expanded Storage''' ''Allows additional uses of Restorative Mist, Grenade Launcher and Proximity Mine Launcher in each mission, and increases primary weapon base ammo by 50%.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:MEC OVERDRIVE.png|32px|center]]'''Overdrive''' ''Firing the MEC's primary weapon as the first action no longer ends the turn.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:MEC ABSORTION FIELDS.png|32px|center]]'''Absortion Fields''' ''Any hit that makes 33% more damage to the MEC's maximum health is reduced to that number.''
| [[File:MEC REACTIVE TARGETING SENSORS.png|32px|center]]'''Reactive Targeting Sensors''' ''MEC gets a free shot back at the first enemy who attacks the MEC each turn, providing there's enough ammo do to so.''
|}

====Tips & Trix====
* MEC Troopers can be created from any [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] above rookie rank, but they'll lose all [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] they previously had. For example, if player sacrifices a Sergeant-ranked soldier, he/she would get a Sergeant-ranked MEC, along with the ability to choose skills from the first three ranks.
* A MEC Trooper who is converted will retain their stats from before conversion, meaning you may want to put off augmenting your (non-Heavy) soldiers until already high ranked, since the Support, Assault and Sniper classes have better stat progression than the MEC Trooper class.
** Heavies are best augmented at Lieutenant rank to ensure additional stats, especially with Second Wave options enabled.
* The [[Cybernetics Lab (EU2012)|Cybernetics Lab]] can augment 3 soldiers at a time and it costs §10 and 10 [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] units. The process takes 3 days and soldiers will lose all [[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]] when augmented. The process is irreversible. Take note that wounded soldiers can also be augmented.
*Any soldiers tested positive with [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] ability are automatically excluded from MEC conversion, and MEC soldiers can not be tested whether or not they are gifted.
*Any [[Medals (EU2012)|medals]] given will remain after conversion, and MEC soldiers can still be awarded medals (remember that a MEC can't go into cover, so giving it the defensive bonus while in cover is pointless).
* If the damage suffered is in excess of the [[MEC Suit (EU2012)|MEC Suit]]'s HPs then the soldier will have to endure wound recovery time.
* If the MEC Trooper is killed, the MEC Suit has to be repaired with small cost.
* MECs are very expensive to purchase, costing up to 200 [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] to create a MEC and equip it with the most advanced [[MEC-3 Paladin (EU2012)|MEC Suit]].
* MEC Suits came with the [[Minigun (EU2012)|Minigun]] as its default Primary Weapon: more advanced primary weapons need to be manufactured in [[Engineering (EU2012)|Engineering]] before being deployed.
* They are immune to fire, strangulation, and poison but can still be psi attacked (and mind controlled) by Psionic units.
* MEC Troopers can be healed with [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikits]], [[MEC-2 Sentinel (EU2012)|Restorative Mist]], [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved Arc Thrower|Improved Arc Thrower]] and by captured [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]]. Repairing with Arc Throwers is arguably more efficient, since if you don't stun any enemies, an Arc Thrower could be used to heal your MECs and save Medikits for your other soldiers. Deep Pockets will increase Arc Thrower usage to three, which could allow for seven healing uses between Field Medic and Medikits.
* MECs can't use [[Cover (EU2012)|Cover]] (so they can't be flanked). To compensate that they have '''Hardened''' ability present on [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]] and alien robotic units that gives increased protection against critical hits.
* MECs can climb over half cover berms and up ledges, but are too heavy to use ladders and drainpipes to scale buildings, they can however use alien grav lifts.
* MECs rely on the [[Foundry (EU2012)|Foundry]] for several essential upgrades through different projects:
** Mobility: [[Foundry (EU2012)#Advanced Servomotors|Advanced Servomotors]] - gives additional movement.
** Armor: [[Foundry (EU2012)#Shaped Armor|Shaped Armor]] - gives 3 additional HPs.
** Flamethrower: [[Foundry (EU2012)#Elerium Jelly|Elerium Jelly]] - increases weapon's damage from 6 to 9.
** Kinetic Strike Module: [[Foundry (EU2012)#MEC Close Combat|MEC Close Combat]] - increases weapon's damage from 12 to 18 and using the Kinetic Strike as first action doesn't automatically end the MEC's turn.
* MEC Troopers get monotone, Robocop-esque voice.
<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
===Tactical Subsystems===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=130px |[[File:MEC-1 (EU2012).png|30px]] '''MEC-1 Warden'''
|[[File:MEC FLAMETHROWER.png|32px]] '''Flamethrower''' vs '''Kinetic Strike Module''' [[File:MEC KINETIC STRIKE MODULE.png|32px]]
|}
*These are both short range weapons and useful in similar situations, so the choice is mostly down to personal taste.
* The Flamethrower is more effective against many weak units, while Kinetic Strike is more useful for taking down single tough units. If you don't intend to be close enough to use either most of the time, then take Kinetic Strike for the bonus mobility.
*Both the Kinetic Strike and the Flamethrower do not work against airborne enemies.

'''Flamethrower'''
*The Flamethrower's biggest perk is that it can strike multiple enemies, and with much more area of effect and greater damage than grenades, though it has a limited number of uses per mission.
*The high damage output of 6 means that Sectoids, Floaters, Thin Men, and Outsiders will be killed with a discharge of the Flamethrower. Later, after developing the [[Foundry (EU2012)#Elerium Jelly|Elerium Jelly]] project, the damage from fire is increased to 9, allowing it to kill Mutons and Chryssalids, and severely damage other alien species or EXALT troops.
*Robotic enemies are immune to flamethrowers. This includes both other MEC Troopers and [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]].

'''Kinetic Strike Module'''
*The Kinetic Strike Module (KSM) offers custom kill animations on [[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoids]], [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]], and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], and has unlimited uses.
*Use caution when striking Sectopods: they're not knocked back and their death explosion will do 5 damage to the area nearby.
*Anything else gets sent flying about 5 squares, often causing collateral damage to any structure it hits.
**Vehicles explode instantly to flying bodies. On occasion, you might be able to take advantage of this to do combos.
**Cyberdiscs will be knocked back and ''then'' explode. Be careful not to accidentally punch one at an ally.
*Be careful not to destroy an ally's cover when striking an alien as the last act of your turn.
*Unlike the Berserker and the [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]], you cannot strike from a diagonal square; you must be in one of the 4 adjacent squares to your target.
*Besides increasing its damage output from 12 to 18, the Foundry's [[Foundry (EU2012)#MEC Close Combat|MEC Close Combat]] project allows the MEC to use the KSM as first action and move afterwards.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=130px |[[File:MEC-2 (EU2012).png|30px]] '''MEC-2 Sentinel'''
|[[File:MEC GRENADE LAUNCHER.png|32px]] '''Grenade Launcher''' vs '''Restorative Mist''' [[File:MEC RESTORATIVE MIST.png|32px]]
|}
* A choice of offense vs defense.
* Both benefit from the MEC Trooper having the '''Extended Storage''' ability, giving each 1 more use, for a total of 3 grenades or 2 Mists.
'''Grenade Launcher'''
*Note that MECs already have a cover destroying area effect attack in Collateral Damage, but Grenade Launcher has a longer range, wider area of effect, and doesn't use your ammo clip.
**The grenades deal 4 damage but this can be upgraded to 5 through the Foundry's [[Foundry (EU2012)#Alien Grenades|Alien Grenades]] project.
**Grenades are fired in a ballistic arc, so can hit enemies behind terrain and on roofs that are out of direct line of sight.
*The Grenade Launcher is a great combination with the Proximity Mine Launcher for a Fire Support MEC that engages enemies from distance.
'''Restorative Mist'''
*Restorative Mist works on the user as well as any surrounding units within a circle.
**The Mist heals up to 4 damage but this can be upgraded to 6 through the Foundry's [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved Medikit|Improved Medikit]] project.
*Due to its limited use it is more efficient to apply Restorative Mist to heal several soldiers at once, rather than just the MEC Trooper carrying it. A single use of the Mist on the entire squad can heal up to 24 or more HPs.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=130px |[[File:MEC-3 (EU2012).png|30px]] '''MEC-3 Paladin'''
|[[File:MEC PROXIMITY MINE.png|32px]] '''Proximity Mine Launcher''' vs '''Electro Pulse''' [[File:MEC ELECTRO PULSE.png|32px]]
|}
'''Proximity Mine Launcher'''
* Proximity Mine Launcher is a more broadly applicable tactical weapon. Can be used on enemies that are out of sight, especially groups of inactive aliens that have been spotted by another soldier made invisible through [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]], [[Ghost Grenade (EU2012)|Ghost Grenade]] or [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Mimetic Skin|Mimetic Skin]].
** There was a game-crashing bug if an enemy sky dropped on to a Proximity Mine, which has been fixed.
* The mines can be set off by other explosions, such as grenades or rockets allowing for nice damage combos.
'''Electro Pulse'''
* Electro Pulse would be most useful for a MEC that likes to get up close and personal. Robots, particularly Sectopods, can do tremendous damage if left up, so the ability to stun them is quite useful in the event you can't kill them on the turn you see them.
** Sectopods that have prepped a Cluster Bomb will not be stopped from unleashing it if they are stunned with Electro Pulse.

===Bonus Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:CLASS ASSAULT.png|30px]] '''Assault'''
|[[File:MEC SHOCK ABSORBENT ARMOR.png|32px]] '''Shock-Absorbent Armor'''
|}
* The Assault's '''Shock-Absorbent Armor''' works well with a close combat oriented MEC, and helps to protect against melee enemies.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:CLASS HEAVY.png|30px]] '''Heavy'''
|[[File:MEC BODY SHIELD.png|32px]] '''Body Shield'''
|}
* The Heavy's '''Body Shield''' is the most generically useful defensive ability, giving the MEC good protection from a single unit, but it won't help much if you let your MEC get swarmed. It also won't help much against melee attacks, since they automatically hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:CLASS SNIPER.png|30px]] '''Sniper'''
|[[File:MEC PLATFORM STABILITY.png|32px]] '''Platform Stability'''
|}
* The Sniper's '''Platform Stability''' is great for a fire support MEC, and becomes especially powerful once the MEC gains '''Overdrive''' and can use its first move action to fire.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:CLASS SUPPORT.png|30px]] '''Support'''
|[[File:MEC DISTORTION FIELD.png|32px]] '''Distortion Field'''
|}
* The Support's '''Distortion Field''' is a strong defensive buff for nearby troopers, but doesn't help the MEC itself since it doesn't use cover.
* Does not stack if a soldier is in two or more defensive fields of several MECs.

=== Abilities ===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|[[File:MEC ADVANCED FIRE CONTROL.png|32px]] '''Advanced Fire Control''' vs '''Automated Threat Assessment''' [[File:MEC AUTOMATED THREAT ASSESSMENT.png|32px]]
|}
'''Advanced Fire Control'''
* Advanced Fire Control is the most useful of both abilities, specially on a MEC Trooper with '''Reactive Targeting Sensors'''.

'''Automated Threat Assessment'''
* Automated Threat Assessment is cancelled when the the MEC fires, which makes it dubiously useful.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|[[File:MEC VITAL POINT TARGETING.png|32px]] '''Vital Point Targeting''' vs '''Damage Control''' [[File:MEC DAMAGE CONTROL.png|32px]]
|}
'''Vital Point Targeting'''
* Vital-Point Targeting also confers bonus against [[EXALT (EU2012)|EXALT]] units.
* This ability works either for Fire Support or Close Assault MECs.

'''Damage Control'''
* Damage Control is also suited for Close Assault MECs that are on the midst of a prolonged engagement.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|[[File:MEC JET BOOT MODULE.png|32px]] '''Jet Boot Module''' vs '''One For All''' [[File:MEC ONE FOR ALL.png|32px]]
|}
*One For All and Jet Boots are free actions with unlimited uses, but can't be used after the MEC has spent both of its actions.

'''Jet Boot Module'''
*MECs can't climb ladders or drainpipes, so if you want your MEC to be able to get on top of buildings Jet Boots is the only way.
*Jet Boots are more suited for Close Assault MECs, who need a lot of mobility to survive. But they can also be used by Fire Support MECs to gain height advantage when firing their primary weapon at targets.

'''One For All'''
*One For All can be used as "emergency cover". If a soldier is flanked by enemies and can't move (or you don't want to move), you can move your MEC to them and One For All to give them cover.
*Restorative Mist, Grenade Launcher, Proximity Mines and Electro Pulse can be used while a MEC uses One For All and not end the ability.
*If Reactive Targeting Sensors is taken, a MEC using One For All will deactivate One For All when fired upon, leaving any soldiers using the MEC for cover exposed.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|[[File:MEC REPAIR SERVOS.png|32px]] '''Repair Servos''' vs '''Expanded Storage''' [[File:MEC EXPANDED STORAGE.png|32px]]
|}

'''Repair Servos'''
* Repair Servos are the most likely choice for a Close Assault MEC since it will allow it to restore some HPs during a prolonged fight without having to pull back for healing.

'''Expanded Storage'''
* A Fire Support or a MEC with Restorative Mist will likely want Expanded Storage, since with [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved Medikit|Improved Medikit]] that gives the same amount of healing as Repair Servos just on the MEC itself, though you may find some value in Repair Servos not needing to spend an action.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK MAJOR.png|30px]] '''Major'''
|[[File:MEC OVERDRIVE.png|32px]] '''Overdrive'''
|}
'''Overdrive'''
*'''Collateral Damage''' does not count for this ability, and will end the turn if used as the first action.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|[[File:MEC ABSORTION FIELDS.png|32px]] '''Absorption Fields''' vs '''Reactive Targeting Sensors''' [[File:MEC REACTIVE TARGETING SENSORS.png|32px]]
|}
'''Absorption Fields'''
*Given that a Colonel-level MEC Trooper is probably piloting a [[MEC-3 Paladin (EU2012)|Paladin MEC]], they'll have 26 HP (29 with [[Foundry (EU2012)#Shaped Armor|Shaped Armor]]), this means that only attacks that do more than 8-9 damage will be affected by Absorption Fields, which essentially means it'll only trigger against critical hits, which MECs rarely take anyways, or [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], which do 10 Damage, so you're only saving 1 HP.
**However, Paladins are very expensive, costing 200 Meld to build. If you have other MECs at Colonel, and not enough Paladins to go around, Absorption Fields might just be the thing to compensate for that loss of Health.

'''Reactive Targeting Sensors'''
*Reactive Targeting Sensors will activate even if the MEC is not on [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], which can be useful for Dashing or Meld scouting without having to save an action for Overwatch.
**A MEC with this ability can effectively have two Overwatch shots. If an enemy moves before the MEC is attacked, the MEC will use its Overwatch first and Reactive Targeting Sensors second if the MEC is attacked afterwards.
*Reactive Targeting Sensors will even activate against targets that failed to Mind Control the MEC Trooper; a pseudo-form of [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Neural Feedback|Neural Feedback]].
*Advanced Fire Control makes Reactive Targeting Sensors even more useful as a MEC can fire without aim penalty.

==See Also==
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Mechs (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Covert Operations (EU2012)

2013-12-13T22:53:45Z

Leman Russ: /* EXALT Base Location */

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[Image:Security Breach Trailer 1 (EU2012).png|right|300px|Security Breach Trailer]]
#EXALT operates with cells. Initiate covert ops missions to neutralize individual cells. Eliminating those cells will recover intel you will need to locate the EXALT base.
#EXALT cells are not always visible. Purchase an intel scan to reveal them. Hidden cells can hurt XCOM or the countries they are operating in.
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}
 

To stop a revealed EXALT cell, XCOM may perform a Covert Operation on the country where the cell is based. There are two types of Covert Missions, [[Covert Extraction (EU2012)|Covert Extraction]] and [[Covert Data Recovery (EU2012)|Covert Data Recovery]], with about 10 [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] for each type (20 total). There's no [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] present in Covert Missions maps. There is also no way to know which type of tactical mission you will have at the end.

The mission consists of two parts, first the insertion of one of XCOM's soldiers as a [[Covert Operative (EU2012)|Covert Operative]] (through the [[Situation Room (EU2012)|Situation Room]]) and later 7 days later its extraction through a tactical [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]]. If the tactical mission is ignored after the XCOM [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] is inserted, the Covert Operative will be lost. If the Covert Mission is a failure the EXALT cell will disappear and go into hiding into another country.

Besides elimination of the EXALT cell, success in the mission will provide a clue about the location of the EXALT base, and -1 Panic to that country.

====EXALT Base Location====
Every successful mission where you recover EXALT intel will give a clue about the EXALT Base. In the Covert Operations menu, you can see the clues, as well as markings on the countries that have been ruled out (and don't worry: it's automatic, so you don't need to hit Wikipedia for population statistics or Civ 5's civilizations) Once you get 3 clues you may make an accusation (raid) against a country. If the accusation is correct then you'll be able to [[EXALT Base Raid (EU2012)|assault]] their base and end their menace for good.

If you're wrong the country will leave the [[The Council (EU2012)|Council]]. You can get additional clues to narrow it to a single country.

If you accuse a country which already left the Council, the penalty for guessing wrong is a continent-wide panic increase.

Note though, that while 3 clues acquired will allow you to assault the base, with three clues gained, you will have eliminated only half the countries, leaving eight to choose from. It will take approximately 7 or 8 clues total to eliminate all the countries except one.

'''EXALT Base Clues'''
*The EXALT base is not in the United States.
*The EXALT base is not in Canada.
*The EXALT base is not in Mexico.
*The EXALT base is not in the United Kingdom.
*The EXALT base is not in Russia.
*The EXALT base is not in France.
*The EXALT base is not in Germany.
*The EXALT base is not in China.
*The EXALT base is not in Japan.
*The EXALT base is not in India.
*The EXALT base is not in Australia.
*The EXALT base is not in Argentina.
*The EXALT base is not in Brazil.
*The EXALT base is not in Egypt.
*The EXALT base is not in South Africa.
*The EXALT base is not in Nigeria.
*The EXALT base is not in an English speaking country. (is not USA, UK, Canada and Australia)
*The EXALT base is not in an island country. (not Australia, Japan or UK)
*The EXALT base is east of the Atlantic Ocean. (is not USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina)
*The EXALT base is not in North America.
*The EXALT base is not in Asia.
*The EXALT base is not in Europe.
*The EXALT base is not in South America.
*The EXALT base is not in Africa.
*The EXALT base is not in a country with any territory in the Arctic Circle. (is not USA, Canada or Russia)
*The EXALT base is not in one of the world's 5 most populous countries. (is not China, India, USA or Brazil - the missing one is Indonesia, in case you're asking)
*The EXALT base is not in one of the two Cold War superpowers. (is not USA or Russia)
*The EXALT base is in a country you can play in Civilization 5. (is not Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Nigeria or Australia)
 
<noinclude>
{{EXALT (EU2012)}}
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: EXALT (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Missions (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Foundry (EU2012)

2013-12-09T23:02:52Z

Leman Russ: /* Alien Grenades */

[[Image:Foundry.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Foundry.]]

The Foundry allows for item upgrades similar to the [[Officer Training School (EU2012)|Officer Training School]]. Unlike the OTS, Foundry projects take time to complete similar to research projects. Additionally, several Foundry projects benefit from various [[Research (EU2012)#Research Credits|Research Credits]]. Also, take note that, unlike [[Research (EU2012)|Research]] projects, multiple Foundry projects can be run at the same time (they will not affect each other's time requirement).

In the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], the Foundry counts as a [[Workshop (EU2012)|Workshop]] for Adjacency Bonus purposes.

==Construction==
The Foundry must be constructed in the [[XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)|HQ]] in order to be accessed. Cost and Time are based off 5 Engineers on Classic [[Difficulty (EU2012)|difficulty]].
Also note that all Foundry Improvements require the continued existence of the Foundry itself to be maintained, even after they were purchased.

*Cost: 3 Power, §75
*Time: 10 days
*Maintenance: $20/month

==Future Combat Bonus==
If the [[XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)|XCOM bas]]e is located in Asia or by providing Asia with full [[Satellite (EU2012)|satellite]] coverage, commanders are granted the continent bonus '''Future Combat'''. This bonus reduces most of the resource requirements for Foundry projects by 50%. However, the requirements for [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]], Corpses, Engineers, and base items to be improved upon (i.e. [[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]]) remain static.

==Foundry Projects==
===S.H.I.V.s===
====Heavy Weapons Platform ([[S.H.I.V._(EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]])====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Heavy Weapons Platform Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Experimental Warfare (EU2012)|Experimental Warfare]]
| align="center" |§70
| align="center" |5 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" |7 days
| align="center" |Basic [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] becomes available in [[Engineering (EU2012)|Engineering]]
| align="center" |''The 'Super Heavy Infantry Vehicle' is an unmanned combat drone that could take the place of an XCOM soldier. Once this project is completed, we can begin building S.H.I.V. units in Engineering.''
|}
*This unlocks S.H.I.V.s in general: the [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)#Alloy S.H.I.V.|Alloy S.H.I.V.]] requires that the [[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace Armor]] research ''also'' be completed, and these ''plus'' the [[Firestorm (EU2012)|Firestorm]] research tree for the [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)#Hover S.H.I.V.|Hover S.H.I.V.]] (i.e., the latter two are '''not''' additional Research/Foundry projects).
====S.H.I.V. Suppression====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:S.H.I.V. Suppression Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Foundry''':[[Foundry (EU2012)#Heavy Weapons Platform (S.H.I.V.)|Heavy Weapons Platform]]
| align="center" | §40
| align="center" | 15 Engineers
| align="center" | ?
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Allow [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] suppressive fire
| align="center" | ''With a fairly extensive hardware and software upgrade, our S.H.I.V. units would be capable of [[Suppression (EU2012)|suppressive fire]], letting them pin enemy targets down under a hail of bullets.''
|}
*Effectively the same as a [[Support (EU2012)|Support]]/[[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]]'s Suppression ability.
====S.H.I.V. Laser====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Heavy Lasers Research (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Foundry''': [[Foundry (EU2012)#Heavy Weapons Platform (S.H.I.V.)|Heavy Weapons Platform]] '''Research''': [[Heavy Lasers (EU2012)|Heavy Lasers]]
| align="center" | §100 30 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 15 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 10 Engineers
| align="center" | Beam Weapons, All Weapons
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] minigun replaced with laser version
| align="center" | ''Now that we can produce high output laser weapons, we could swap out the conventional minigun our S.H.I.V. units currently use in favor of a laser cannon.''
|}
*Naturally, if your play style includes even some S.H.I.V. usage, this should be gotten at earliest opportunity.
*Also adds +10 aim to S.H.I.V.
====S.H.I.V. Plasma====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
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! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Plasma Cannon Research (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Foundry''': [[Foundry (EU2012)#Heavy Weapons Platform (S.H.I.V.)|Heavy Weapons Platform]] '''Research''': [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]]
| align="center" | §200 30 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 45 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 30 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 20 Engineers
| align="center" | Plasma Weaponry All Weapons
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] minigun replaced with plasma version
| align="center" | ''Now that we can produce heavy plasma weapons, we could adapt our S.H.I.V. units' armament with this technology and dramatically increase their firepower.''
|}
* As with the S.H.I.V. Laser, this should be gotten at earliest opportunity if you use them. If not: the 30 fragments price makes it unimportant. Does not require the Laser upgrade to be completed first.
*Confers additional +15 aim to S.H.I.V.

====S.H.I.V. Repair====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:S.H.I.V. Repair Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Foundry''': [[Foundry (EU2012)#Heavy Weapons Platform (S.H.I.V.)|Heavy Weapons Platform]] '''Research''': [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] and [[EMP Cannon (EU2012)|EMP Cannon]]
| align="center" | §70 15 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 15 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 10 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Allows soldiers to repair [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] units with [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]]. On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|EW DLC]] MECs can also be repaired.
| align="center" | ''As our understanding of alien materials grows, we believe that we can develop processes that would reduce the repair times of our fighter craft and S.H.I.V. units significantly.''
|}
* Again, a possible priority for S.H.I.V. users, if you cannot hack [[Drone (EU2012)|Drone]] for whatever reason (none available, can't get to them, etc).

===Weapons/Equipment===
====Improved Pistol I====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Improved Pistol I Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Experimental Warfare (EU2012)|Experimental Warfare]]
| align="center" | §75
| align="center" | 5 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 5 Engineers
| align="center" | All Weapons
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | All pistols [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|Critical Chance]] increased by 10%
| align="center" | ''One of our earliest developments in the Foundry, the Magnetic Ordnance Reduction System greatly reduces the recoil of our entire range of sidearms. Utilizing the latest in composite materials, this upgrade will significantly improve the odds of our soldiers scoring critical hits on their on their targets.''
|}
* This upgrade gets added even though it is not mentioned in the critical column.
====Improved Pistol II====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Improved Pistol II Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Beam Weapons (EU2012)|Beam Weapons]]
| align="center" | §150 20 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 25 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 10 Engineers
| align="center" | All Weapons
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Increases all pistols Aim by 10%
| align="center" | ''We've started testing an experimental cryogenic treatment for the barrels of our existing sidearm designs. This process will greatly reduce heat distortions caused by repeated firing, which should increase the aim of all soldiers using a pistol.''
|}
*According to findings in the game code this upgrade is ineffective. Unclear if this bug has been solved on the Enemy Within DLC.
====Improved Pistol III====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Improved Pistol III Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]]
| align="center" | §250 20 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 20 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 50 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 20 Engineers
| align="center" | All Weapons
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | All pistols Damage increased by 1
| align="center" | ''Having learned a great deal from the alien weapons recovered from the field, we think it should be possible to implement improvements across our entire range of side arms. At the very least, we can expect an increase in the maximum damage output of all of our pistols.''
|}
*To a '''Gunslinger''' [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]] with a Plasma Pistol, this totals to a respectable base damage of 6. Plus the other two Pistol upgrades, this turns their pistols into decent holdout weapons.
====[[S.C.O.P.E._(EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] Upgrade====
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! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:SCOPE Upgrade Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]]
| align="center" | §75
| align="center" | 15 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 10 Engineers
| align="center" | Beam Weapons
| align="center" | 7 Days
| align="center" | Increases [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]]'s [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|Critical Chance]] by 10%
| align="center" | ''The portable targeting module called 'S.C.O.P.E.' could be upgraded to highlight sensitive points on the enemy targets. We believe that the chance of critical shots would increase accordingly.''
|}
*The item and upgrade of choice for a [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]].
*This upgrade gets added even though it is not mentioned in the critical column.
====[[Alien_Grenade_(EU2012)|Alien Grenades]] ====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Alien Grenades Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Salvage''': [[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]]
| align="center" | §75 10 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 25 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 1x [[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]] 20 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 20 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Alien Grenades will become available in unlimited quantity
| align="center" | ''We've had a look at the intact alien grenade you recovered, and with a small investment of resources and time we believe that we can upgrade all of our current frag grenades to this new, deadlier version.''
|}
* On EU this upgrade is often fairly irrelevant. Assuming you stun-capture a [[Muton (EU2012)|Muton]], [[Heavy Floater (EU2012)|Heavy Floater]], and a [[Muton Elite (EU2012)|Muton Elite]], you'll get three Alien Grenades, which is more than enough for most teams: your money, Elerium, alloys, and especially fragments are best spent elsewhere.
* On the Enemy Within DLC the 2 items allowed by Tactical Rigging can make it more useful if you're planning to use a lot of grenades. Furthermore, any MEC Trooper with a Grenade Launcher equipped will do more damage with the grenades with Alien Grenades researched.

====Improved [[Medikit_(EU2012)|Medikit]]====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Improved Medikit Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Thin Man Autopsy (EU2012)|Thin Man Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §125
| align="center" | 4 [[Thin Man Corpse (EU2012)|Thin Man Corpse]] 20 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 15 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Healing delivered by a single [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikit]] charge increased from 4 to 6
| align="center" | ''The flexible physiology of the [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]] has given us new ideas for improving our Medikits. We now believe we can increase by 50% the amount of healing delivered in a single charge.''
|}
*For your Medic [[Support_(EU2012)|Support]], this can either be an alternative to the '''Savior''' Ability (additional 4 pts per heal), or in conjunction with it, for a total of 10 pt heals per use. Plus '''Field Medic''', that's up to 30 HP a mission.
**In Enemy Within, the MEC-2 Sentinel's Restorative Mist also benefits from this upgrade, and perhaps even makes better use of it, give it is an area-of-effect heal, meaning a single charge could theoretically heal 36 total damage (6 on each member of the Squad).

====Improved [[Arc_Thrower_(EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] ====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Improved Arc Thrower Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] and [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | §100 20 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 20 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 4 [[Drone Wreck (EU2012)|Drone Wreck]] 20x [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 10 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Aliens up to 6 HP can be successfully stunned
| align="center" | ''By increasing the power of our Arc Throwers, we should increase the successful stun rate in combat.''
|}
*Very useful for late-game captures: your more powerful weapons will weaken stronger aliens, but probably won't be able to "stop on a dime" and leave them at 1-3 HP (and will kill them outright instead), but Mindfray takes off a whole 5 pt bar of HP each time, which in whole gives you some room for making any last captures.
*Before this upgrade: 3,2,1 HP -> 70,80,90% chance. After: 6,5,4,3,2,1 HP -> 70,80,90,95,95,95% chance.
====[[Drone (EU2012)|Drone]] Capture====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Drone Autopsy Research (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]], [[Drone Autopsy (EU2012)|Drone Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §175
| align="center" | 4 [[Drone Wreck (EU2012)|Drone Wreck]] 20 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 10 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Allows Arc Thrower to hack control of [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]]
| align="center" | ''We're confident that our Arc Throwers could be upgraded to allow the capture of enemy drones, giving us control of the flying drones for the remainder of the combat mission.''
|}
*Captured drone is controllable by the squad for the remainder of the mission (flying scout, 2 damage weapon, repair S.H.I.V. and other Drones, self-destruct). Still requires close proximity and consumes one use of an Arc Thrower.
====Ammo Conservation====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Ammo Conservation Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Muton Autopsy (EU2012)|Muton Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §150 90 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 6 [[Muton Corpse (EU2012)|Muton Corpse]] 20 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 15 Engineers
| align="center" | Beam Weapons
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | All weapons can be fired twice as many times before reloading
| align="center" | ''[[Muton (EU2012)|Muton]] armor contains servomotors that function as automatic weapon loaders, allowing their weapons to carry more ammunition without requiring the soldier to pause for a full reload. We could apply some of the same techniques to our own weapons.''
|}
*This is one of the single most important soldier upgrades you can buy from the Foundry, and perhaps in the game. As aliens get tougher and need more shots to put down, reloading puts you at more and more risk.
===Miscellaneous===
====Advanced Repair====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Advanced Repair Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Heavy Floater Autopsy (EU2012)|Heavy Floater Autopsy ]]
| align="center" | §175 10 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 30 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 4 [[Heavy Floater Corpse (EU2012)|Heavy Floater Corpse]] 20 Engineers
| align="center" | ?
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Improves repair rate of [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]] and [[Hangar (EU2012)#Crafts|aircraft]]
| align="center" | ''As our understanding of alien materials grows, we believe that we can develop processes that would reduce the repair times of our fighter craft and S.H.I.V. units significantly.''
|}
*Not too expensive, but depending on your luck with where/when UFOs appear, you may or may not need this. The big drawback is that by the time Heavy Floaters begin to appear, you'll probably have [[Firestorm (EU2012)|Firestorm]]s and Plasma Weapons, and not be too burdened by repair times.
*On the other hand, if you're using a lot of SHIVs, this can help keep them ready for the next mission, meaning you need less overall.

====Advanced Flight====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Archangel Armor Research (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]]
| align="center" | §325 50 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 50 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 2 [[Heavy Floater Corpse (EU2012)|Heavy Floater Corpse]] 2 [[Drone (EU2012)|Drone Wreck]] 2 [[Cyberdisc Wreck (EU2012)|Cyberdisc Wreck]] 25 Engineers
| align="center" | Flight
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Doubles fuel for Archangel Armor from 6 to 12, and [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)#Hover S.H.I.V.|Hover S.H.I.V.]] from 12 to 24
| align="center" | ''We believe that we can improve the small system flight capabilities of the Archangel Armor and the Hover S.H.I.V. designs, considerably increasing their maximum flight time in combat.''
|}
*As Archangel Armor is the suit of choice for [[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]], especially ones with Squad Sight, the additional moves are appreciable.
====Advanced Construction====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Advanced Construction Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Sectopod Autopsy (EU2012)|Sectopod Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §375 50 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 30 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 2 [[Sectopod Wreck (EU2012)|Sectopod Wreck]] 20 [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] 30 Engineers
| align="center" | ?
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Allows you to construct facilities in half time for double cost
| align="center" | ''The advanced fabrication processes that the aliens used to build this Sectopod could be repurposed to accelerate XCOM's vehicle and facility construction. At a significant cost, of course.''
|}
*A very late-game upgrade, the most use you will have left from this is filling out your [[Firestorm (EU2012)|Firestorm]] fleet, and, if you feel the need, reorganizing your base facilities in short order.
* It is toggled when facility/item is ordered, option will be named "Rush construction: ON/OFF"
====Stealth [[Satellite (EU2012)|Satellites]]====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Stealth Satellites Foundry (EU2012).png|128px]]
| align="center" | '''Research''': [[Alien Nav Computer (EU2012)|Alien Nav Computer]]
| align="center" | §150 20 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] 20 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" | 3 [[UFO Flight Computer (EU2012)|UFO Flight Computer]] 20 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 Days
| align="center" | Makes [[Satellite (EU2012)|Satellites]] harder to detect by [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]]
| align="center" | ''By studying the communication signatures of the UFO nav computers we've recovered, we could update our satellite network to mimic the alien communications. This would make the satellites much harder to detect if the aliens were to go looking for them.''
|}
*As long as you shoot down a UFO, it won't spawn a [[Battleship (EU2012)|Battleship]] that will attempt to destroy your satellites (which they will then seem to do with regular success anyways). Those flight computers would be of better use on [[Firestorm (EU2012)|Firestorm]]s.
===[[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]]===
====Tactical Rigging====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:TACTICAL RIGGING FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|Tactical Rigging]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Experimental Warfare (EU2012)|Experimental Warfare]]
| align="center" | §200
| align="center" | 5 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 Days
| align="center" | Gives all [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] 2 [[Equipment (EU2012)|item]] slots
| align="center" | ''Increasing need for tactical flexibility has driven us to develop tactical rigs that apply to all of XCOM's individual soldier protection systems. These will enable soldiers to bring a second item into battle.''
|}

* One of the most important upgrade in Enemy Within; it basically gives the original Deep Pockets ability to everyone you have. Being able to carry two items makes certain items, such as the [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shield]], significantly more attractive.
* It's also a great way to make sure you always have someone to patch up a critically wounded squad mate, even if its the Medic who got dropped.
* If you don't know what to give a soldier in his second slot, you can almost never go wrong with a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] or a [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikit]].

====Sentinel Drone====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:SENTINEL DRONE FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|Sentinel Drone]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Drone Autopsy (EU2012)|Drone Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §80 20 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 10 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 10 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 7 days
| align="center" | Repairs 2 HP per turn. Gives [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]] an [[Abilities (EU2012)|ability]] akin to [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]]'s Close Combat Specialist
| align="center" | ''We've been able to adapt an alien drone into a repair module for the SHIV. While we had to sacrifice its autonomous movement functions, we've been able to retain its repair capability and use its spare AI cycles to improve the SHIV's situational firing heuristics.''
|}
====Shaped Armor====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:SHAPED ARMOR FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|Shaped Armor]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Mechtoid Autopsy (EU2012)|Mechtoid Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §300 40 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 20 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 20 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" | Increases [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MECs]] and [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] stats by 3 HP
| align="center" | ''The invaders' mechanized cybersuits are of course somewhat more advanced than our own; by examining the interfaces between the armored shells and the cores, we could improve our overall armor design. This has the potential to increase tactical survivability for all of our mechanized forces.''
|}

* 3 HP might not sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference on MECs, given how much fire they tend to attract. It's less important if you're only using S.H.I.V.s, since they're replaceable.
* If you're using this with S.H.I.V.s, this will extend the repair time because they can lose more HP before dying. You may want to build a few extra, or research Advanced Repair, if not both. MECs do not suffer from this downside.

====Advanced Servomotors====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:ADVANCED SERVOMOTORS FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|Advanced Servomotors]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Mechtoid Autopsy (EU2012)|Mechtoid Autopsy]]
| align="center" | §300 40 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]] 20 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" | 20 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 14 days
| align="center" |Allows extra mobility for [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MECs]] and [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] units
| align="center" |''After a careful examination we've been able to replicate the articulated joints of the [[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoid]], allowing for mobility improvements on both our cybersuits and SHIV Units.''
|}

* Basically, this is the equivalent of the Sprinter [[Abilities (EU2012)|ability]] for MECs and S.H.I.V.s. If you're using them, its a great upgrade. If you aren't, don't bother.

====Elerium Jelly====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:ELERIUM JELLY FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|Elerium Jelly]]
| align="center" |'''Research''': [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" |§200 50 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]]
| align="center" |15 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" |10 days
| align="center" |Increases Flamethrower damage from 6 to 9
| align="center" |''Using Elerium in tactical situations is quite risky; in the absence of a full sized craft's regulator and fuel management systems, adding it to our flamethrowers would be too dangerous. With some additional investment, though, we could devise a formula to increase flamethrower effectiveness without risking our soldiers.''
|}

* If you're using the Flamethrower, you should probably buy this. 9 damage is enough to one-hit a [[Muton (EU2012)|Muton]] and most [[EXALT Units (EU2012)|EXALT operatives]]. Remember: injured enemies can shoot back. Dead enemies can't.

====MEC Close Combat====
{|class="wikitable"
! width="10%" align="center" | Image
! width="10%" align="center" | Requirements
! width="7%" align="center" | Variable cost
! width="10%" align="center" | Fixed cost
! width="5%" align="center" | Research Credits applies
! width="5%" align="center" | Time
! width="10%" align="center" | Result
! width="20%" align="center" | Description
|-
| align="center" |[[Image:MEC CLOSE COMBAT FOUNDRY (EU2012).png|128px|MEC Close Combat]]
| align="center" |'''Foundry''': [[Foundry (EU2012)#Heavy Weapons Platform (S.H.I.V.)|Heavy Weapons Platform]]
| align="center" |§200 30 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alloys]]
| align="center" |5 Engineers
| align="center" |
| align="center" |7 days
| align="center" |Kinetic Strike no longer ends the MEC's turn. Increases Kinetic Strike Module's damage from 12 to 18
| align="center" |''Our advancements in heavy armor technology have enabled us to install better actuators and support structures in the Kinetic Strike Module. This should increase its force output by 50%.''
|}

*If you're using Kinetic Strike Module, this allows your MEC to one-shot most enemies in the game in melee. If you aren't, don't waste your credits.

==See Also==
{{Base Facilities (EU2012)}}

{{StyleEU2012}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Base Facilities (EU2012)]]

Meld (EU2012)

2013-12-04T04:08:02Z

Leman Russ: /* Cons */

[[Image:Meld 2 (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld Molecule]]
The '''Meld''' is an alien substance introduced on [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within]] whose precise origin and composition are unknown but which allows the [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] to perform cybernetic and genetic modifications on life forms, including humans. After its recovery from a battlefield and upon completing the necessary Research, the Meld can be used by XCOM to transform [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] into [[Mech Trooper (EU2012)|Mech Troopers]] or to perform [[Gene Mods (EU2012)|genetic augmentation]] on different parts of their bodies.

The Meld will mainly be recovered from the aliens, during Abductions or UFO missions, where there will be canisters spread around randomly on the battlefield. The containers are equipped with self-destruction devices with timers so it will be necessary to reach the canisters before time runs out to capture the substance. Explosions, and misses from any sufficiently powerful weapon may also destroy it.

Certain aliens ([[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoid]] and [[Heavy Floater (EU2012)|Heavy Floater]]) will also provide small quantities of Meld with their corpses, upon
completion of a mission.

==Tactical Advice==
The biggest question of most Commanders is, MEC Troopers or Gene Mods? Both are powerful additions to your squad and you can't go wrong with either, however there ups and downs to both. You can easily do both, however, though it will limit both.
===General===
Collecting large quantities of Meld is easy early on when Abduction Missions still occur. Once Abductions no longer happen, the amount of Meld you get falls considerably. While shot down UFOs and certain enemies provide some, it isn't nearly as much as the routine Abductions. With there usually being about 2 or 3 Abductions a month, this eventually becomes a significant amount of Meld no longer acquired.

Meld bonuses are mutually exclusive. A MEC Trooper cannot have Gene Mods, and a Gene Modded soldier will lose his or her Gene Mods if turned into a MEC, wasting the Meld already invested into the soldier. Plan accordingly.

===Gene Mods===
Gene Mods are passive powers and bonuses added to a soldier.
====Pros====
* Cheap. Fully outfitting a soldier with 5 gene mods costs between 60 and 110 Meld, depending on which Gene Mods are chosen.
** This is of course provided you don't switch mods.
* Passive. All of the Gene Mod abilities are passive bonuses which apply when certain conditions are met, meaning you don't have to make any changes to your game play.
* Same Soldier, just better. A Gene Modded Sniper is still a Sniper. You don't have to sacrifice your kick butt Sniper to make them better with your Meld.
* Adjustable. If you picked the wrong mod, found out you really don't like that mod or the mod is no longer as necessary on that soldier, you can change it.
** Be careful though as this can be expensive. It's best if you choose your mods and stick with them.
====Cons====
* Items, armors and class abilities can give some of the same perks as Gene Mods can without putting a soldier out of action for 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 days and using up Meld and Credits.
** Although in many cases, Gene Mods can add to or complement many these perks. For example, Archangel Armor and Muscle Fiber Density. The Gene Mod allows a soldier to get into the high ground just as easily as the Archangel Armor or Grappling Hook armors can, but on flatter maps, the Archangel Armor can still give you the needed height bonus.
* Time. For every mod you put on a soldier, they will be unable to do a mission for 3 days. If you stick all 5 mods on at once, the soldier will be out of action for 15 days.
===MEC Trooper===
By making a soldier into a MEC Trooper, they become an entirely new class.
====Pros====
* Destructive. MEC Troopers have a number of powerful area of effect and cover busting abilities. Some of these aren't limited by item usage like rockets and grenades are.
** Be careful as some of these might hurt your own troops.
* Tough. MEC Suits provide massive health bonuses allowing the MEC Trooper to take an obscene amount of punishment before having to go into the infirmary, let alone be killed. This is on top of a hefty Will bonus making it even harder to kill them.
* Powerful. MEC Trooper guns are quite powerful compared to other guns.
* Three words: Alien Face Punching.
====Cons====
* '''''EXPENSIVE'''''. Although it only costs 10 Meld to make a MEC Trooper, it costs 200 Meld to give them a Level 3 Paladin suit (40 for the Warden, 60 for the Sentinel, 100 for the Paladin).
* Fire Magnet. Remember how you felt the first time you saw a Sectopod? The enemy has the same reaction. With a level 3 Paladin suit, the MEC has only 20 defense. To make matters worse, they can't go into cover, making them very tempting targets.
* No Psionics. MECs cannot be Psionics and Psionics cannot be MECs.
* No Inventory. Yes, the suits give options which can somewhat mimic some of the standard items, but they still don't get a proper inventory.

==Notes==
[[Image:Meld (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld Canister with 5 turns remaining]]
* Meld is composed of organic nanomachines and needs to be researched ([[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]]) to be used.
* Meld cannot be sold at the [[Grey Market (EU2012)|Grey Market]].
* All the [[Alien Abductions (EU2012)|abductions]] and UFO [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] have been redesigned to include 2 Meld canisters.
* The 2 [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] canisters need to be captured during a certain timeframe, otherwise they will self-destruct forcing a player to move swiftly to find and capture them. 1 canister is located on a location easy to reach, another in a hard location. The canisters can be hidden to force a player to look for them.
** Additionally, the Canisters are reported to spawn once per applicable map per playthrough: there will only be a certain number of canisters in a given campaign (unconfirmed - see [http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/22/4643478/xcom-enemy-within-gamescom-2013-garth-deangelis]).
* When Meld canisters self-destruct they will explode and cause [[Damage (EU2012)|damage]] to any player units nearby.
* Meld canisters can be destroyed with explosives.
* When you kill all [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] on a mission you'll automatically recover any intact Meld containers, including still hidden ones.
* The Meld can be used to create either [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MEC Troopers]] (a new [[Classes (EU2012)|class]]) or to genetically increase any class abilities ([[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]]).
[[File:Meld Icon (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld]]
* In consideration of the limited number of Canisters, it's also been revealed that this leads to a choice of quality vs quantity for how you will spend the upgrades.
* The Meld also brings 2 new [[ XCOM_Headquarters_(EU2012)#Base_Expansion|base facilities]]: [[Genetics Lab (EU2012)|Genetics Lab]] and [[Cybernetics Lab (EU2012)|Cybernetics Lab]]. Both cost §50 and require 3 power and 10 days to build. The Cybernetics Labs count as [[Workshop (EU2012)|workshops]] and the Genetics Lab with [[Laboratory (EU2012)|Laboratories]] for adjacency bonus.
** For consideration on building them early or late; whether you want 5 engineers, or low-level MEC troopers, with what limited resources you'll have early on, for example.
** There are reflective Meld 'crystals' in the [[XCOM HQ (EU2012)|Ant Farm]] view. Zooming in on them, angled facets show a brick wall with a window, facets facing the camera seem to be reflecting a sprite of a green-irised eye.
* There is a small tutorial (optional) to show how Meld works.
*Some aliens, particulary Mechtoids and Heavy Floaters, do drop small quantities of Meld, as well.
* Meld also seems one of the items recoverable after you've completed the [[Storyline Missions (EU2012)#Assault Alien Base|Alien Base]] mission.
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Alien Artifacts (EU2012)]]

Storyline Missions (EU2012)

2013-12-01T00:34:02Z

Leman Russ: /* Tactics */

'''Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead!'''

In order to progress and eventually win the game, the player must win a number of specific [[Missions (EU2012)|missions]] in the game's [[Storyline (EU2012)|Storyline]].

==Tutorial==
{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives}}
[[File:ACT1_INTROLEVEL (EU2012).png|200px|right|Tutorial mission]]
Unknown bogeys reclassified as intelligent, possibly extraterrestrial life. Unexplained events at impact site. German FSLK200 LRRP reported MIA.
*Assess situation at impact site
*Locate German recon team
*Investigate extraterrestrial objects
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

===Notes===
* The Tutorial appears as an option at the start when you choose the game's [[Difficulty (EU2012)|difficulty]]. The Tutorial isn't available as an option at the Impossible difficulty level.
* The Tutorial is designed as a presentation of the game's story and controls.
* Enabling the Tutorial will always bring the same initial scripted mission, with 3 of your [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] being KIA at the end.

==Alien Base Assault==
{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives}}
[[File:Alien Base Mission (EU2012).png|200px|right|Alien Base Mission screen]]
We have gained access to the Alien Base by means of the Skeleton Key. Use extreme caution; analysis indicates the presence of a large combined enemy contingent. This mission cannot be aborted.
*Penetrate the base's defenses
*Neutralize all invader forces
*Identify and capture the base commander, if possible
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

===Notes===
[[File:Alien Base Discovered (EU2012).png|300px|right|Alien Base Discovered]]
*The Alien Base Assault is unlocked once you've captured an [[Outsider (EU2012)|Outsider]] and [[Outsider Shard (EU2012)|researched]] it. You will also need to build the [[Skeleton Key (EU2012)|Skeleton Key]] before assaulting it.
**Especially on Impossible [[Difficulty (EU2012)|Difficulty]], it may be wise to unlock this [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]] as soon as possible (including building the key, so you don't find yourself short on resources for it), and save it for when you need it: completion gives a 2-point ''worldwide'' Panic Reduction, which could save several countries from withdrawing due to panic, if you find yourself in a difficult situation.
**If playing with [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]]'s option of Diminishing Returns you may want to hit the Alien Base as quickly as possible since the increasing cost of [[Satellite (EU2012)|satellites]] makes panic management almost impossible.
*The Alien Base can be expected to contain all of the [[Aliens (EU2012)|aliens]] you've encountered so far, and at the end a single [[Sectoid Commander (EU2012)|Sectoid Commander]] guarding a [[Hyperwave Beacon (EU2012)|Hyperwave Beacon]]. On higher difficulties you may also face yet unseen aliens such as [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]].
**Does not include [[Slingshot DLC (EU2012)|Slingshot DLC]]'s early appearances of [[Muton (EU2012)|Mutons]] and [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]], unless it is or past the normal month for their appearance (ie: 3rd month for 1st Mutons).
*The Alien Base is considerably longer than most missions you'll have done so far, so pack for the long haul.
*Warning: losing this mission will result in losing the game.
*Check the [[AlienBase01 (EU2012)|Alien Base 01]] and [[AlienBase02 (EU2012)|Alien Base 02]] pages for overhead shots of both Alien Base [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]].
*With [[XCOM:_Enemy_Within_DLC_(EU2012)|Enemy Within]], success also nets you 50 Meld (automatic: no Canisters to find).

==Crashed Overseer UFO==
{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives}}
[[File:Overseer_Deep_Woods_2 (EU2012).png|200px|right|Overseer Crash Site]]
XCOM Interceptors have splashed a UFO. Intel indicates some surviving crew. Exercise caution when engaging the enemy; the craft may contain usable salvage.
*Locate the crashed UFO
*Sweep the area for surviving crew and neutralize them
*Avoid additional damage to the craft if possible; some components may be recoverable
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

===Notes===
*Once you've built a [[Hyperwave Relay (EU2012)|Hyperwave Relay]] base facility you will gain the ability to detect the [[Overseer (EU2012)|Overseer UFO]]. This can only be shot down with a [[Interceptor (EU2012)|Interceptor]]/[[Firestorm (EU2012)|Firestorm]] with a powerful weapon and equipment aids.
*The Overseer UFO is then a standard medium-sized [[Crashed UFO (EU2012)|UFO crash site]], with the exception that its commander is an [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] with [[Muton (EU2012)|Muton Elite ]]guards protecting a [[Psi Link (EU2012)|Psi Link]] device.
*[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod(s]]) will show up regardless of current progress.
*If you can't shoot down the Overseer UFO or choose not to assault it after it crashes it will reappear later on.
* There are 4 possible [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] for the mission:
**[[Overseer_Deepwoods (EU2012)|Overseer Deep Woods]]
**[[Overseer_ForestTrench (EU2012)|Overseer Forest Trench]]
**[[Overseer_StoneWall (EU2012)|Overseer Stonewall]]
**[[Overseer_TheBarrens (EU2012)|Overseer The Barrens]]

===Tactics===
* The Overseer UFO will not appear until after you've built the Hyperwave Relay, and even then, there's a window between a few hours, but usually a few weeks, before it appears. Furthermore, it could appear over any country you have [[satellite (EU2012)|satellite]] coverage on. With this knowledge, it might be advisable to wait and build the Relay until you have at least 1 Firestorm over each continent. Interceptors can be used, but you'll need [[Plasma Cannon (EU2012)|Plasma Cannons]] on all of them, and modules.

===Can't Progress?===
* After constructing the Gollop chamber, you will get a message that you do not have a soldier of strong enough Psionic ability to use the Ethereal Device, even if you have a fully maxed out Psionic soldier with 100+ Will and a Mind Shield. The game neglected to tell you that the Psi Armour is the missing key to continue.
** If you already have someone equipped with the Psi Armor, take it off the soldier and reequip it again with the armor. That should do the trick.

==Temple Ship Assault==
{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives}}
[[File:TempleShip2 (EU2012).png|200px|right|Temple Ship]]
We finally have the strength to face the Ethereals on their own ship. The future of humanity is at stake. Expect extreme resistance.
*Force entry to the Temple Ship's bridge
*The Volunteer must survive
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

===Notes===
*The final mission of the game. Your mission is to get to the bridge of the Temple Ship, kill the [[Uber Ethereal (EU2012)|Uber Ethereal]] there and keep the Volunteer alive.
*Your [[Volunteer (EU2012)|Volunteer]] soldier is granted a new [[Psionic (EU2012)|psionic]] ability (The Rift) and must survive - if he/she dies you'll lose the game. (But you can restart the [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]] even on Ironman).
*You can expect to see at least one of every type of [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|alien]] in this mission. Highlights are a room with two [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], and the final room featuring an Uber Ethereal with two [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] guards and several [[Muton Elite (EU2012)|Muton Elites]].
**With the exception of the [[Outsider (EU2012)|Outsiders]], [[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoids]] and [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]].
*Killing the Uber Ethereal wins the game immediately, with no need to kill any remaining aliens.
*Warning: losing this mission will result in losing the game.

Check the [[TempleShip (EU2012)|Temple Ship]] page for overhead shots of the entire map.

===Tactics===
'''Room 0 - Landing Bay'''
*No enemies. The path splits into three doorways, center, right, and left, a symmetrical configuration that follows all the way through the ship. Further directions assume chosen camera angles keeps forward "upwards".
*Alien squads will be listed individually (ie: per activation, each squad will be separated by commas; different squads can be activated independently).
*As you move through the ship, the Uber Ethereal will comment on each alien race and your progress.

'''Room 1 - Sectoid & Cyberdiscs'''
*A wide foyer with several half-cover berms, and archways opposite of the side doors.
*Once through the first set of doors, you will encounter a Sectoid Commander and two Sectoids, and another two Sectoids on the path under the right archway. After 1 round, 2 Cyberdiscs and 3 Drones will appear on top of the archways (1 Disc each, the one on the left has the 2 drones).
*Snipers with Double Tap can make short work of the Discs, and other solders can mop up the drones if they survive the Disks' explosion.

'''Room 2 - Floaters & Chryssalids'''
*A large square room, with a high walkway/bridge crossing down the middle, two high balconies on the sides, and low pathways between. There is a Floater on the left pathway, a Heavy Floater (high balcony) & Floater (pathway) on the right, and two Floaters at the end of the bridge. *After 1 round, 3 Chryssalids will spawn, two on the right pathway, and one on the left, closer to the entrances (fortunately, they will not move right away). The Volunteer can use rift to make short work of the two on the right.

'''Room 3 - Thin Men'''
*Actually 3 hallway/bridges: following the previous room, the middle bridge is shorter & high up, and the left and right bridges are at low elevations, and have an extra door in the middle.
*The middle path contains two Thin Men, who will immediately run when spotted, so two soldiers ghosting (one on overwatch, the other firing) would be useful to take both out before they get into cover.
*A third Thin Man will be on one of the lower bridges, past the middle door (it will be on whichever side that past the middle door is seen first). Take care not to run through poison gas.

'''Room 4 - Mutons and Sectopods'''
*A very large, long Colosseum, and perhaps the hardest room of the Temple Ship.
*Coming from the previous room's bridges: the middle entrance opens into a balcony, and the left and right entrances open into small open areas with stairs that lead back to a middle elevation. Visible from the top of each stairs are two separate squads of two regular Mutons each. If both are activated, it will activate a lone Berserker in the middle (in front of the balcony). You may want to keep some Mutons mind controlled for the next part (preferably the Berserker if you can).
*The side paths will lead again to downgoing stairs, which lead to two long pathways, which frame an even lower, wide open amphitheater containing two Sectopods, placed close together near the middle. Past the first high balcony, a middle-elevation balcony is in the middle, near the entrance.
*Snipers with Archangel should be able to fly high at the back of the room with Archangel and shoot freely at the Sectopods without being seen themselves.
*This is a good time to use Rift, since you should be able to get both Sectopods and it does full damage to them, and will kill them by itself over the two turn duration (if your Volunteer happens to be a HEAT Heavy it will simply one-shot them).
*Alternatively, if you managed to keep a Muton, placing it between both Sectopods will heavily damage all three when they fire their Chest Cannons.
*When both Sectopods are destroyed, two Muton Elites will spawn way down at the far end of the room, where stairs bring all 3 paths back into 1. With high-ground and cover, they may either wait to ambush you, or move forward, firing or tossing grenades at the first soldier they see.

'''Room 5 - Ethereal Cathedral'''
*After a thin corridor, the final room is a large cubic room with a low middle path with two high-cover obstacles, and two high side paths with sets of half-cover balconies (like two E shapes, both with the tines pointing inwards, the middle tines being longer).
*The Uber Ethereal waits at the far end of the room, on a high, thin balcony in the middle. Behind him is a second Ethereal Device serving as the Cathedral's altar. The aliens activate once in sight of him (a few spaces before crossing the middle tines of the "E"s: being no farther forward than the "latitude" of the middle stairs leading down is close enough to make any final Heals/Inspirations): two Ethereals on the last tines of the "E"s & two Elite Muton guards below and either side of the Uber Ethereal's balcony. Just before his guards spawn, the Uber Ethereal will speak again: of their existence, and why they have attacked Earth, alluding to some unrevealed "others" and some nameless cataclysm or trial.

'''Winning the Final Fight'''
*There are many ways to win, and even more ways to die in this room, especially after all the other battles you've fought leading to this.
* Killing the Uber Ethereal wins the game immediately, so a good strategy is to ignore the lesser enemies and pump everything you have in to the Uber Ethereal to win the fight as quickly as possible.
*Mind Controlling the Muton Elites on the turn you enter the room will take them out of the fight and also cause the Ethereals to spend a turn killing them, which they would otherwise spend mind controlling your people. Which they will otherwise do.
* A good basic strategy is to form up your squad near the entrance, enter the room and mind control both Muton Elites (which makes cover a non-issue, since the Ethereals' attacks ignore it) and spend any remaining actions damaging the Uber Ethereal. The Ethereals will then almost certainly kill both Mutons and then mind control one of your soldiers. You then have a full turn of actions from 5 soldiers to do enough damage to the Uber Ethereal to kill him and win.
* The fight doesn't trigger until you actually spot the Uber Ethereal. As long as you haven't spotted him yet, you can take as much time as you want in setting your troops up.
*If you can't reliably end the battle in two turns, you need to be able to fend off those Mind Controls otherwise you're going to be in some serious trouble. The ideal solution is to have enough Mind Shields to outfit your entire team with them. But since this may be gimping your team in other ways, and may not be possible to have downed six Ethereals before this point, some creativity may be required. Psi Inspiration and Combat Drugs Smoke Grenades can help.
** With Tactical Rigging in Enemy Within, and some delaying on your part, getting 6 Mind Shields isn't impossible.
* A Squadsight Sniper can sit safely behind the 3 tile long cover just outside the door (have him/her set up in the middle of the block) and pop away at the Uber Ethereal with impunity. Simply send in someone with Ghost Armor to spot.
* If you manage to MC both of the other ''Ethereals'', that's pretty much a guaranteed win. You'll need the Volunteer and a second Psi soldier with at least a Mind Shield to have a chance, but then you can waste the UberEthereal in the next round with a 3-deep barrage of Rifts!

==See Also==
 
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Guides (EU2012)]]
[[Category:Missions (EU2012)]]

EXALT Weapons (EU2012)

2013-12-01T00:21:46Z

Leman Russ:

EXALT units use a varied assortment of [[Classes (EU2012)|class]]-specific [[Weapons (EU2012)|weapons]]. When killed they will drop their unique weapons which can be retrieved after a successful mission and used instead of [[XCOM (EU2012)|XCOM]]'s models, with the exception of the grenades. Their versions are functionally identical to XCOM's models, for both conventional and laser weapons (which need the matching Laser research before use).

They can be sold for varying prices on the [[Grey Market (EU2012)|Grey Market]], and occasional Council [[Requests (EU2012)|sales]], albeit at vastly lower prices. The Council Requests pay a little bit better (not by much, though) than the Grey Market does. At the same time, it's easy to build up a nice stock of EXALT Laser Weapons, which can be useful in outfitting your scrubs and bench warmers if materials are thin and getting enough Plasma weapons is proving difficult.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ EXALT Weapons
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifle]] || align="center" | 2-4 || align="center" | 5-7 || align="center" | 10% || align="center" | [[EXALT Operative (EU2012)|Operative]], [[EXALT Medic (EU2012)|Medic]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|EXALT Sniper Rifle]] || align="center" | 3-6 || align="center" | 6-8 || align="center" | 25% || align="center" | [[EXALT Elite Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT LMG (EU2012)|EXALT LMG]] || align="center" | 3-5 || align="center" | 6-8 || align="center" | 0% || align="center" | [[EXALT Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|EXALT Rocket Launcher]] || align="center" | 6 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | [[EXALT Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]], [[EXALT Elite Heavy (EU2012)|Elite Heavy]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT Laser Rifle (EU2012)|EXALT Laser Rifle]] || align="center" | 4-6 || align="center" | 6-10 || align="center" | 10% || align="center" |[[EXALT Elite Operative (EU2012)|Elite Operative]], [[EXALT Elite Medic (EU2012)|Elite Medic]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|EXALT Laser Sniper Rifle]] || align="center" | 5-7 || align="center" | 9-11 || align="center" | 30% || align="center" | [[EXALT Elite Sniper (EU2012)|Elite Sniper]]
|-
| align="center" |[[EXALT Heavy Laser (EU2012)|EXALT Heavy Laser]] || align="center" | 5-7 || align="center" | 9-11 || align="center" | 0% || align="center" | [[EXALT Elite Heavy (EU2012)|Elite Heavy]]
|-
| align="center" |[[Frag Grenade (EU2012)|Frag Grenade]] || align="center" | 3 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | [[EXALT Operative (EU2012)|Operative]], [[EXALT Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]]
|-
| align="center" |[[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]] || align="center" | 5 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | [[EXALT Elite Operative (EU2012)|Elite Operative]], [[EXALT Elite Heavy (EU2012)|Elite Heavy]]
|-
|}

<noinclude>
{{EXALT (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: EXALT (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Laboratory (EU2012)

2013-12-01T00:15:26Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[Image:Laboratory.jpg||right|200px|A laboratory]]
Each laboratory increases research speed by 20%. Adjacency Bonus: 10% increase to research speed for every adjacent laboratory.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

==Notes==
{{Facilities Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=N/A
|manpower=6 scientists (+10 for each additional lab)
|costs=§125
|power=3
|maintenance=§24 per month
|build time=10 days
|provides=+20% research speed
|adjacency=10% per laboratory
|}}
* All bonuses are additive, not cumulative (ie: 2 adjacent labs: 20%+20%+10% = 50% research time reduction).
* If playing [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within]], Laboratories will reduce the amount of research lost whenever [[EXALT (EU2012)|EXALT]] decides to attack your research.
 
==See Also==
{{Base Facilities (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Base Facilities (EU2012)]]

Annette Durand (EU2012)

2013-11-30T02:08:34Z

Leman Russ:

[[File:Annette (EU2012).png|thumb|Annette Durand|left]][[File:Annette alternate face.png|thumb|Annette Durand|right]][[File:Dramatic shot of Annette.png|thumb|Annette breaks free|right]][[File:Annette Ingame.png|thumb|Ingame model|right]]'''Annette Durand''' is a unique French [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] of [[XCOM_(EU2012)|XCOM]], recruited after completing the second of three [[Progeny (EU2012)|Progeny]] missions. Her voice is not available to any other units, and she can only be partially customized and is the only soldier which isn't assigned a nickname.

Initially a French civilian under the protection of her country's military, she is [[Portent (EU2012)|captured]] by [[EXALT (EU2012)|EXALT]] after an assault on a convoy carrying her and given to the [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|Aliens]] who discover her latent [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] powers and use them to assault the [[XCOM Base Defense (EU2012)|XCOM HQ]] through mass mind control. Afterwards EXALT changes their attitude and mounts an assault on the aliens to recover her for their own proposes, later resulting in her [[Deluge (EU2012)|rescue]] by XCOM operatives. Convinced that XCOM is capable of stopping the alien menace Annette then joins XCOM as a random [[Classes (EU2012)|class]] soldier [[Soldiers_(EU2012)#Ranks|ranked]] at Sergeant.

Although Annette is slightly weaker than the average soldier due to her non-military background and training, she will test positive for Psionic powers. However, she is expendable and can be killed in battle after recruitment. That being said, because of her already insanely high starting Will, if you have the Iron Will OTS upgrade, Annette is capable of achieving an obscenely high Will stat, easily getting over 100 without the aid of [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]] or [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shields]].

Due to her lack of combat experience, her spoken lines during tactical missions will show a certain uneasiness with combat situations, along with a peculiar French accent.

After joining XCOM as a Sergeant, Annette will have the following stats:
* HP: 5 (Equal to -2HP Easy / -1HP Normal / +0HP Classic / +1HP Impossible for Sniper, otherwise -3HP Easy / -2HP Normal / -1HP Classic / +0HP Impossible for all other classes)
* Defense: 0
* Will: 80 (Significantly higher, even with Iron Will OTS upgrade, ignoring Second Wave options)
* Aim: 70 (Moderately lower for all classes except Heavy & MEC Trooper)
You will be able to customize her abilities as you see fit. However, she is guaranteed Psi gifted; so test her after you have finished testing your core soldiers, otherwise your chances will be dramatically reduced.

==See Also==
* [[Progeny (EU2012)|Progeny]]
 
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Progeny (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Characters (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]

Sniper (EU2012)

2013-11-29T15:44:17Z

Leman Russ: /* Gene Mods */

[[File:SNIPERS (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Sniper Squad]][[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|right|frame|64px|Sniper]]

A class able to inflict massive long range damage on enemy targets from a position of safety. They are good at inflicting [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]], and can augment the chances further with their special '''Headshot''' ability. Special training can allow the sniper to provide long range cover fire, disarm enemies or reconnaissance. The drawback being a Sniper can't move and shoot except with the '''Snap Shot''' talent.

:'''Primary Weapon:''' [[Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Sniper Rifle]], [[Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Sniper Rifle]] or [[Plasma Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Sniper Rifle]].
:'''Secondary Weapon:''' [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The Sniper relies heavily on positioning, favourable terrain and the cooperation of squad mates to locate their marks. The Sniper is otherwise a poor close range combatant. Rank promotions will give Snipers the biggest increase in [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] when compared to the other [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] (+40 points total). Their drawback is that upon reaching Colonel rank a Sniper will also receive less 1 Health Point than any of the other classes (+3 total) but the same Will (+14 total)

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability

|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Headshot''' ''Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Snap Shot''' ''Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png|32px|center]]'''Squad Sight''' ''Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|32px|center]]'''Gunslinger''' ''Confers 2 bonus damage with pistols.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|32px|center]]'''Damn Good Ground''' ''+10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation in addition to the usual elevation bonuses.'' (including while flying)
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Disabling Shot''' ''Allows the Sniper to fire a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction. The target may use Reload to fix the weapon. The shot cannot inflict a critical hit. 2 turn cooldown.'' (-10 Aim, reduced Damage)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|32px|center]]'''Battle Scanner''' ''Scanning device, when thrown creates a new source of vision for 2 turns. Can only be used 2 times per battle.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|32px|center]]'''Executioner''' ''+10% Aim against targets with less than 50% Health.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|32px|center]]'''Opportunist''' ''Eliminates the Aim penalty on reaction shots, and allows reaction shots to cause critical hits.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|32px|center]]'''Low Profile''' ''Makes partial cover count as full.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_ITZ.png|32px|center]]'''In The Zone''' '' Killing a flanked or uncovered target with the sniper rifle does not cost an action.'' (applies only once to Pistols)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DOUBLETAP.png|32px|center]]'''Double Tap''' ''Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Headshot, or Disable Shot, provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown.'' (Can't be used with ''Snap Shot'')
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

* Sniper Rifles suffer an aim penalty when targeting enemies in close quarters, making the pistol more useful than on other classes.
* '''Snap Shot''' or '''Squad Sight''', makes for two completely different play styles of snipers. Plan your build ahead.
* '''Squad Sight''' still requires free line of sight from the sniper to the target.
* '''Damn Good Ground''' is best combined with an [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] with flight or a grapple hook.
* '''Battle Scanner''' is often more useful on '''Snap Shot''' snipers, due to its limited range. It can also be thrown through [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFO]] doors.
* '''Gunslinger''' with Foundry [[Foundry_(EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_I| Pistol upgrades]] puts pistols on par with most Rifles.
* '''Disabling Shot''' is useful for captures or to disable high damage targets and mind controlled soldiers.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
The Sniper works exactly as you would expect: long range, high damage, low mobility engagement. Depending on the level and your position, a Sniper will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or he'll spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Building a sniper revolves around managing their killing power while stationary versus their complete lack of it while on the move. Despite this, there are a number of no-brainer choices in their ability tree, greatly limiting the viable customization.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe like the original game. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100, or 66 game tiles for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27, or 18 game tiles). Squadsight removes the last requirement, allowing the rest of your squad to spot for your sniper as he relaxes three-quarters of the level away. Squadsight allows you to make use of high ground more effectively (further amplifying your killing power), cover your squad as they advance, and actually hit anything, ever. Snipers that are not in vision range can not be attacked, making this ability an amazing boost to both offense and defense.

'''Snap Shot''' is a future investment. It is designed to help the Sniper contribute on maps in which obtaining line of sight is difficult. However, the accuracy penalty drops the Sniper's Aim from the best in the game to noticeably worse than both Assaults and Supports and sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. However this can be compensated later by other Sniper abilities ('''Damn Good Ground''', '''Executioner''') and equipment (Archangel/Ghost armor) to turn the Snap Shot Sniper into a mobile flying/stealth Marksman that will be very effective at midrange fights (around 10 game tiles). '''In The Zone''' will further turn it into a killing machine, by allowing it to move and kill outflanked targets without using any action.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}

'''Damn Good Ground''' rewards you for parking on high ground and blasting away, which is what you want to be doing anyway. This helps the Sniper as your go-to for getting rid of a high priority target, and partially makes up for the fact that you are generally shooting into cover. You should be shooting from high ground more often than you shoot your pistol, and Damn Good Ground accentuates that. Both Snipers will get a ton of mileage out of Damn Good Ground. Once you research [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]], getting the benefit of DGG becomes very easy, making it a good pick late game.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. The boost to pistols is mostly effective to help snipers survive Floater and Thin Men ambushes. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. Gunslinger is a little redundant for Snapshot Snipers, and becomes more so as abilities and promotions make up for the aim penalty. For Squadsight Snipers, Gunslinger will make the sniper more useful in situations demanding lots of movement, or where drawing line of sight is difficult, like larger UFOs. Gunslinger is significantly less useful for psionic snipers, since they can use Mind Fray on most occasions where they would use a pistol. Finally, Gunslinger combined with Double Tap and Improved Pistol III turns your Sniper into a unit that can fire with better Aim and deal more damage with a [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]] at all ranges (6 base damage for each shot, or 12 combined damage), than a Support with a [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifle]] (7 base damage).

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. This ability is useful if you have a dangerous target you're not confident you can kill this turn ([[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]]s and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]s), if you're going for a capture, or to neutralise a mind controlled friendly. There is a small Aim penalty (-10) attached to this shot, and the attack does reduced damage; if going for a capture, make sure you don't accidentally kill the target. 
'''Note:''' Disabling shot is the only thing you have that can prevent your mind controlled troops from flattening your non-mind controlled ones, short of killing them first; if killing the mind controller is not an option.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]. Giving it to a Snap Shot sniper turns it into a scout/sniper unit. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens, either landing a rocket in them while they're bunched up, or getting a free sniper shot on one out of cover. Its limited range means that the Sniper will not be in range to use it on open maps where he's miles away from his team, but a Sniper with Squad Sight can use it and it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot. Battle Scanners can be thrown through alien doors, making them handy in UFOs.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but there are two things to consider. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim but it can very useful for a Snap Shot sniper to deliver the killing blow. Second, snipers are generally able to kill most ordinary targets in one shot, which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. When fighting very high hit-point enemies such as [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], 50% of such an enemy's health amounts to quite a significant chunk of health. As the random number generator can be fickle at times, pushing your to-hit rate up to 100% against a major enemy is never a bad thing.

'''Opportunist''' improves your ability to cover the rest of the squad during [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], helping mostly when aliens decide to patrol into your team blindly. With the range on Sniper Rifles, this ends up being a nice bit of coverage. Enemies triggering Overwatch are frequently in the open, partially reducing the need for this, but it's still an improved chance to save you time during your actual turn. The biggest sell for Opportunist is that your Sniper's Overwatch shots can now score critical hits: with a Plasma Sniper Rifle on hand, pretty much any aliens, even [[Muton Elite (EU2012)|Muton Elites]], that wander into view during Alien Activity are often dead on arrival, or at least severely wounded. If you go for two Snipers with Opportunist, try to place them with different lines of sight, so that they're less likely to waste a shot shooting at the same alien.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}

'''In The Zone''' offers unmatched offensive potential in the right conditions. Snapshot snipers, if armed with Ghost Armor, can sneak behind a squad of entrenched enemies and picked them off on the next turn. Squad Sight snipers will rarely flank an enemy, so will need to focus on exposed targets. Aliens that can't take cover - [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]], [[Zombie (EU2012)|Zombies]], [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]], [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]], [[Berserker (EU2012)|Muton Berserkers]], [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], and [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] - and flying units (treated as exposed for the purposes of In The Zone) will be your primary targets. In the event that you kill an exposed alien with an overwatch shot, you'll get another non-move action next turn. Finally, squad mates can assist the sniper by blowing away cover with rockets or grenades. Note: In The Zone can be triggered with a pistol, but only once per turn.

'''Double Tap''' is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) without an aim penalty, and the ability to re-target. You will never ever regret having it. If you took Snap Shot, keep in mind that second shot suffers -20 aim penalty (due to a bug) and you can't Double Tap after moving.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high critical rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill targets in a single shot is not a very good asset to the squad, so you will want to keep up with tech here. Snipers also benefit from pistols much more than other classes, give them your best for those turns that they can't sit still or cannot fire their main weapon.

'''Armor:''' The best defense is a good offense. The second best defense is being too damn far away. Snipers have both of these, so you generally don't need to prioritize armor. Skeleton armor will help get you to a good position, and the defense bonus stacks nicely with Low Profile. Archangel is your go-to for the end game. A case for Ghost Armor can be made for Snap-Shot Snipers with In The Zone, as it will allow your Sniper to get into position with far less hassle. However, Ghost Armor can be expensive, and there are a couple other classes which should get the Ghost Armor first, so plan accordingly.

'''Item:''' Snipers generally get the most benefit from equipping a S.C.O.P.E. as it augments their already high accuracy and critical rate. If you're finding their normal aim progression to be sufficient, you may want to arm items that mitigate the snipers' close combat weakness such as a Nano-Fiber vest or Chitin plating. Alternately, arm equipment to provide additional functionality such as an Arc Thrower for capture, grenade for anti-cover, or another medikit.

===Gene Mods===
For the Sniper, Gene Mods are focused on, like everything else with the Sniper, Squadsight or Snapshot.

'''Brain'''
For the Brain, Snapshot Snipers can go either way, depending on the base Will of the soldier. Lower Will Snipers will want Neural Dampening, while higher can go with Feedback. Squadsight Snipers are the same, but the Brain is much lower priority since they are less likely to be in the line of fire.

'''Eyes'''
For Squadsight Snipers, Depth Perception will make you feel less guilty about taking Gunslinger instead of Damn Good Ground while Hyper Reactive Pupils will see very little benefit. For Snapshot, either will work fine. As with Brain, priority here should go to Snapshot rather than Squadsight.

'''Chest'''
You can never go wrong with Secondary Heart for either one. Squadsight Snipers will get little benefit from Adrenal Neurosympathy since they usually aren't in the middle of the Squad, while Snapshot will enjoy the benefit. Once again, priority should go to Snapshot first than Squadsight.

'''Skin'''
Bioelectric Skin is a must for Squadsight Snipers. It's not uncommon to leave them far behind the rest of the Squad and the last thing you need is a Seeker popping up and saying "Hi!" to your Squadsight Sniper when the rest of the Squad is embroiled in a fierce firefight on the other side of the map. Mimetic Skin will help Snapshot Snipers out on those turns they can sit still. Squadsight Snipers are of higher priority for Skin than Snapshots are.

'''Legs'''
Muscle Fiber Density will really help either Sniper get into a good position easier, while Adaptive Bone Marrow will help make up for the Sniper's inherent squishyness. Either will work and there really is no priority, though you may want to get Adaptive Bone Marrow on Snapshots faster since they're more likely to be in the thick of things.

===Summary===
All-around designed for long-range combat, one of the [[Making The Game Harder (EU2012)|making the game harder]] suggestions is simply "Never choose Squadsight." A Sniper with Squadsight and Damn Good Ground, flying high with Archangel Armor (an additional Defense bonus on top of DGG, for the rare time an enemy does get in range) and equipped with an upgraded Scope can pretty much ignore whatever cover aliens may have, and with Double Tap, one sniper fights like two soldiers, and two full snipers may seem like overkill. With Disabling Shot, the second shot can be used to simultaneously soften and disarm aliens for other solders to kill and level up with. With Opportunist, any alien that moves out of cover is almost a guaranteed kill. Watch your ammo levels, though.

With a six-member [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]], and the UFOs and many levels having a degree of symmetry, a regular tactic is to send two 3-member squads on each path (a sniper with each, taking back positions), which keeps any aliens on the other path from flanking around: a well-positioned sniper will reach out and help with front-line combat, and should shoot first for any frisky aliens who try to rush through, like Chryssalids (who fall easily to a Headshot even from the basic Sniper Rifle), rather than leaving the front-line troops move-less in attacking, or having them fall back to defend, leaving a gap for any more aliens to rush through. With that in mind, both Floater species are perhaps the biggest threat to snipers: their frequently-used Launch ability is utilized to flank your rearmost soldier, which will often be your sniper. Your mid-range fighters being close enough to provide backup, or another Squad Sight sniper, and having them cover one another, is the best defense against this.

An excellent lategame tactic involves two Squadsight Snipers (and at least one with Opportunist), and a forward soldier with Ghost Armor: the Ghosting soldier "recons" for the Snipers, and finds a 3-member squad of aliens, unactive and out of cover. The Sniper with Opportunist goes into Overwatch. Then the other sniper fires, killing the first alien. Activating the squad makes the aliens go into cover, triggering the Overwatching sniper, which will have equal aim, problably also killing another alien. Lastly, the cloaked soldier takes their shot, at 100% critical chance, possibly finishing off the squad.

A [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] Sniper is generally hard to train in open terrain situations, as you will not have the tendency to have them up front to attack with Mind Fray, though it is a valuable alternative to the pistol in the event of a Floater jump. "Psi Panic" has similar limitations when outdoors, and TK Field probably won't have the range to cover your front-line soldiers, who would benefit the most from it. Psi Inspiration can be used as a kind of support, boosting other psi soldiers before sending them forward to Fray/Panic/MC. Lastly, Mind Control is an excellent auxiliary move for any aliens that happen to flank the sniper.

EW Supplemental:
For the existing classes, most changes went into Snipers, from long-distance Squadsight only gettings crits if Headshot is used, to Snapshot having only a -10 penalty, easily negligible by Scopes, certain Medals, and Gene Mod effects. Essentailly, while you find they may not hit as hard anymore (in the case of a Squadsight Oppertunitist no longer mowing down alien squads halfway across the planet), they can be set up to rarely, if ever, miss- especially with certian Second Wave options active giving +100 aim scores. With Training Roulette, Squadsight and Snapshot are still chosen at the second leveling, and Disable and Doubletap remain, as well. You may get something useful, like HEAT Ammo, or something absurd like Supression (with a bolt-action rifle. Think about that for a second), or somewhat usless, like Grenadier.

With that: Tactical Rigging unlocking a second item leaves an open question for snipers, of what exactly else to carry. Most players will not have their Snipers near the front line, so grenades aren't more than a holdout weapon for launching floaters (when the Plasma Pistol and Mindfray are better options than Alien or Flashbang Grenades). If you find them regulary troubled by Seekers, the Respirator is the obvious choice, while slapping Chitin Plating on them is good for the +4 HP, but the melee effect problably won't be a regular thing for them, especially for those flying safe in Archangel Armor.

The first inventory slot you will problably still keep Scopes on.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Assault (EU2012)

2013-11-29T15:39:35Z

Leman Russ: /* Gene Mods */

[[File:ASSAULTS (EU2012).png|right|thumb|400px|A Squad of different Assault soldiers.]][[File: CLASS ASSAULT.png|right|frame|64px|Assault]]
A class with high mobility, defence and close range damage, hence the Assault class excels at close combat in urban or indoor environments. Its main drawbacks are the limited effective range of the Shotgun and the high cool down time of; and high dependence on Run & Gun. Useful for flanking and scouting.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]], [[Scatter Laser (EU2012)|Scatter Laser]] and [[Alloy Cannon (EU2012)|Alloy Cannon]]. 
:'''Alternative Primary Weapon:''' [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifles]], [[Laser Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Rifles]], [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifles]] & [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifles]]
:'''Secondary Weapon''': [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The Assaults Ability choices are mainly divided between attack or defence stats/abilites on each tier, giving the player the choice of either going full defence, high damage or a trade of between both.
Stats gained through rank promotions will give the Assault a total of +24 Aim points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will.

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|center]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px|center]]'''Tactical Sense''' ''Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20).''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Aggression''' ''Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%).''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px|center]]'''Lightning Reflexes''' ''Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss.''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px|center]]'''Close & Personal''' ''Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px|center]]'''Flush''' ''Fire a shot that causes enemies to run out of cover. The shot is easy to hit with, but does reduced damage.'' (+30 Aim, 50% Damage)
| [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Fire''' ''Take two shots against a single target in quick succession. Each shot carries a -15 penalty to Aim.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px|center]]'''Close Combat Specialist''' ''Confers a reaction shot against any enemy who closes to within 4 tiles. Does not require Overwatch.''
| [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px|center]]'''Bring 'Em On''' ''Adds 1 damage on critical hits for each enemy the squad can see (up to 5).''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|center]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px|center]]'''Resilience''' ''Confers immunity to critical hits.''
| [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px|center]]'''Killer Instinct''' ''Activating Run & Gun now also grants +50% critical damage for the rest of the turn.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====
*'''Run & Gun''' could land you in trouble by activating more alien groups, when trying to set up a flanking position.
*'''Run & Gun''' will only allow Fire, Overwatch and Rapid Fire after dashing. Use any free actions (like Ghost Mode) before.
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the soldier has taken any actions. Useful for setting up multiple shots against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]] or defending from [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] charges.
*'''Rapid Fire''' is not consumed if the alien is killed with the first shot.
*'''Flush''' will cause an alien to leave one cover position for another (if available). Make sure to set up [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] or Close Combat Specialist shots beforehand.
* '''Extra Conditioning''' gives +1 health with the starting Body armor, +2 for [[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace]], [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton]] , [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]], and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]], and +4 with [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan]] or [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]].
*'''Killer Instinct''' (+50% crit dmg), may also be combined with Overwatch and Close Combat Specialist shot.
*The Enemy Within version of Close And Personal functions similar to a Heavy's Bullet Swarm (but does not fucntion with Run and Gun), given that the Assault is within the 4-square range (when this Ability is availible, enemies will have an orange ring around them, akin to Arc Thrower functions). With Rapid Fire, how one would move, and shoot three times: move to within the ring. Fire a normal shot as the free move. Then use Rapid Fire. Only works once per turn (won't get multiple free shots on enemies with overlapping rings).

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (Shotgun vs. Assault Rifle). Because of this and the broad applicability of their individual skills, they don't necessarily have clear cut build paths. Shotguns offer damage values identical to Sniper Rifles -- albeit with slightly lower chance for critical hits - and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault one of the most damaging units in the game. Assault rifles trade damage for the safety of distance (and typically better cover, as a result), and defensive skills can further improve the soldier's ability to protect himself and his squad. All Assaults, however, provide the toughness and mobility to form a backbone for your squad, and bringing two (or even more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
![[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense'''
|'''Aggression'''
|}
* Here starts the divergent options of offense vs. defense. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to equip and play the Assault, choosing to accentuate strengths or shore up weaknesses.
* Generally though, shotgunners will prefer Tactical Sense and riflemen will want Aggression.

'''Tactical Sense'''
* Defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners;
* Its value increases exponentially with other defense boosts such as cover, Ghost Armor, and smoke grenades;
* Shotguns do a ton of damage by themselves, so Tactical Sense can be a great pickup to help you survive the stupid situations that result from charging in using Run and Gun with a short range weapon.

'''Aggression'''
* Similarly offers value for both weapon types;
* Assault rifles have low base damage and thus benefit from an easy way to increase that output without jeopardizing their cover
* Shotguns do ''gain'' more damage from critting than assault rifles, and you probably don't want to charge up to enemies, empty your weapon on them, and ''not'' kill them. Bear in mind, however, that flanking is easier to achieve and up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes'''
|'''Close & Personal'''
|}
* These skills both address your ability to close in on enemies, either in getting there safely or finishing them once you're there.
* Lightning Reflexes is generally preferable, but shotgunners should consider Close & Personal as well.

'''Lightning Reflexes'''
* The Assault's unique '''Lightning Reflexes''' ability allows it to completely evade the first reaction shot fired by the aliens. Further reaction shots are received normally.
* One of the best abilities, you will want at least one unit with it on your team. The ability to safely "clear out" Overwatches is good all the time, and it's particularly great when dealing with escort missions and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]]. While you can always count on XCOM to teach you that probability is a fickle mistress, Lightning Reflexes will always be there to tuck you in at night and feel safe.
* If you have a lot of Ghost Armors on your team, you'll see your usage of this dwindle. Nevertheless, Ghost Armor comes around late enough and sometimes you can't see the enemies entering Overwatch that you'll still get usage of this.

'''Close & Personal'''
* Continues the trend of making Assaults crit-monsters, and combined with Aggression will give you a 40%-60% bonus to crit chance before taking either weapon stats or flanking into account.
* If you can get in close, your target is going to need to be cleaned off the walls with a spatula. However, as riflemen generally will keep their distance, this will be of dubious value for them.
* Similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default - Close And Personal may prove to be overkill.
* If you leave a soldier cloaked with Ghost Armor for the alien turn, if this triggers it will decloak them, allowing aliens with remaining move to attack them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush'''
|'''Rapid Fire'''
|}
* Usually, Rapid Fire will be the clear choice but Flush can also have its uses;
* Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire'''
* '''Rapid Fire''' allows an Assault to attack twice at reduced accuracy, and does not consume itself if the first shot manages to kill the enemy.
* If the hit chance is in 34%~96% range, rapid fire offers more chance to land at least one hit.
* This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup. Also note that if you kill target with first shot, you'll spend only one ammo.

'''Flush'''
* The '''Flush''' ability allows an Assault to force an enemy to take a move action. This can force a unit to move out of cover, but can also cause the unit to simply move to different cover The enemy may trigger Overwatch and Close Quarters Specialist as it is running out of cover.
* It costs 3 ammo, so you can't use it every turn and will reload more often than Rapid Fire - assuming you have enough ammo left to use it in the first place;
* While it drives the target out of its current cover, the enemy could go to different cover or break sight range completely. Destroying the target's cover with explosives may be preferable;
* The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Has +30 aim and does half damage. This can make it useful for setting up captures, or giving a hefty Aim boost to a shotgunner who is a little too far away.
* Uses for Flush can include set up plays for Snipers who don't quite have line of sight, Heavies who are going to be launching rockets and hope to catch one more enemy in the blast zone, or other Assaults itching for a Close Combat Specialist crossfire. In most cases, however, you will struggle to take advantage of the movement Flush triggers.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist'''
|'''Bring 'Em On'''
|}
* Continuing the earlier theme, the Assault tree has a lot of great options. This is a choice for both weapon types.

'''Close Combat Specialist'''
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the Assault has taken any actions. As a practical matter, this means that an Assault can react before the end of the turn against aliens who have just been 'triggered', or even against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Muton Berserker]] that have entered the 4-tile radius from their reaction to being shot, even if the Assault triggered them to start with.
* A Godsend against charging melee, the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to, or any close range engagement. Shotgunners will see this trigger more frequently, and thus have a little more use for it than riflemen.
* This stacks with Overwatch, allowing your Assault to potentially fire twice in a single enemy turn.
* If you leave a soldier cloaked with Ghost Armor for the alien turn, if this triggers it will decloak them, allowing aliens with remaining move to attack them.

'''Bring 'Em On'''
* In contrast, has no range requirement but offers tremendous synergy with the other crit abilities available to an Assault - If you took Aggression and/or Close & Personal, this is a chance to make large dividends on that decision;
* Riflemen with upgraded [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.s]] will similarly get some extra mileage. Just remember that the bonus is based on enemies that the ''squad'' can see, so you may want to have this unit attack before your other soldiers in order to maximize its value.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience'''
|'''Killer Instinct'''
|}
* Again, both choices are great options. This is similar to the choice of Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal in weighing defensive certainty versus major killing power boosts, and should be considered for both weapon types.

'''Resilience'''
* Will turn the Assault Colonel into a brick. Immunity to crits take luck out of the equation and put shotgunners at less risk of being taken out in one fell swoop as they charge in for kill shots.
* Remember that you can briefly duplicate the effect (and more!) with [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]], however.

'''Killer Instinct'''
* The blood-soaked cherry atop the murder sundae that is the critical hit-focused Assault. In concert with Bring 'Em On, your critical hits can exceed 20 damage, regardless of weapon type.
* Even without it, you can make some very aggressive plays with Killer Instinct. Run at full dash to a good position, open up with Rapid Fire and blow a [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]] or [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] away in one fell blow. (Or two, as the case may be.)

===Equipment===
'''Weapons:''' Upgrading your weapons is a fairly significant concern for Assaults, as a base Assault Rifle won't reliably kill even Sectoids or Thin Men. Luckily, riflemen get some freebies from capturing enemies. No such luck for shotgunners, who unfortunately are also 1 step further down the tech tree. If [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifles]] are the most advanced assault rifles you have, give them to Assaults (rather than Supports) in order to offset some of the penalty from Rapid Fire. Shotgunners will also appreciate a decent pistol if you have any to spare, though this is typically a lower priority than giving one to your Sniper.

'''Armor:''' Assaults will be a major part of your front line regardless of their weapon and should get first choice of the most advanced armor you have. [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] is typically your best bet late game, as the [[Cover (EU2012)|defense]] bonus will generally serve you better than the few extra hitpoints of [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]] (though on Council Missions, which are almost exclusively [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]], you may want to stick with giving them Titan Armor). Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray. The +100% crit chance you get from firing while invisible also has great synergy with '''Bring 'Em On''' and '''Killer Instinct'''.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and good secondary users of the [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] if your Support's hands are full. If you don't need either of those, [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vests]] or [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] provide a an extra layer of survivability for shotgunners. Later on they can be upgraded to [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]] to provide massive stat boosts and damage reduction for breaching. Riflemen with Rapid Fire will appreciate a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]], especially with its foundry upgrade. Keep an eye on your unit's Will and use [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shields]] if necessary.

===Gene Mods===

'''Brain'''
Neural Dampening is probably a wiser course than Feedback since Assaults are usually in the midst of your Squad and you don't want your Shotgunner getting MC'd then flattening your Medic who just got finished healing him/her. This is a fairly high priority.

'''Eye'''
Hyper Reactive Pupils will help Shotgunners out when they can't get up close (fire and miss, sure, then get a +10 Aim bonus your next turn). Riflemen will enjoy the added destruction they can cause with Depth Perception. A decent priority, but not insane.

'''Chest'''
A Secondary Heart on your Shotgunners will help for those "whoops" moments, while your squad will reap the benefits of Adrenal Neurosympathy on Riflemen. Adrenal Neurosympathy on Shotgunners isn't as useful since they may or may not be with the rest of the squad.

'''Skin'''
Since Assaults are usually in and amongst the Squad, Bioelectric Skin isn't as useful or necessary. Mimetic Skin will help Riflemen if they're able to sit still. Shotgunners usually move around, or are in inopportune positions for it to be of any use. Since your early Shotgunners may often be the first target for Seekers, they would benefit from Bioelectric, since the strangle attack can easily overcome the meager HP bonus of starting armor, and keep them in the Medbay for the Rapid Healing you can't buy yet. Riflemen have more priority here than Shotgunners.

'''Legs'''
Adaptive Bone Marrow will be of huge help to Tank Shotgunners, while Muscle Fiber Density will help Riflemen get into good positions. Get the Adaptive Bone Marrow on your Tank Shotgunner fast.

===Summary===
Another way to consider your thinking on how to build your Assault Troopers is "Medium Range vs Close-Range". Depending on how you want them to fight, this means choosing either the shotgun weapons for point-blank combat, or giving them rifles to keep your distance from enemy guns. Either way, your Ability choices should match the combat style

Assault troopers with rifles will be better served with Ghost Armor, plus Crit-chance boosting Abilities, and perhaps a Scope. As you will be keeping them just out of range, Close Combat and Close & Personal are less useful to them, and Bring 'Em On helps them get those last few points of damage they'll need to consistently kill aliens.

Meanwhile, an Assault with a Shotgun-type weapon won't benefit as much from defense (aim is calculated with additive/subtractive values: +20 defense on a 130 point shot (ie: 130%-20%=110%) is still a guaranteed shot), and should be equipped to inevitably soak up damage with Archangel or Titan Armor & Chitin Plating (a grand total Armor HP bonus of 18 for a Major or Colonel: two of these on the front lines, under cover, and you may never have to worry about ''any'' soldiers needing time in the Med Bay). As more aliens will move in range, Close Combat Specialist will activate often, and with an Alloy Canon, any alien that tries to run through a door guarded by an Assault Trooper will almost always die. And while Rapid Fire loses a few points on aim, a shotgun-wielding Assault Trooper won't even see that point loss on the aim percentage, when they've got the barrel right in the alien's throat. Plus if Ghosting, and Rapid Fire counting as one move, and the Alloy Cannon, an Assault is capable of doing a "One" Shot Kill against anything, even a [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]], or the [[Uber Ethereal (EU2012)|Uber Ethereal]], even on Impossible.

Lastly, the [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] option "Absolutely Critical" will render all the +Crit Chance abilities redundant for Shotgunners who you play close-quarters tactics with - save for Hardened enemies, which will only have a +10% difference of receiving Critical Hits.

Also: a common Squad formation is two snipers, two support, and either two Assault or an Assault and a Heavy. Heavies with the HEAT ammo ability are a little better at killing mechanized enemies, and tend to be able to do so at a safe distance, while two Assaults are better for killing things all around, as most players will focus heavies on being Anti-Mech Warriors.

[[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] Assault troopers will be easy to train, since their being in the front line means there's always an alien in range to Mindfray (additionally, the reduction to Aim and Move that the alien suffers will help keep your Assault trooper out of danger). As one should always be more proactive with Assault troopers, an assault benefits more from being Psi Inspired rather than Inspiring others, saving his move for attack than defense. It's a toss-up between TK Field and Mind Control: again, defensive TK may be better if someone else does it for him/her, as is MCing, as anyone in range of a close-range focused Assault will probably be in range of the rest of your squad. Perhaps MC is best for a Psi Assault, as while they may miss a turn doing damage, they'll be closer to the rest of the alien squad, and possibly succeed in MCing an alien that will then be flanking the remaining two aliens. The drawback to this is that MCing the rearmost alien carries the risk of activating any other alien squads that were before, just out of range.

EW Supplemental:
Ghost Armor is still problably the armor of choice, especially for Shotgunners. Paired with Bioelectric Skin, this makes them excellent forward scouts, and anti-Seeker units (since they'll then usually be the ones to trigger them). Medals may be more useful for Riflemen Assaults, but redundant for a Shotgunner. Both benefit from Tactical Rigging: the scope can either give another crit boost to a Shotgunner's already high Crit potential, or both aim and crit boot to the Rifleman. Or, if you play Assaults as tanks: Titan Armor, Chitin Plating, Nanofiber Vest/Respirator Implant, and Extra Conditioning means an armor Health bonus of ''twenty'', and Second Heart & Adpative Bone Marrow plus Resilience means you can ''laugh'' at anything and everything thrown at them. Add Neural Feedback, a Mind Shield instead of that +2 health item, and certian Medal choices, and high stats from Not Equal/Hidden Potential, you have a soldier that can go toe-to-toe with Etherials and not even flinch.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Heavy (EU2012)

2013-11-29T15:37:20Z

Leman Russ: /* Gene Mods */

[[File:HEAVIES (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Heavy Squad]][[File: CLASS HEAVY.png|right|frame|64px|Heavy]]
A class specialising in high fire power and area damage with some support capabilities. The Heavy is at its strongest vs mechanical or high health enemies, but can also be really useful in situations were the enemies cluster together. With the heavy damage comes the drawback of high ammo consumption, lower accuracy, limited rockets and the the lack of a side arm.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[LMG (EU2012)|Light Machinegun]], [[Heavy Laser (EU2012)|Heavy Laser]] or [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]].
:'''Secondary Weapon''': [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rocket Launcher]] or [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]]. (Doesn't carry a pistol).

When it comes to abilities, the options are mostly between an improvement for more and powerful rockets/grenades versus a more potent attack with the soldiers primary weapon.
Heavies gain less stats upon promotion than other classes, +10 Aim, +4 HP and +14 Will as Colonel rank.

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:HEAVY FIREROCKET.png|32px|center]]'''Fire Rocket''' ''Fire a rocket using an equipped launcher. This ability can not be used after moving, nor more than once per mission. (6 Damage)''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| [[File:HEAVY BULLETSWARM.png|32px|center]]'''Bullet Swarm''' ''Firing the primary weapon as the first action no longer ends the turn.
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY HOLO.png|32px|center]]'''Holo-Targeting''' ''Shooting at or suppressing enemies also confers a +10 Aim to any allies' attacks on those enemies.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:HEAVY SHREDDER.png|32px|center]]'''Shredder Rocket''' '' Fire a rocket that causes all enemies hit to take +33% damage from all sources for the next 4 turns. The rocket's blast is weaker than a standard rocket's. (4 Damage)''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY SUPPRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Suppression''' ''Can fire a special shot that grants reaction fire at a single target. The target also suffers a -30 Aim penalty.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:HEAVY HEAT AMMO.png|32px|center]]'''HEAT Ammo''' ''+100% to damage against robotic enemies.''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY RAPIDREACTION.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Reaction''' ''Confers a second reaction shot, if on Overwatch and the first reaction shot is a hit.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:HEAVY GRENADIER.png|32px|center]]'''Grenadier''' ''Allows to carry 2 grenades in a single inventory slot.''
| [[File:HEAVY DANGERZONE.png|32px|center]]'''Danger Zone''' ''Increases hit area of rockets and suppression by 2 tiles.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|32px|center]]'''Will to Survive''' ''Reduces all normal damage taken by 2 if in cover and not flanked.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:HEAVY ROCKETEER.png|32px|center]]'''Rocketeer''' ''Allows 1 additional standard rocket to be fired per battle.''
| [[File:HEAVY MAYHEM.png|32px|center]]'''Mayhem''' ''Confers additional damage based on weapon tech level to Suppression and all area-effect abilities.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

* '''Shredder Rocket''' a good opening since it will both destroy [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]] and increase [[Damage (EU2012)|damage]] on all following attacks that turn.
* '''Suppression''' can be used cover another soldier that is moving up on an alien in [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]].
* '''Suppression''' may neutralize a mind-controlled solder long enough to recover him/her.
* '''HEAT Ammo''' applies to all damage dealt by the Heavy (grenades, rockets, Mayhem ...)
* '''Mayhem''' gives +1 damage) for the LMG, +2 for Heavy Laser, and +3 for [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]].
* '''Mayhem''' & '''Danger Zone''' combined with '''Suppression''' will deal area damage to units close to the suppressed one. Useful against aliens in high cover or versus [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]]/[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]] with Drones and does not require the Heavy to hit the shot.
* '''Mayhem''' is also very useful as the killing blow to an alien with almost 0 health since its a 100% guaranteed shot.
* [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]] does not require line of sight, but can be fired around buildings and walls.
* Note that the [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] modifier Not Created Equally is one way to make the Heavy class more useful in the endgame at higher difficulty levels, at the expense of having to hire, screen and fire a lot of soldiers after getting the OTS New Guy perk. Not Created Equally can randomly generate Heavy Squaddies with up to 82 Aim.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
Heavies are the class with the most varied choices: HEAT Ammo, Suppression, Shredder Rocket, etc. making each build an individual taste. You can have an explosives specialist capable of putting out major damage in an area, making big plays to pull your squad out of the fire when XCOM decides to be... well, XCOM. Or you can have a Machinegunner expert that crowds out the Support for his job with Suppression, Bullet Swarm and Rapid Reaction. As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with 65 Aim, Heavies gain significantly less through promotion than their peers. In contrast, his machine gun deals high damage, on par with a sniper rifle or shotgun. These facts, combined with his rocket launcher, make him a terror in the early game but potentially less reliable (and thus less relevant) as it progresses. Between their poor Aim and inability to fire rockets after moving, Heavies are the class most hampered by mobility.

In light of this, beginning players may find explosives-centric heavies preferable. Suppression-focused heavies take a while to come into their own and depend on their squad to provide killing power once they do. Explosives Heavies are somewhat more straightforward to play, and they themselves provide more firepower to carry your team before it becomes a well-oiled x-ray-killing machine.

For psionic Heavies, Mind Control may suit a Heavy better, at least as a distraction to keep them and their cover from being attacked, keeping nearby aliens in position for a Rocket/Blaster attack.

The Rocket Launcher has a potentially useful glitch: when the Heavy takes cover behind walls, particularly corners, a clipping oversight with targeting and the firing animation can allow him/her to step and shoot ''through'' the wall, logic and physics be damned. As long as the shot information says "90%", and the blast radius "bubble" is where you are aiming, it can make the hit.
Similarly: be careful when attempting to shoot either Launcher to target an alien/terrain that's next to your Heavy. The firing animation may make them step into the blast radius.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm'''
|'''Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Either choice will benefit both Heavy builds. Explosive Heavies usually go Bullet Swarm, although Holo-Targeting is also very useful for the rest of the squad to fire against the alien. Machinegunner Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm'''
* Gives tactical flexibility. It allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire. In particular, shooting twice ends up yielding a statistically better chance of hitting a particular alien than Holo-Targeting him and ordering the rest of your Rookies to open fire.
* Also allows other combinations of Fire and Throw Grenade, Fire and Overwatch and (very powerful) Fire and Reload.
* Also, firing twice gives the Heavy two chances to destroy his target's cover; in this event, he has just granted your squad ''more'' than the benefit of Holo-Targeting.
* The downside is its high ammo consumption plus using it can make the Heavy immobile and vulnerable against superior enemies.

'''Holo-Targeting'''
* Applies to both the Machinegun and the Launcher - Heavy shoots/blows cover and marks the remaining aliens for the rest of the team to tag.
* Helps the whole team to focus their firepower on a single alien - it can be very useful in taking down high-threat aliens, regardless of storyline progression.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression'''
|'''Shredder Rocket'''
|}
Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Machinegunner Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets'''
* Useful throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them;
* Shred effect helps with high HP targets;
* The set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture.

'''Suppression'''
* Also a handy utility skill;
* Can be used to pin down an alien and prevent it from moving (and flanking your position). It can also keep melee aliens (Muton Berserkers and Crysalids) stationary and prevent them from charging.
* Suppression will also drop its target's Aim by 30% if it fires against an exposed squadmate.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo'''
|'''Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Machinegunner Heavies can consider Rapid Reaction.

'''HEAT Ammo'''
* Deals extra damage to robotic opponents. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. Anything that hastens Cyberdiscs and Sectopods to their circuity grave is awesome;
* HEAT boosted grenades will make short work of Drones, saving your squad a lot of wasted effort.
* One of few ways to scale your explosives damage, until Blaster Launcher is available;
* If combined with Bullet Swarm, Heavies can dole out massive quantities of damage to robots, and the team can even drop Cyberdiscs and Sectopods in one turn.

'''Rapid Reaction'''
* The complement to HEAT Ammo: an ability for use against weaker enemies as found in Council missions, specially during Overwatch ambushes;
* Rapid Reaction can also be very useful to guard rooms and corridors;
* Be sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way to empty your magazine.
* The AI almost never moves when suppressed, so this has surprisingly little synergy with '''Suppression'''.
* Can give disappointing results given that Heavies have the lowest aim of all the classes, and the first overwatch shot (with its penalty) has to hit in order to trigger the second shot. Consider giving this ability to Heavies with high aim when using the Hidden Potential option in [[Second Wave (EU2012)]].

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier'''
|'''Danger Zone'''
|}
Both types of Heavy like Danger Zone. Explosive Heavies should also consider Grenadier.

'''Grenadier'''
* Locks you into a single item to take advantage of it, but grenades are admittedly useful.
* Make sure you acquire some Alien Grenades if you go this route.
* Consider whether you typically have grenades on any of your other units. If not, giving up a wildly-inaccurate Heavy shot to hurl a grenade is not a big sacrifice by any stretch, and the rest of your squad will thank you for blowing the enemy's cover.
* Similarly, if you think you'd rather Kool-Aid Man through a wall instead of using the door, doing it with a grenade beats burning a rocket on it.

'''Danger Zone'''
* Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but Suppression Heavies being able to AOE suppress enemies is the big payoff.
* AOE Suppression requires fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage it, it's great;
* You can also apply Holo-Targeting to the whole group, turning it into a nice combination. If the rest of the squad can shoot the targets individually, this results in less collateral damage and more recovered weapon fragments in single player.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer'''
|'''Mayhem'''
|}
Explosives Heavies will want Rocketeer. Suppression Heavies should take Mayhem.

'''Rocketeer'''
* Boosts your overall damage output while taking away some of the nerves you get when thinking about whether now is really the best time to shoot your one, single rocket;
* While Mayhem does add some damage to your rockets, Rocketeer ultimately amounts to more damage and gives you more control in how you apply it.

'''Mayhem'''
* The grand finale for the Machinegunner - makes Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies;
* Can be a useful late game way of chipping the health off an enemy you want to capture.
* The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit.
* Despite Rocketeer resulting in more overall rocket damage, Mayhem allows you to apply more damage in one turn. This could makes the difference between ending turn facing a Sectopod on 2 HP, or a dead one. Mayhem allows a HEAT Ammo Heavy to one-shot a Cyberdisc on Classic and Impossible.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' With the Heavy's high base damage, the standard LMG can often one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters on Classic. This means there is no immediate urgency to hasten a Heavy's weapon upgrade over other class-specific weapons. Of course, do upgrade when you can spare the time and resources to keep the Heavy on par with the stronger enemies as they appear.

For a Heavy taking the explosive build route, weapon upgrades do not confer bonus damage on rockets, grenades or suppression until paired with the high ranking ''Mayhem''' perk. Weapon upgrades in this instance will mainly be beneficial for personal defence once their munitions have expired and there are no nearby allies to provide support.

A different approach should be taken for a machinegunner or suppressor build as the primary weapon will be the Heavy's bread and butter weapon.

'''Armor:''' Heavies will typically be near the front of your group, as they need to advance and sit still in order to put rockets where they need to be. As a result, Armor is a fairly big priority for Heavies, and they should be considered after Assaults for cutting edge suits if you can't outfit your full team. Skeleton Armor and Ghost Armor eliminate mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets, flanks, or moving into point-blank range to counteract their lesser Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not always the best choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier grab a Grenade. If you have HEAT ammo and are facing Cyberdiscs/Drones, grab a Grenade. A S.C.O.P.E. can improve the Heavy's low Aim, improving their long range combat effectiveness with the machine gun, making it a useful item for any build except for a Grenadier. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough. Chitin plating serves as a decent extra padding in any instance that requires your Heavy to get very close to the action.

===Gene Mods===

'''Brain'''
Since Heavies aren't as capable of flattening your squad as Assaults are, you can really go either way, depending on the soldier's will.

'''Eyes'''
Gunners will like Depth Perception, while Explosives can get some decent mileage out of Hyper Active Pupils to counter those misses when they're not lobbing explosives or shooting rockets.

'''Chest'''
Can't go wrong either way, here. Keeping your troops alive or expediting the enemy's death, either will be useful since both types of Heavies tend to be in the thick of things.

'''Skin'''
Mimetic Skin will help Gunners get more damage out of their bullets if set up properly. Explosive heavies have set damage so this isn't as useful here. Give your Explosive Heavies Bioelectric Skin just so you can have some Seeker protection in your squad.

'''Legs'''
Gunners will enjoy Muscle Fiber Density for the easier time positioning. Explosive heavies will probably be better off with Adaptive Bone Marrow but it's a bit of a toss up.

===Summary===

Most Commanders will raise their Heavies as machine killers, and room-clearers, particularly for Terror Missions, and those occasions where every enemy in a mission seems to show up at once.

If you don't mind Save Scumming, and have a rocket going off-course (a seeded outcome: it will happen every time): you can manipulate this to still land a rocket precisely where you want it to (it will explode at the same elevation and distance that you aim for, so merely compensate for the angle; roughly 20 degrees).

While their aim starts and ends as the lowest in the game, their capacity for explosives makes their aim semi-irrelevant. Indeed, with Grenadier, and the Blaster Launcher allowing you to place an explosive precisely where you want, they technically have 100% accuracy, and with limited Rocket capacity driving you to conserve rocket shots, those will tend to be the shots that really matter.

With the Supression/Danger Zone/Mayhem combo, you actually ''do'' have an 100% accuracy shot, if a weak one (and a somewhat ammo-costly one. Acquire the Ammo Conservation project to alleviate this, but you should be getting it ASAP anyways). A constant barrage of 3 damage with a Heavy Plasma, and splash damage to neighboring aliens, as well as the aim reduction the targeted aliens will suffer; it's an investment, but a worthy option to consider. Plus HEAT, that's 6 damage to robotic enemies, an excellent way to clear out a Disk or Pod's drones while causing significant damage, and not spend a rocket. The one drawback for this combo is that suppression will lose the ability to destroy cover (which is basically random and near-uncontrollable, anyways, and only happens with Laser or Plasma weaponry)(misses with the normal shot will still have the random chance to destroy cover).

Being only able to carry their main weapon and a limited-use rocket, they actually have significant flexibility with item choice, unless Grenadier is chosen (in contrast, a Commander might never unequip Scopes and Archangel armor from their Snipers, or Medikits from their Supports), as well as armor. A Heavy can therefore function as an alternative to a second Assault, ''or'' a second Support, and their abilities lend to either. For example, Combat Stims and their Will To Survive ability pair well to make Heavies very hard to kill. Chitin plating, Titan Armor, and Bullet Swarm make them Chryssalid & Berserker Killers (and the way those two attack, makes Aim less of an issue), and Archangel armor (or one of the two with the Grappling Hook) can redefine the term "Death from Above."

For UFO assault missions, a Support-centric heavy with Grenadier will allow you multiple, smaller demolitions, rather than risking the larger blast of Danger Zone destroying valuable Elerium generators and navigational computers, but still being able to bring down the hammer in a tough situation.

With the stat-altering Second Wave options (Hidden Potential, Not Created Equal), Heavies can come out of the box with significant to very high Will, as well as good starting Aim, and can receive the same 2-to-12 Will (with OTC's Iron Will) bonus with every level, bringing them back to regular front-line combat readiness in late-game. Their Aim upgrades will still be quite low, though still (potentially) more than without the Second Wave options.

As they have a mix of skills that work either as secondary Support or secondary Assault, and unspectacular leveling will scores, a Psi Heavy also works either way with support or offensive Psi skills, and again comes down to personal playing style. Inspiration and TK Field help him help others, while MCing an alien lowers the odds of your Psi heavy being shot at (and risking his cover being destroyed), keeping him safe to launch a rocket next turn, if you had to move to get into range this turn. Plus Ghost Armor, a Mind Shield, and damage-focused abilities, an Inspiration/MC Psi Heavy can be devastating to alien squads, even on his own (a good candidate for the Lone Wolf achievement on a Small Scout).

EW Supplemental:
Tactical Rigging, Shredder Rocket, Rocketeer, Grenadier, alien grenades, Blaster Launcher, HEAT: 66 damage (minimum) per mission to Mechtoids, Seekers, Cyberdisks, and Sectopods. '''Boom.'''

If you like the Supression/Danger Zone/Mayhem combo, the Second Wave option of Training Roulette will make it very unlikely to get, as well as the potential loss of HEAT (on top of the nerfing of Heat itself) hurts their potential to fight mechanical enemies... enemies such as the Mechtoid and the Seeker, and the defense-boosted Sectopod.

==See Also==

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Reaper Rounds (EU2012)

2013-11-29T05:58:31Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[File:Reaper Rounds (EU2012).png|right|100px|Reaper Rounds]]
Experimental ballistics have led to this specialized conventional weapon load. It can cause substantial extra damage to affected targets, but the additional casing elements make it less accurate at long range. The rounds will not work with pistols, though.
*Affects conventional weapons only
*Adds 20% to critical chance against organic targets
*Doubles the weapon's range penalty
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}
'''Notes'''
{{Item Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=[[Experimental Warfare (EU2012)|Experimental Warfare]]
|costs=§30, 6 Engineers
|abilities/stats=+20% Critical Chance
}}
* This item is a must for Assaults, Supports and Heavies to use at close and even medium ranges, especially when facing [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]].
* Snipers with Squad Sight are not hampered by weapon range penalty, although Squad Sight still prevents the crit bonus. However, the bonus will be applied if enemies move within visual range or if Headshot is used with Squad Sight, allowing for an even higher crit chance.
* Soldiers will not be able to equip this weapon if they are using Laser or Plasma tech weapons. If Reaper Rounds are equipped, switching to non-conventional weapons will automatically unequip Reaper Rounds. 
* Extensive use of Reaper Rounds can mitigate the need to pound out Laser Weapons technology in the early days of the game.

<noinclude>
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Equipment (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Site Recon (EU2012)

2013-11-29T05:54:31Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Mission Intro, Brief & Objectives }}
[[File:Site Recon (EU2012).png|200px|right|]]
Our sources report a developing incident in Newfoundland, up the coast from St. John's. A fishing village has gone dark; reports from intel sources suggest alien involvement. We should send in a team to investigate the site and figure out what happened.

The fishing village still shows no signs of life. The nature of the aliens' involvement is unknown, as is the type and level of resistance. Extreme caution is warranted.
*Investigate the site
*Identify and eliminate all opposition
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}

'''Notes'''
*This mission involves a [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] hive. C-Hive is always the first [[The Council (EU2012)|Council]] mission after you fight Chryssalids for first time (in other words: anytime after your first Terror Mission). After that, it becomes a random Council [[Missions (EU2012)#Council Missions|mission]] like the others.
*To complete the mission you'll need to move a soldier to the ship's bridge and activate the transponder. Afterwards your squad will have 8 turns to get back to the Skyranger deployment zone. Any soldiers left outside after that timer will be killed by the air strike that will take place afterwards.
*As the whole area is carpet-bombed into oblivion, you will ''not'' be receiving a massive surplus of Chryssalid corpses for sale and resources.
*You will only face Chryssalids and Zombies on this mission. Equip accordingly.

'''Tactics'''
*There are a few scattered Zombies along the way; best to destroy them, lest you get blindsided by a Chryssalid coming from behind, such as the one in the first large building, and another outside "inland" from it in a narrow corridor.
*Any hanging fish/sharks may also release the Krak-- Chryssalid. Some may wait until the transponder activation and trigger on your way out.
**You can preemptively destroy the hanging fish/sharks with a cover destroying attack to kill the Chryssalids inside.
**Chryssalids can't attack on the turn they hatch.
* When going for the transponder, send a unit or two to the transponder and have the rest cover the ship's hold. The Chryssalids will only spawn one at a time for the first few turns, so you should have no trouble at first killing them as they appear.
* You shouldn't have too much trouble reaching the extraction zone in the time allowed, but you'll still need to do a lot of dashing.
** Remember there's nothing but Chryssalids here so you don't need to use cover as you run.
** Chryssalids spawn at the ship in increasing numbers as time goes on - luckily you should be at the extraction zone before the waves that spawn 3 at a time can catch up to you.
** Keep your squad together unless you're really short on time. If you let some soldiers fall behind and they have to spend actions defending themselves, it'll only cost you more time.
* You're only fighting Chryssalids and you don't get any artifacts at the end anyways. Have fun with those explosives, Commander!
<noinclude>
 
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}

[[Category:Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category:Missions (EU2012)]]
[[Category:Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Covert Operations (EU2012)

2013-11-29T05:11:38Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[Image:Security Breach Trailer 1 (EU2012).png|right|300px|Security Breach Trailer]]
#EXALT operates with cells. Initiate covert ops missions to neutralize individual cells. Eliminating those cells will recover intel you will need to locate the EXALT base.
#EXALT cells are not always visible. Purchase an intel scan to reveal them. Hidden cells can hurt XCOM or the countries they are operating in.
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}
 

To stop a revealed EXALT cell, XCOM may perform a Covert Operation on the country where the cell is based. There are two types of Covert Missions, [[Covert Extraction (EU2012)|Covert Extraction]] and [[Covert Data Recovery (EU2012)|Covert Data Recovery]], with about 10 [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] for each type (20 total). There's no [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] present in Covert Missions maps. There is also no way to know which type of tactical mission you will have at the end.

The mission consists of two parts, first the insertion of one of XCOM's soldiers as a [[Covert Operative (EU2012)|Covert Operative]] (through the [[Situation Room (EU2012)|Situation Room]]) and later 7 days later its extraction through a tactical [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]]. If the tactical mission is ignored after the XCOM [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] is inserted, the Covert Operative will be lost. If the Covert Mission is a failure the EXALT cell will disappear and go into hiding into another country.

Besides elimination of the EXALT cell, success in the mission will provide a clue about the location of the EXALT base, and -1 Panic to that country.

====EXALT Base Location====
Every successful mission where you recover EXALT intel will give a clue about the EXALT Base. In the Covert Operations menu, you can see the clues, as well as markings on the countries that have been ruled out (and don't worry: it's automatic, so you don't need to hit Wikipedia for population statistics or Civ 5's civilizations) Once you get 3 clues you may make an accusation (raid) against a country. If the accusation is correct then you'll be able to [[EXALT Base Raid (EU2012)|assault]] their base and end their menace for good.

If you're wrong the country will leave the [[The Council (EU2012)|Council]]. You can get additional clues to narrow it to a single country.

If you accuse a country which already left the Council, the penalty for guessing wrong is a continent-wide panic increase.

'''EXALT Base Clues'''
*The EXALT base is not in the United States.
*The EXALT base is not in Canada.
*The EXALT base is not in Mexico.
*The EXALT base is not in the United Kingdom.
*The EXALT base is not in Russia.
*The EXALT base is not in France.
*The EXALT base is not in Germany.
*The EXALT base is not in China.
*The EXALT base is not in Japan.
*The EXALT base is not in India.
*The EXALT base is not in Australia.
*The EXALT base is not in Argentina.
*The EXALT base is not in Brazil.
*The EXALT base is not in Egypt.
*The EXALT base is not in South Africa.
*The EXALT base is not in Nigeria.
*The EXALT base is not in an English speaking country. (is not USA, UK, Canada and Australia)
*The EXALT base is not in an island country. (not Australia, Japan or UK)
*The EXALT base is east of the Atlantic Ocean. (is not USA, Canada, Mexico, Brasil and Argentina)
*The EXALT base is not in North America.
*The EXALT base is not in Asia.
*The EXALT base is not in Europe.
*The EXALT base is not in South America.
*The EXALT base is not in Africa.
*The EXALT base is not in a country with any territory in the Arctic Circle. (is not USA, Canada or Russia)
*The EXALT base is not in one of the world's 5 most populous countries. (is not China, India, USA or Brazil - the missing one is Indonesia, in case you're asking)
*The EXALT base is not in one of the two Cold War superpowers. (is not USA or Russia)
*The EXALT base is in a country you can play in Civilization 5. (is not Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Nigeria or Australia)
 
<noinclude>
{{EXALT (EU2012)}}
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: EXALT (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Missions (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Covert Operative (EU2012)

2013-11-29T05:09:42Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Keys to Cover Operative Deployment }}
[[Image:Security Breach Trailer 2 (EU2012).png|right|300px|Security Breach Trailer]]
# Covert operatives are limited to pistols; pistol tech and [[Foundry (EU2012)|Foundry]] upgrades may be useful.
# Covert operatives have a powerful in-mission ability. "EXALT Comm Hack". If you can find an EXALT comm array, you covert operative can hack it, disabling all EXALT forces weapons for a short time.
# [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] soldiers and [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MEC Troopers]] are ineligible for covert ops duty.
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}

==Tactical Advice==
Your Covert Operative is any of your soldiers. Who you choose is entirely up to you. However, because they cannot use Pistols, Heavies and MECs are excluded. Everyone else however is fair game. When you go to retrieve the Covert Operative (and his or her extremely valuable data), you will play a tactical mission, with the Covert Operative included. The Covert Operative does NOT count in your squad makeup, thus giving you another soldier on the field, which is nice since EXALT is nothing if not numerous at times. However, the Operative does not start with your main squad and is usually some distance away.

Because Covert Ops are limited to the Pistol, the Foundry upgrades can make a big difference. Make sure they're equipped with your best model. Tactical Rigging can also help them out quite a bit as well.

===Who to Bring===
All three eligible classes (Assaults, Snipers and Supports) can be equally viable candidates for being a Covert Operative. Though depending on the Commander, one may be better than the others.

====Assaults====
Assaults can have good mobility thanks to Run and Gun allowing them to join up with the main squad faster and still shoot or be put into Overwatch. Likewise, Run and Gun allows you to knock out EXALT Comm Relays from farther away. Furthermore, all of their abilities make up for their lack of a main weapon and/or armor, making them much more viable in the ensuing firefight. As a result, Assaults are always safe bets, no matter how they're configured.

====Snipers====
Although Snipers have a little less Health than other Soldiers, if the Sniper in question has Gunslinger they are an exceedingly powerful Covert Operative. Gunslinger can put the damage of Pistols on par with regular weapons, making it a reliable form of damage. No other ability can increase the combat effectiveness of your Operative in such a broad, far reaching manner. You can't go wrong with a Gunslinger Sniper. Additionally, Low Profile will help with the survivability of the Operative. If a Sniper doesn't have Gunslinger, you should probably leave them in the main squad.

====Supports====
Sprinter will help the Operative move around without the benefit of advanced armors, while Deep Pockets gives more item usages. The main benefit however, of having a Support Operative is if you send one of your Medics as the Operative. This allows you to pack a little more firepower in your main squad since your Medic is already going to be in the mission. Just make sure you have a backup Medic or hope you get lucky in the 3 or 6 days it takes before you can get him back. In addition, the Medic can do a better job of staying alive should he take some fire.

====Rank====
While the lack of a main weapon and armor means you probably want to send your highest ranked soldiers undercover, this isn't a must. In fact, it can be a good idea to send a lower ranked soldier and give him or her some free kills. Since the Covert Operative is an extra and free soldier on the ground, your A-Team Colonels or Majors can soften up the EXALT troops while your Squaddie or Corporal Covert Operative picks them off for some free kills.

====Psionics====
If you've gotten Psionics and EXALT is still around, It doesn't hurt to bring a Psionic to Mindfray whenever you can instead of having to utilize your Pistol.

===What to Bring===
Your Operative should always be equipped with the best Pistol you can produce. As for items, a Medkit is a good idea if they take some fire and are still far away from your main Medic. A S.C.O.P.E is a good idea, but should be left at home once you have Improved Pistol I and II, since they do not stack. The HP items do not work on Covert Operatives and thus should be left as well. Because EXALT Weapons are simply aesthetically different versions of your own, a Grenade isn't a bad idea since blowing EXALT troops up means you're not missing out on anything important. In fact, blowing up EXALT gives you Weapons Fragments which are useful for your research.

===How to Bring===
If you've got Gene Mods, some Gene Mods are very useful on your Operatives. Mimetic Skin can keep your Operative from getting mowed down in an extreme firefight. Muscle Fiber Density can help with mobility. Secondary Heart keeps your Operative alive if you make a costly mistake, which can save you from immediately failing the mission.

 
<noinclude>
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
{{EXALT (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: EXALT (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Defense Matrix (Dodge) (EU2012)

2013-11-29T04:07:26Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[File:DEFENSE MATRIX (EU2012).png|100px|right|Defense Matrix (Dodge)]]
Activate this module during interception to provide an immediate, temporary boost to our unit's evasive ability. The matrix will burn out after one use. Floater adaptive reflex technology was surprisingly compatible with our satellite systems, allowing us to predict enemy firing solutions.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}

==Notes==
*The Defense Matrix guarantees the next two shots fired at you miss.
*Perhaps the most useful module of the three, since guaranteeing a miss on you is far more valuable than guaranteeing a hit on the enemy (even Avalanche Missiles have an average hit rate of 70%).
*You'll rarely (if ever) need to use this on a Firestorm, but it will allow your Interceptors to stay in the fight a little bit longer before you need to pull them out, especially when larger UFOs start to be fielded, which can fire a lot more than you can.
*Defense Matrices require 3 Floater Corpses to make.
*If you have Enemy Within, instead of the next two shots missing, the next two shots that would have normally hit will now be misses. If the shot misses anyways, the "charge" is not used.

{{Craft Armaments (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Aircraft (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Meld (EU2012)

2013-11-29T03:57:42Z

Leman Russ:

[[Image:Meld 2 (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld Molecule]]
The '''Meld''' is an alien substance introduced on [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within]] whose precise origin and composition are unknown but which allows the [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] to perform cybernetic and genetic modifications on life forms, including humans. After its recovery from a battlefield and upon completing the necessary Research, the Meld can be used by XCOM to transform [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] into [[Mech Trooper (EU2012)|Mech Troopers]] or to perform [[Gene Mods (EU2012)|genetic augmentation]] on different parts of their bodies.

The Meld will mainly be recovered from the aliens, during Abductions or UFO missions, where there will be canisters spread around randomly on the battlefield. The containers are equipped with self-destruction devices with timers so it will be necessary to reach the canisters before time runs out to capture the substance. Explosions, and misses from any sufficiently powerful weapon may also destroy it.

Certain aliens ([[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoid]] and [[Heavy Floater (EU2012)|Heavy Floater]]) will also provide small quantities of Meld with their corpses, upon
completion of a mission.

==Tactical Advice==
The biggest question of most Commanders is, MEC Troopers or Gene Mods? Both are powerful additions to your squad and you can't go wrong with either, however there ups and downs to both. You can easily do both, however, though it will limit both.
===General===
Collecting large quantities of Meld is easy early on when Abduction Missions still occur. Once Abductions no longer happen, the amount of Meld you get falls considerably. While shot down UFOs and certain enemies provide some, it isn't nearly as much as the routine Abductions. With there usually being about 2 or 3 Abductions a month, this eventually becomes a significant amount of Meld no longer acquired.

Meld bonuses are mutually exclusive. A MEC Trooper cannot have Gene Mods, and a Gene Modded soldier will lose his or her Gene Mods if turned into a MEC, wasting the Meld already invested into the soldier. Plan accordingly.

===Gene Mods===
Gene Mods are passive powers and bonuses added to a soldier.
====Pros====
* Cheap. Fully outfitting a soldier with 5 gene mods costs between 60 and 110 Meld, depending on which Gene Mods are chosen.
** This is of course provided you don't switch mods.
* Passive. All of the Gene Mod abilities are passive bonuses which apply when certain conditions are met, meaning you don't have to make any changes to your game play.
* Same Soldier, just better. A Gene Modded Sniper is still a Sniper. You don't have to sacrifice your kick butt Sniper to make them better with your Meld.
* Adjustable. If you picked the wrong mod, found out you really don't like that mod or the mod is no longer as necessary on that soldier, you can change it.
** Be careful though as this can be expensive. It's best if you choose your mods and stick with them.
====Cons====
* Items, armors and class abilities can give some of the same perks as Gene Mods can without putting a soldier out of action for 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 days and using up Meld and Credits.
** Although in many cases, Gene Mods can add to or complement many these perks. For example, Archangel Armor and Muscle Fiber Density. The Gene Mod allows a soldier to get into the high ground just as easily as the Archangel Armor or Grappling Hook armors can, but on flatter maps, the Archangel Armor can still give you the needed height bonus.
* Time. For every mod you put on a soldier, they will be unable to do a mission for 3 days. If you stick all 5 mods on at once, the soldier will be out of action for 15 days.
===MEC Trooper===
By making a soldier into a MEC Trooper, they become an entirely new class.
====Pros====
* Destructive. MEC Troopers have a number of powerful area of effect and cover busting abilities. Some of these aren't limited by item usage like rockets and grenades are.
** Be careful as some of these might hurt your own troops.
* Tough. MEC Suits provide massive health bonuses allowing the MEC Trooper to take an obscene amount of punishment before having to go into the infirmary, let alone be killed. This is on top of a hefty Will bonus making it even harder to kill them.
* Powerful. MEC Trooper guns are quite powerful compared to other guns.
* Three words: Alien Face Punching.
====Cons====
* '''''EXPENSIVE'''''. Although it only costs 10 Meld to make a MEC Trooper, it costs 200 Meld to give them a Level 3 Paladin suit (40 for the Warden, 60 for the Sentinel, 100 for the Paladin).
* Fire Magnet. Remember how you felt the first time you saw a Sectopod? The enemy has the same reaction. With a level 3 Paladin suit, the MEC has only 20 defense. To make matters worse, they can't go into cover, making them very tempting targets.
* No Psionics. MECs cannot be Psionics and Psionics cannot be MECs.

==Notes==
[[Image:Meld (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld Canister with 5 turns remaining]]
* Meld is composed of organic nanomachines and needs to be researched ([[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]]) to be used.
* Meld cannot be sold at the [[Grey Market (EU2012)|Grey Market]].
* All the [[Alien Abductions (EU2012)|abductions]] and UFO [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] have been redesigned to include 2 Meld canisters.
* The 2 [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] canisters need to be captured during a certain timeframe, otherwise they will self-destruct forcing a player to move swiftly to find and capture them. 1 canister is located on a location easy to reach, another in a hard location. The canisters can be hidden to force a player to look for them.
** Additionally, the Canisters are reported to spawn once per applicable map per playthrough: there will only be a certain number of canisters in a given campaign (unconfirmed - see [http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/22/4643478/xcom-enemy-within-gamescom-2013-garth-deangelis]).
* When Meld canisters self-destruct they will explode and cause [[Damage (EU2012)|damage]] to any player units nearby.
* Meld canisters can be destroyed with explosives.
* When you kill all [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] on a mission you'll automatically recover any intact Meld containers, including still hidden ones.
* The Meld can be used to create either [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MEC Troopers]] (a new [[Classes (EU2012)|class]]) or to genetically increase any class abilities ([[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]]).
[[File:Meld Icon (EU2012).png|right|200px|Meld]]
** In consideration of the limited number of Canisters, it's also been revealed that this leads to a choice of quality vs quantity for how you will spend the upgrades.
* The Meld also brings 2 new [[ XCOM_Headquarters_(EU2012)#Base_Expansion|base facilities]]: [[Genetics Lab (EU2012)|Genetics Lab]] and [[Cybernetics Lab (EU2012)|Cybernetics Lab]]. Both cost §50 and require 3 power and 10 days to build. The Cybernetics Labs count as [[Workshop (EU2012)|workshops]] and the Genetics Lab with [[Laboratory (EU2012)|Laboratories]] for adjacency bonus.
** For consideration on building them early or late; whether you want 5 engineers, or low-level MEC troopers, with what limited resources you'll have early on, for example.
** There are reflective Meld 'crystals' in the [[XCOM HQ (EU2012)|Ant Farm]] view. Zooming in on them, angled facets show a brick wall with a window, facets facing the camera seem to be reflecting a sprite of a green-irised eye.
* There is a small tutorial (optional) to show how Meld works.
*Some aliens, particulary Mechtoids and Heavy Floaters, do drop small quantities of Meld, as well.
* Meld also seems one of the items recoverable after you've completed the [[Storyline Missions (EU2012)#Assault Alien Base|Alien Base]] mission.
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Alien Artifacts (EU2012)]]

Support (EU2012)

2013-11-29T02:49:41Z

Leman Russ: /* Summary */

[[File:SUPPORTS (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Support Squad]][[File: CLASS SUPPORT.png|right|frame|64px|Support]]
A flexible class focusing on squad defence, medic or fire support. Highly mobile and useful for setting up [[Flanking (EU2012)|flank]] attacks, or defending flanks. Its drawback being the lack of high damage attacks and low crit chance.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifles]], [[Laser Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Rifles]], [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifles]] & [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifles]]
:'''Secondary Weapon''': [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The bonus in stats gained through rank promotions will give the Support a total of +24 Aim points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will.

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SUPPORT SMOKEGRENADE.png|32px|center]]'''Smoke Grenade''' ''Deploy a smoke grenade once per mission. The smoke confers +20 defense to all units, not just allies, and lasts during the enemy turn.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| [[File:SUPPORT SPRINTER.png|32px|center]]'''Sprinter''' ''Allows the support to move 3 additional tiles.''
| [[File:SUPPORT COVERINGFIRE.png|32px|center]]'''Covering Fire''' ''Allows reaction shot to trigger on enemy attacks, not just movement.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:SUPPORT FIELDMEDIC.png|32px|center]]'''Field Medic''' ''Allows medikits to be used 3 times per battle instead of once.''
| [[File:SUPPORT SMOKEMIRRORS.png|32px|center]]'''Smoke and Mirrors''' ''Allows 1 additional use of Smoke Grenade each mission.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:SUPPORT REVIVE.png|32px|center]]'''Revive''' ''Allows Medikits to revive critically wounded Soldiers at 33% of maximum health instead of just stabilizing them.
| [[File:SUPPORT RIFLESUPPRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Rifle Suppression''' ''Fires a barrage that pins down a target, granting reaction fire against it and imposing a 30 penalty to aim.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:SUPPORT DENSESMOKE.png|32px|center]]'''Dense Smoke''' ''Smoke Grenades have increased area of effect and further increase units' Defense by 20.''
| [[File:SUPPORT COMBATDRUGS.png|32px|center]]'''Combat Drugs''' ''Smoke Grenades now contain powerful stimulants that grant +20 Will and +10% Critical Chance for all units in the cloud.'' (Also grants +20 Aim Bonus)
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SUPPORT DEEPPOCKETS.png|32px|center]]'''Deep Pockets''' ''Confers an additional item slot in inventory. ''In Enemy Within, tha ability is chanaged to grant +1 charge to limited use equipment like Grenades and Medkits''''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:SUPPORT SAVIOR.png|32px|center]]'''Savior''' ''Medikits restore 4 more health per use.''
| [[File:SUPPORT SENTINEL.png|32px|center]]'''Sentinel''' ''Allows two reaction shots during Overwatch, instead of only one.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

'''Smoke Grenade'''
:*Smoke Grenades mean the difference between life and death in the game due to the Defense bonus it provides. Later they can carry '''Combat Drugs''' switching their role for an offensive one.
:*Supports can carry an additional Smoke Grenade with '''Smoke and Mirrors''' but they'll forgo the additional [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikit]] usage.
:*'''Dense Smoke''' doubles the Defense to +40, giving units on the cloud the equivalent to full [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]]. If already in full cover the bonus can increase to +80 or more.
:*'''Combat Drugs''' is also a great ability specially when setting ambushes to advancing aliens or if you can plan the cloud deployment in advance. It can also be used to counter Will losses coming from Psionic attacks in the late game stage.

'''Additional Notes'''
* Support abilities upgrades are centered on medical, scout and sentry roles.
* The '''Field Medic''' perk dramatically improves the effectiveness of Medikits, tripling the number of uses. '''Savior''' further improves medikit effectiveness, and '''Revive''' can allow the Medikit to bring critically wounded soldiers back in to the fight.
* The '''Sprinter''' perk and additional smoke capacity makes for a good scout.
* '''Combat Drugs''' smoke gives an undocumented +20 to [[Aim (EU2012)|aim]], and ''loses'' its defensive benefit.
* Support's two other specialized abilities are '''Rifle Suppression''', allowing scouts or sentries to support attacks and '''Covering Fire''' (making it the only class that can react to enemy fire on [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]]).
* '''Covering Fire''' reaction shot will be fired after enemy's shot. In EW, reaction shot will occur before the enemy's shot.
* '''Covering Fire''' gives reaction shot against grenades, etc...
<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
Supports aren't ''sexy'' in the way that the other classes are, but they do bring a lot more to the table than many realize. Their Aim and HP are both on par with Assaults, giving them comparable offense for the early portion of the game. On top of that, they have great mobility, effective damage mitigation and healing, and get the opportunity to bring 2 Items along for unparalleled customization. It is not by any means a bad decision to bring a pair of Supports on a mission as you expand your squad, and it can be very helpful to do so on long missions such as the Alien Base or lengthy UFO assaults.
There are 3 main paths while choosing perks for Support soldiers rather than the common 2 of the other classes. Those can be combined together in several combinations, although the choice is between specialization vs. flexibility.
* Scout. '''Sprinter''', '''Smoke and Mirrors''' and '''Dense Smoke'''
* Tactical Officer: '''Covering Fire''', '''Rifle Suppression''' and '''Sentinel'''
* Medic: '''Field Medic''', '''Revive''', '''Combat Drugs''' and '''Savior'''

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}

'''Sprinter''' gives an incredible amount of mobility to set up flanks. While the Assault's Run & Gun accomplishes this as well, Sprinter also helps set up grenades, stuns, or Medikit use.

'''Covering Fire''' is essentially an upgrade to the Overwatch ability of your Support to restrict enemy actions. It can be also useful for a Medic since its role is usually more of a sentry unit and Covering Fire grants more Overwatch options. However, this ability is only useful if activated when the soldier can already see an enemy. In this case, it is more effective to simply shoot rather than go on overwatch and shoot on the aliens' turn with a penalty. The usefulness of Covering Fire is therefore a little questionable.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to repair some/all damage to your squad after a major fight or when things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Depending on the opposition level it is normal to see 1-2 Medikits on squads so this skill is one of the most important to have present on any squad.

'''Smoke and Mirrors''' is, under ideal circumstances, better than Field Medic, as avoiding shots is preferable to healing (some of) the damage from a shot. The issue with this is that you're playing without a safety net, so if you don't use smokes effectively (or you deploy them correctly and the enemy shots connect anyway, or, as is more often the case in the later parts of the game, the enemy decides to lob a grenade at you), you're not going to find yourself in a good position. A side benefit of choosing Smoke and Mirrors is that you will never feel bad about packing an Arc Thrower, so consider that flexibility when making your decision.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}

'''Rifle Suppression''' is a great utility skill, keeping your squad safe from return fire and locking enemies in position. While Heavies can get Suppression as well (earlier, and with more ways to augment it), this is a great ability for Supports working as Scouts to have as well since they allow to lock newly seen aliens.

'''Revive''' is a useful skill but that can be tricky to use. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you can't protect the revived soldier from any alien shots then it will be killed and most likely your Medic with it afterwards. And if later the soldier will further require more healing before it can be relied not to die with a single shot. Sometimes it may just be better to stabilize the unit rather than revive him/her.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
Defense vs Offense choice.

'''Dense Smoke''' is a huge defensive bonus that will make units in any kind of cover nearly untouchable. The catch to this is that after the appearance of Mutons, aliens will start carrying grenades. And any time they decide they don't like their odds to hit, they're liable to hurl a grenade instead. This will do 5 damage to one or more unit and set you up for further pain by destroying your cover. This is a Very Bad Thing. Aside from that quirk, this is, again, a huge defensive bonus.

'''Combat Drugs''' provides a powerful boost to your Will and a small one to Crit Chance. And while this isn't listed, it loses its defense bonus and gets +20 Aim bonus instead (this might be a bug, but it works this way now). Since the smoke lasts to next your turn, you can benefit from the Aim bonus twice. Will bonus could be helpful when you want defense from Sectoid commanders or Ethereals, or using psi attacks against high will targets.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic (and Revive) very effectively, and with the Improved Medikit project from the Foundry will give a unit 30HP worth of total healing to hand out. This is a huge boost to your longevity, marking almost double the healing even if you already have the Foundry Project. Perhaps more importantly, this 8-10 HP will often counteract an entire shot's worth of damage. After all, healing a solider from 1 HP to 7HP does you no good if incoming attacks are dealing 9.

'''Sentinel''' combines with Covering Fire and Rifle Suppression for a sentry unit that will shoot twice at any aliens that move or fire within its field of vision.

===Equipment===
'''Weapons:''' Generally your Supports will be using your Assault's leftovers. Because they have no ability to increase their damage output, you'll need good weapons to make up for it. Unlike the Heavy, they have very few non-primary-weapon damage or utility, so unless you're planning on using Suppression every turn, you'll need to stay up to speed here.

'''Armor:''' Again, probably playing second banana to the Assault. With Sprinter, Supports don't have a huge need for Skeleton Suits during the mid game, and later on a case can be made for Titan Armor. Ghost is still preferable in the long run, but given how expensive it is, Titan is not a poor alternative while you scrape together resources.

'''Item:''' If you took Field Medic and/or Savior, you'll be carrying a Medikit. Sprinters are the best choice to use Arc Throwers, and with fast armor the Support will have an easy time getting into range. Chitin Plating helps to counteract the Support's lack of defensive talents, and does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psionic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

===Gene Mods===

====Brain====
Like other classes, the brain mod should depend on the Will. Higher Will Supports can get Neural Feedback, while lower ones should get Neural Dampening.
====Eyes====
Not a huge priority here since Supports aren't your first choice to blow an enemy away. If you've taken Sentinel, Hyper-Reactive Pupils will help with that second Overwatch shot if the first one misses. Depth Perception is never a bad choice for anyone.
====Chest====
Adrenal Neurosympathy can be a good choice on Supports by having your support polish off a nearly dead enemy at the start of your turn then having the rest of your squad go to town. As always, Secondary Heart never hurt anyone. Especially if you forgot to bring a second medkit and your medic went down, it gives you two more turns to finish the mission before losing your soldier.
====Skin====
Since most other classes probably benefit more from Mimetic Skin then they do Bioelectric Skin, it wouldn't hurt to have Bioelectric Skin on your "stuffed into the middle of the party" supports to keep Seekers at bay and help scout.
====Legs====
Muscle Fiber Density will help your medic move around and your Sprinter get to Civilians on terror missions. Adaptive Bone Marrow can help keep your medic alive without having to waste medkit uses on him or herself.

===Summary===

As discussed, you can mix and match to suit personal play style to Scouting, Medic, and Tactics. Field Medic is ideal for early on, when most soldiers are one or two hits away from death anyways, while it become less important as you get better armors and more HP. Smoke & Mirrors and Dense Smoke will help you from getting hit at all, while Combat Drugs may help with not getting ''fired at'' at all, by helping other soldiers kill aliens first. Ghost Armor is easily the best for Support troopers, as the add to move and grappling hook help get into position, Ghosting lets you get right next to aliens, and landing a shot while Ghosting is a guaranteed Critical. Getting Field Medic almost "forces" you to save one inventory slot for the Medkit, but plus Ghost Armor, and the Deep Pocket slot for a Scope, that makes Support pretty damn good at fighting Thin Men during your monthly(ish) Council Missions. Otherwise, Chitin Plating is a good choice, as it gives an extra 4 HP, though the "50% reduction to Melee" may not come up often for them. Sentinel may help your Support soldiers do more damage, while Savior, plus the Medkit Foundry upgrade, means +10HP a heal. Sentinel and Cover Fire gets two shots to an attacking alien during Overwatch: with laser/plasma rifles, the first shot may destroy the alien's cover, making the second a critical hit (though both may hit, both may miss, etc...).

Psi Support: it seems as if Support troopers do not get the greatest of starting or leveling Will scores, so their role as support is expressed here. Mind Fray assist your front-line troops, naturally. Psi Panic may not be good for them, as since Supports are mid-range fighters, a Panic Attack will probably make the affected alien attack your forward Assault or Heavy, so again, Psi Inspiration as a support role is probably best. MC or TK is again, per preference: TK Field is good as, if you didn't get Smoke and Mirrors for that second Smoke Grenade, or got Combat Drugs (with reportedly ''loses'' the +20 Defense, while Dense Smoke makes it a +40 Defense item), acts as a regenerating defense field, and also, unlike the smoke grenades, doesn't help any aliens that happen to be in range of the effect. The downside is that TK field lasts 1 turn, while Smoke Grenades last two, but as your mid-line soldier, a TKing Support might cover your entire squad. Mind Control helps 'add a volunteer' for your squad, but probably only the forwardmost alien will be in range, which if MCed, will almost always be killed by its former squadmates behind it.

That being said, Supports often make for good, safe choices for the Volunteer, since they don't usually rely as much on the quirks of their end game armor like other classes do (eg: Shotgun Assaults using Ghost Armor to flatten an enemy, or Squadsight Snipers using Archangel Armor to hover out of reach). As a result, they won't be as seriously handicapped for the final mission when they're forced into the (when compared to other end game armors) lackluster Psi Armor. As an added bonus, with the benefit of Deep Pockets, you can give them Mind Shields without, again, seriously hampering them.

EW Supplemental:
Supports may benefit the most from EW's changes, from Gene Mods and medals making them more sure hitters, to Training Roulette potentially giving them more damage-boosting abilities, such as the Heavy's HEAT Ammo (+50% against mechanical enemies), or a Sniper's Gunslinger (+2 to Pistol). The more curious change is that of Tactical Rigging; before, the second item slot being exclusive to Support is now an across-the-board Foundry Project, their own Deep Pockets actually work in sympathy to this, giving one more use to limited-use items. This makes them a very flexible potential "Carry" unit. With Training Roulette, you may not get the Medikit abilities anymore, so be wary if you usually assign them as Medics with this option on. They still do get Deep Pockets, so it may not be as crippling. If they happen to get Grenadier, you may end up with your Scout carrying up to 6 grenades (and with Alien Grenades, that means 30 spreadable points of damage that also take out an enemy's cover). As Supports tend to be played as mid-range fighters, Adrenal Neruosypmathy may be the best choice for them: when they do score a kill, they're the most likely to be in the place to affect the whole squad, thus letting your team to ''slaughter'' Alien and EXALT forces.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Titan Armor (EU2012)

2013-11-29T02:27:46Z

Leman Russ: /* Notes */

{{Ref Open | title =Titan Armor }}[[File:Titan Armor Research (EU2012).png|right|100px|]]
Among the heaviest of our body armor prototypes, the "Titan" armor makes use of the alien element known as [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] to provide a continual powered assist to the operator of this suit as they move through the battlefield. With the element in short supply, we've tried to find the most efficient means to utilize it in our development programs. In this case, the Elerium power cell is used to fuel an integrated cooling system designed to minimize fatigue by regulating the operator's body temperature. This system gives the Titan Armor the added benefit of increased resistance to environmental hazards, particularly fire and poison damage.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) [[Research (EU2012)|Research]] Archives}}
{{Ref Open | title = Description }} [[Image:TITAN ARMOR (EU2012).png|right|100px|Titan Armor]]
This Titan Armor is among our heaviest designs, enhancing our soldier's protection from weapons fire, while also providing immunity to fire and toxins.
*Heavy armor
*Sealed: internal air supply and recycling systems provide the wearer immunity to poison
*Flame Resistant: cooling systems and alien alloy construction confer immunity to environmental fire damage
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}
==Notes==
[[Image:titan_deco_1.jpg|150px|right]]
{{Armor Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=Titan Armor
|costs=§150 Alloys:35 Elerium:10 Engineers:25
|health=+10
|defense=0
|movement=0
|abilities=Immunity to Fire/Poison
}}
* Other armors might be more suited for certain classes: [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel]] for flight ([[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]]) or [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]] for stealth/grapple [[Support (EU2012)|Support]]/[[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]] Scouts.
* Aside from the increased health and poison/fire immunity, provides no usable abilities.
* While this armor gives the most HP, it does not give any Defence bonus such as is found on Ghost and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]]. This means that while Titan is generally the best for overall survivability due to the increase in Health Points (HPs), wearing Ghost and Psi armors reduces the chance that an enemy shot will hit and remove HPs.
* Titan armor also doesn't give any bonus to the movement of any soldier wearing it, unlike most of the advanced armors ([[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]], Archangel, Ghost and Psi).
* All-in-All, Titan Armor isn't very attractive, even when compared to Skeleton Suits, and in most cases, you're probably better off just sitting in your Skeleton Suits until you can get Ghost and Archangel Armor. There are however, a couple of places where the Titan Armor shines.
** If, for some reason, you haven't researched "New Guy" yet at the [[Officer Training School (EU2012)|OTS]], Titan Armor is good for your Rookies. The HP will give them good survivability while leaving their Backpack free for a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] If you then give them a [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifle]], they should be able to hit and take hits pretty well.
** For most Council [[Missions (EU2012)|Missions]] which consist entirely of [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]], having your entire squad outfitted with Titan Armor will render the Thin Man's Poison Spit useless. As long as you stay in good cover (which you should be doing anyways), the Thin Men will have a hard time doing any kind of damage to your troops, and if they DO get hit, the whopping +10 health should be enough to keep them out of the Infirmary.
** Gains quite a bit of use in [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within]]. With some Gene Mods taking the place of or mimicking the effects of other late game armors, Titan Armor can be a viable piece of equipment on a heavily modded soldier.
 

==See Also==
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}
{{Research (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Research (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Equipment (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Armor (EU2012)]]

Titan Armor (EU2012)

2013-11-29T02:25:45Z

Leman Russ:

{{Ref Open | title =Titan Armor }}[[File:Titan Armor Research (EU2012).png|right|100px|]]
Among the heaviest of our body armor prototypes, the "Titan" armor makes use of the alien element known as [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] to provide a continual powered assist to the operator of this suit as they move through the battlefield. With the element in short supply, we've tried to find the most efficient means to utilize it in our development programs. In this case, the Elerium power cell is used to fuel an integrated cooling system designed to minimize fatigue by regulating the operator's body temperature. This system gives the Titan Armor the added benefit of increased resistance to environmental hazards, particularly fire and poison damage.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) [[Research (EU2012)|Research]] Archives}}
{{Ref Open | title = Description }} [[Image:TITAN ARMOR (EU2012).png|right|100px|Titan Armor]]
This Titan Armor is among our heaviest designs, enhancing our soldier's protection from weapons fire, while also providing immunity to fire and toxins.
*Heavy armor
*Sealed: internal air supply and recycling systems provide the wearer immunity to poison
*Flame Resistant: cooling systems and alien alloy construction confer immunity to environmental fire damage
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}
==Notes==
[[Image:titan_deco_1.jpg|150px|right]]
{{Armor Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=Titan Armor
|costs=§150 Alloys:35 Elerium:10 Engineers:25
|health=+10
|defense=0
|movement=0
|abilities=Immunity to Fire/Poison
}}
* Other armors might be more suited for certain classes: [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel]] for flight ([[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]]) or [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]] for stealth/grapple [[Support (EU2012)|Support]]/[[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]] Scouts.
* Aside from the increased health and poison/fire immunity, provides no usable abilities.
* While this armor gives the most HP, it does not give any Defence bonus such as is found on Ghost and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]]. This means that while Titan is generally the best for overall survivability due to the increase in Health Points (HPs), wearing Ghost and Psi armors reduces the chance that an enemy shot will hit and remove HPs.
* Titan armor also doesn't give any bonus to the movement of any soldier wearing it, unlike most of the advanced armors ([[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]], Archangel, Ghost and Psi).
* All-in-All, Titan Armor isn't very attractive, even when compared to Skeleton Suits, and in most cases, you're probably better off just sitting in your Skeleton Suits until you can get Ghost and Archangel Armor. There are however, a couple of places where the Titan Armor shines.
** If, for some reason, you haven't researched "New Guy" yet at the [[Officer Training School (EU2012)|OTS]], Titan Armor is good for your Rookies. The HP will give them good survivability while leaving their Backpack free for a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] If you then give them a [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifle]], they should be able to hit and take hits pretty well.
** For most Council [[Missions (EU2012)|Missions]] which consist entirely of [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]], having your entire squad outfitted with Titan Armor will render the Thin Man's Poison Spit useless. As long as you stay in good cover (which you should be doing anyways), the Thin Men will have a hard time doing any kind of damage to your troops, and if they DO get hit, the whopping +10 health should be enough to keep them out of the Infirmary.
 
** Gains quite a bit of use in [[Enemy Within (EU2012|Enemy Within]]. With Gene Mods taking the place of or mimicking the effects of other late game armors, Titan Armor can be a viable piece of equipment on a heavily modded soldier.
==See Also==
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}
{{Research (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Research (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Equipment (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Armor (EU2012)]]

Shaojie Zhang (EU2012)

2013-11-29T02:16:44Z

Leman Russ:

[[File:Zhang_Face.png|thumb|Shaojie Zhang|left]][[File:Zhang_Face2.png|thumb|Shaojie Zhang|right]][[File:Zhang_Cutscene.png|thumb|Not so different from killing a man|right]][[File:Zhang Ingame.png|thumb|Ingame model|right]]'''Shaojie Zhang''' (nicknamed "Chilong", or "Hornless Dragon") is a unique Chinese [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] of [[XCOM_(EU2012)|XCOM]], recruited after completing the first of the three missions added by the [[Slingshot_DLC_(EU2012)|Slingshot DLC]]. His appearance and voice are not available to any other units, and neither can they nor the appearance of his armour be modified. However, with ''Enemy Within'', some aspects of his appearance may be customized.

Initially a Triad operative, he turns rogue upon learning his boss has obtained a briefcase containing alien technology. This leads him to turn to XCOM (believing the aliens to be a credible threat to mankind), and once escorted to a pick-up point by your squad he joins your forces as a [[Heavy_(EU2012)|Heavy]] unit [[Soldiers_(EU2012)#Ranks|ranked]] at Lieutenant.

Although slightly more powerful then the average soldier, Zhang is expendable and can be killed in battle after recruitment. An extra [[Achievements_(EU2012)|Achievement]] exists for having him attend the [[Missions_(EU2012)#Temple_Ship|final mission]] ("Rising Dragon").

If Zhang is killed during his introductory mission, that mission will later be offered again. His powers of re-incarnation falter once recruited.

After joining XCOM as a [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] Lieutenant, Zhang will have the following stats:
* HP: 9 (1 less than usual if you're playing on Easy, par for the course on Normal difficulty, higher than usual on Classic and Impossible)
* Defense: 0
* Will: 70 (Significantly higher, barring OTS improvements, the RNG, and Hidden Potential Second Wave option)
* Aim: 75 (Equal to a Colonel Heavy without Hidden Potential on)
You will be able to customize his abilities as you see fit. However, given his higher than normal Aim than most Heavies, he's probably more suited for a Gunner Heavy than he is an Explosive Heavy. He is an extremely desired candidate for augment as well, Lieutenant is ideal rank for Heavies to switch over to MEC Trooper to maximize Will/Aim gains.

==See Also==
* [[Slingshot_DLC_(EU2012)|Slingshot DLC]]

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Slingshot DLC (EU2012)]]
[[Category:Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category:Characters (EU2012)]]

Heavy (EU2012)

2013-11-16T02:03:55Z

Leman Russ: /* Summary */

[[File:HEAVIES (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Heavy Squad]][[File: CLASS HEAVY.png|right|frame|64px|Heavy]]
A class specialising in high fire power and area damage with some support capabilities. The Heavy is at its strongest vs mechanical or high health enemies, but can also be really useful in situations were the enemies cluster together. With the heavy damage comes the drawback of high ammo consumption, lower accuracy, limited rockets and the the lack of a side arm.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[LMG (EU2012)|Light Machinegun]], [[Heavy Laser (EU2012)|Heavy Laser]] or [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]].
:'''Secondary Weapon''': [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rocket Launcher]] or [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]]. (Doesn't carry a pistol).

When it comes to abilities, the options are mostly between an improvement for more and powerful rockets/grenades versus a more potent attack with the soldiers primary weapon.
Heavies gain less stats upon promotion than other classes, +10 Aim, +4 HP and +14 Will as Colonel rank.

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:HEAVY FIREROCKET.png|32px|center]]'''Fire Rocket''' ''Fire a rocket using an equipped launcher. This ability can not be used after moving, nor more than once per mission. (6 Damage)''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| [[File:HEAVY BULLETSWARM.png|32px|center]]'''Bullet Swarm''' ''Firing the primary weapon as the first action no longer ends the turn.
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY HOLO.png|32px|center]]'''Holo-Targeting''' ''Shooting at or suppressing enemies also confers a +10 Aim to any allies' attacks on those enemies.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:HEAVY SHREDDER.png|32px|center]]'''Shredder Rocket''' '' Fire a rocket that causes all enemies hit to take +33% damage from all sources for the next 4 turns. The rocket's blast is weaker than a standard rocket's. (4 Damage)''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY SUPPRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Suppression''' ''Can fire a special shot that grants reaction fire at a single target. The target also suffers a -30 Aim penalty.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:HEAVY HEAT AMMO.png|32px|center]]'''HEAT Ammo''' ''+100% to damage against robotic enemies.''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY RAPIDREACTION.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Reaction''' ''Confers a second reaction shot, if on Overwatch and the first reaction shot is a hit.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:HEAVY GRENADIER.png|32px|center]]'''Grenadier''' ''Allows to carry 2 grenades in a single inventory slot.''
| [[File:HEAVY DANGERZONE.png|32px|center]]'''Danger Zone''' ''Increases hit area of rockets and suppression by 2 tiles.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|32px|center]]'''Will to Survive''' ''Reduces all normal damage taken by 2 if in cover and not flanked.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:HEAVY ROCKETEER.png|32px|center]]'''Rocketeer''' ''Allows 1 additional standard rocket to be fired per battle.''
| [[File:HEAVY MAYHEM.png|32px|center]]'''Mayhem''' ''Confers additional damage based on weapon tech level to Suppression and all area-effect abilities.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

* '''Shredder Rocket''' a good opening since it will both destroy [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]] and increase [[Damage (EU2012)|damage]] on all following attacks that turn.
* '''Suppression''' can be used cover another soldier that is moving up on an alien in [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]].
* '''Suppression''' may neutralize a mind-controlled solder long enough to recover him/her.
* '''HEAT Ammo''' applies to all damage dealt by the Heavy (grenades, rockets, Mayhem ...)
* '''Mayhem''' gives +1 damage) for the LMG, +2 for Heavy Laser, and +3 for [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]].
* '''Mayhem''' & '''Danger Zone''' combined with '''Suppression''' will deal area damage to units close to the suppressed one. Useful against aliens in high cover or versus [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]]/[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]] with Drones and does not require the Heavy to hit the shot.
* '''Mayhem''' is also very useful as the killing blow to an alien with almost 0 health since its a 100% guaranteed shot.
* [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]] does not require line of sight, but can be fired around buildings and walls.
* Note that the [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] modifier Not Created Equally is one way to make the Heavy class more useful in the endgame at higher difficulty levels, at the expense of having to hire, screen and fire a lot of soldiers after getting the OTS New Guy perk. Not Created Equally can randomly generate Heavy Squaddies with up to 82 Aim. (Who will have low Will, suffer critical hits, and not be Psi-gifted.) Note that after having five of all three other classes in the roster, the game will prioritize the remaining class when generating soldiers.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
Heavies are the class with the most varied choices: HEAT Ammo, Suppression, Shredder Rocket, etc. making each build an individual taste. You can have an explosives specialist capable of putting out major damage in an area, making big plays to pull your squad out of the fire when XCOM decides to be... well, XCOM. Or you can have a Machinegunner expert that crowds out the Support for his job with Suppression, Bullet Swarm and Rapid Reaction. As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with 65 Aim, Heavies gain significantly less through promotion than their peers. In contrast, his machine gun deals high damage, on par with a sniper rifle or shotgun. These facts, combined with his rocket launcher, make him a terror in the early game but potentially less reliable (and thus less relevant) as it progresses. Between their poor Aim and inability to fire rockets after moving, Heavies are the class most hampered by mobility.

In light of this, beginning players may find explosives-centric heavies preferable. Suppression-focused heavies take a while to come into their own and depend on their squad to provide killing power once they do. Explosives Heavies are somewhat more straightforward to play, and they themselves provide more firepower to carry your team before it becomes a well-oiled x-ray-killing machine.

For psionic Heavies, Mind Control may suit a Heavy better, at least as a distraction to keep them and their cover from being attacked, keeping nearby aliens in position for a Rocket/Blaster attack.

The Rocket Launcher has a potentially useful glitch: when the Heavy takes cover behind walls, particularly corners, a clipping oversight with targeting and the firing animation can allow him/her to step and shoot ''through'' the wall, logic and physics be damned. As long as the shot information says "90%", and the blast radius "bubble" is where you are aiming, it can make the hit.
Similarly: be careful when attempting to shoot either Launcher to target an alien/terrain that's next to your Heavy. The firing animation may make them step into the blast radius.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm'''
|'''Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Either choice will benefit both Heavy builds. Explosive Heavies usually go Bullet Swarm, although Holo-Targeting is also very useful for the rest of the squad to fire against the alien. Machinegunner Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm'''
* Gives tactical flexibility. It allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire. In particular, shooting twice ends up yielding a statistically better chance of hitting a particular alien than Holo-Targeting him and ordering the rest of your Rookies to open fire.
* Also allows other combinations of Fire and Throw Grenade, Fire and Overwatch and (very powerful) Fire and Reload.
* Also, firing twice gives the Heavy two chances to destroy his target's cover; in this event, he has just granted your squad ''more'' than the benefit of Holo-Targeting.
* The downside is its high ammo consumption plus using it can make the Heavy immobile and vulnerable against superior enemies.

'''Holo-Targeting'''
* Applies to both the Machinegun and the Launcher - Heavy shoots/blows cover and marks the remaining aliens for the rest of the team to tag.
* Helps the whole team to focus their firepower on a single alien - it can be very useful in taking down high-threat aliens, regardless of storyline progression.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression'''
|'''Shredder Rocket'''
|}
Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Machinegunner Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets'''
* Useful throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them;
* Shred effect helps with high HP targets;
* The set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture.

'''Suppression'''
* Also a handy utility skill;
* Can be used to pin down an alien and prevent it from moving (and flanking your position). It can also keep melee aliens (Muton Berserkers and Crysalids) stationary and prevent them from charging.
* Suppression will also drop its target's Aim by 30% if it fires against an exposed squadmate.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo'''
|'''Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Machinegunner Heavies can consider Rapid Reaction.

'''HEAT Ammo'''
* Deals extra damage to robotic opponents. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. Anything that hastens Cyberdiscs and Sectopods to their circuity grave is awesome;
* HEAT boosted grenades will make short work of Drones, saving your squad a lot of wasted effort.
* One of few ways to scale your explosives damage, until Blaster Launcher is available;
* If combined with Bullet Swarm, Heavies can dole out massive quantities of damage to robots, and the team can even drop Cyberdiscs and Sectopods in one turn.

'''Rapid Reaction'''
* The complement to HEAT Ammo: an ability for use against weaker enemies as found in Council missions, specially during Overwatch ambushes;
* Rapid Reaction can also be very useful to guard rooms and corridors;
* Be sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way to empty your magazine.
* The AI almost never moves when suppressed, so this has surprisingly little synergy with '''Suppression'''.
* Can give disappointing results given that Heavies have the lowest aim of all the classes, and the first overwatch shot (with its penalty) has to hit in order to trigger the second shot. Consider giving this ability to Heavies with high aim when using the Hidden Potential option in [[Second Wave (EU2012)]].

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier'''
|'''Danger Zone'''
|}
Both types of Heavy like Danger Zone. Explosive Heavies should also consider Grenadier.

'''Grenadier'''
* Locks you into a single item to take advantage of it, but grenades are admittedly useful.
* Make sure you acquire some Alien Grenades if you go this route.
* Consider whether you typically have grenades on any of your other units. If not, giving up a wildly-inaccurate Heavy shot to hurl a grenade is not a big sacrifice by any stretch, and the rest of your squad will thank you for blowing the enemy's cover.
* Similarly, if you think you'd rather Kool-Aid Man through a wall instead of using the door, doing it with a grenade beats burning a rocket on it.

'''Danger Zone'''
* Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but Suppression Heavies being able to AOE suppress enemies is the big payoff.
* AOE Suppression requires fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage it, it's great;
* You can also apply Holo-Targeting to the whole group, turning it into a nice combination. If the rest of the squad can shoot the targets individually, this results in less collateral damage and more recovered weapon fragments in single player.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer'''
|'''Mayhem'''
|}
Explosives Heavies will want Rocketeer. Suppression Heavies should take Mayhem.

'''Rocketeer'''
* Boosts your overall damage output while taking away some of the nerves you get when thinking about whether now is really the best time to shoot your one, single rocket;
* While Mayhem does add some damage to your rockets, Rocketeer ultimately amounts to more damage and gives you more control in how you apply it.

'''Mayhem'''
* The grand finale for the Machinegunner - makes Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies;
* Can be a useful late game way of chipping the health off an enemy you want to capture.
* The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit.
* Despite Rocketeer resulting in more overall rocket damage, Mayhem allows you to apply more damage in one turn. This could makes the difference between ending turn facing a Sectopod on 2 HP, or a dead one. Mayhem allows a HEAT Ammo Heavy to one-shot a Cyberdisc on Classic and Impossible.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' With the Heavy's high base damage, the standard LMG can often one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters on Classic. This means there is no immediate urgency to hasten a Heavy's weapon upgrade over other class-specific weapons. Of course, do upgrade when you can spare the time and resources to keep the Heavy on par with the stronger enemies as they appear.

For a Heavy taking the explosive build route, weapon upgrades do not confer bonus damage on rockets, grenades or suppression until paired with the high ranking ''Mayhem''' perk. Weapon upgrades in this instance will mainly be beneficial for personal defence once their munitions have expired and there are no nearby allies to provide support.

A different approach should be taken for a machinegunner or suppressor build as the primary weapon will be the Heavy's bread and butter weapon.

'''Armor:''' Heavies will typically be near the front of your group, as they need to advance and sit still in order to put rockets where they need to be. As a result, Armor is a fairly big priority for Heavies, and they should be considered after Assaults for cutting edge suits if you can't outfit your full team. Skeleton Armor and Ghost Armor eliminate mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets, flanks, or moving into point-blank range to counteract their lesser Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not always the best choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier grab a Grenade. If you have HEAT ammo and are facing Cyberdiscs/Drones, grab a Grenade. A S.C.O.P.E. can improve the Heavy's low Aim, improving their long range combat effectiveness with the machine gun, making it a useful item for any build except for a Grenadier. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough. Chitin plating serves as a decent extra padding in any instance that requires your Heavy to get very close to the action.

===Gene Mods===

====Brain====
Since Heavies aren't as capable of flattening your squad as Assaults are, you can really go either way, depending on the soldier's will.
====Eyes====
Gunners will like Depth Perception, while Explosives can get some decent mileage out of Hyper Active Pupils to counter those misses when they're not lobbing explosives or shooting rockets.
====Chest====
Can't go wrong either way, here. Keeping your troops alive or expediting the enemy's death, either will be useful since both types of Heavies tend to be in the thick of things.
====Skin====
Mimetic Skin will help Gunners get more damage out of their bullets if set up properly. Explosive heavies have set damage so this isn't as useful here. Give your Explosive Heavies Bioelectric Skin just so you can have some Seeker protection in your squad.
====Legs====
Gunners will enjoy Muscle Fiber Density for the easier time positioning. Explosive heavies will probably be better off with Adaptive Bone Marrow but it's a bit of a toss up.

===Summary===

Most Commanders will raise their Heavies as machine killers, and room-clearers, particularly for Terror Missions, and those occasions where every enemy in a mission seems to show up at once.

If you don't mind Save Scumming, and have a rocket going off-course (a seeded outcome: it will happen every time): you can manipulate this to still land a rocket precisely where you want it to (it will explode at the same elevation and distance that you aim for, so merely compensate for the angle; roughly 20 degrees).

While their aim starts and ends as the lowest in the game, their capacity for explosives makes their aim semi-irrelevant. Indeed, with Grenadier, and the Blaster Launcher allowing you to place an explosive precisely where you want, they technically have 100% accuracy, and with limited Rocket capacity driving you to conserve rocket shots, those will tend to be the shots that really matter.

With the Suppression/Mayhem combo, you actually ''do'' have an 100% accuracy shot, if a weak one (and a somewhat ammo-costly one. Acquire the Ammo Conservation project to alleviate this, but you should be getting it ASAP anyways). A constant barrage of 3 damage with a Heavy Plasma, and splash damage to neighboring aliens, as well as the aim reduction the targeted aliens will suffer; it's an investment, but a worthy option to consider. Plus HEAT, that's 6 damage to robotic enemies, an excellent way to clear out a Disk or Pod's drones while causing significant damage, and not spend a rocket. The one drawback for this combo is that suppression will lose the ability to destroy cover (which is basically random and near-uncontrollable, anyways, and only happens with Laser or Plasma weaponry)(misses with the normal shot will still have the random chance to destroy cover).

Being only able to carry their main weapon and a limited-use rocket, they actually have significant flexibility with item choice, unless Grenadier is chosen (in contrast, a Commander might never unequip Scopes and Archangel armor from their Snipers, or Medikits from their Supports), as well as armor. A Heavy can therefore function as an alternative to a second Assault, ''or'' a second Support, and their abilities lend to either. For example, Combat Stims and their Will To Survive ability pair well to make Heavies very hard to kill. Chitin plating, Titan Armor, and Bullet Swarm make them Chryssalid & Berserker Killers (and the way those two attack, makes Aim less of an issue), and Archangel armor (or one of the two with the Grappling Hook) can redefine the term "Death from Above."

For UFO assault missions, a Support-centric heavy with Grenadier will allow you multiple, smaller demolitions, rather than risking the larger blast of Danger Zone destroying valuable Elerium generators and navigational computers, but still being able to bring down the hammer in a tough situation.

With the stat-altering Second Wave options (Hidden Potential, Not Created Equal), Heavies can come out of the box with significant to very high Will, as well as good starting Aim, and can receive the same 2-to-12 Will (with OTC's Iron Will) bonus with every level, bringing them back to regular front-line combat readiness in late-game. Their Aim upgrades will still be quite low, though still (potentially) more than without the Second Wave options.

As they have a mix of skills that work either as secondary Support or secondary Assault, and unspectacular leveling will scores, a Psi Heavy also works either way with support or offensive Psi skills, and again comes down to personal playing style. Inspiration and TK Field help him help others, while MCing an alien lowers the odds of your Psi heavy being shot at (and risking his cover being destroyed), keeping him safe to launch a rocket next turn, if you had to move to get into range this turn. Plus Ghost Armor, a Mind Shield, and damage-focused abilities, an Inspiration/MC Psi Heavy can be devastating to alien squads, even on his own (a good candidate for the Lone Wolf achievement on a Small Scout).

==See Also==

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Gene Mods (EU2012)

2013-11-16T01:56:02Z

Leman Russ: /* Genetics Lab Projects (UPDATED) */

[[Image:Custodiam (EU2012).png|right|100px|Gene Mods Insignia]]
Gene Mods are unlocked after capturing [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] and finishing [[Research (EU2012)|research]] on the [[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]] project. It is also required to build the [[Genetics Lab (EU2012)|Genetics Lab]] before it is possible to apply any Gene Mods to your [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]].
Gene Mods cost both credits (§) and Meld and be can applied to the following categories: Brain, Eyes, Chest, Skin, Legs, with 2 options available for each (and that can be swapped at a cost).
To unlock all mods it is required to perform [[Aliens (EU2012)|alien]] [[Research (EU2012)|autopsies]].
Up to 3 soldiers (from Squaddie upwards) can be modded each time on the Genetics Labs and it takes 3 days for the process to be complete. Modded soldiers have a different appearance than regular soldiers, with less [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] plating being shown.
 
==Genetics Lab Projects (UPDATED)==
* '''Brain''':
** '''Neural Feedback''' - ''Causes damage to psi attackers and puts all of their psi attacks on cooldown. Does no reduce the attackers chance of success.''
*** Cost: §35, 10 Meld
*** Base damage 7
** '''Neural Damping''' - ''Confers +20 Will when defending against psi attacks, and immunity to panic. If the soldier is Mind Controlled, the control is cancelled, and the soldier is stunned for 1 turn instead.''
*** Cost: §35, 20 Meld.
* '''Eyes''':
** '''Hyper Reactive Pupils''' - ''Confers +10 Aim to any shot after a miss.''
*** Cost: §15, 5 Meld, requires [[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]] Research)
*** Best on soldier classes that you regularly put on Overwatch: if they miss on it, then their next shot benefits from this.
** '''Depth Perception''' - ''Height Advantage confers an additional +5 Aim and 5+ critical chance''.
*** Cost: §15, 5 Meld, requires [[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]] Research).
*** On a Damn Good Ground Sniper, with [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]], a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]], and a few medals...
* '''Chest''':
**'''Secondary Heart'''(§75, 15 Meld) - ''Causes soldiers to bleed out instead of dying the first time they go to zero health during a mission. The bleed out timer is extended for 2 turns. Prevents loss of will from critical wounds''.
*** Case in point: The Doctor's never lost his will. Very useful for your Psi Squad.
**'''Adrenal Neurosympathy''' - ''Overloads the soldiers adrenal glands: when a kill is confirmed the soldier emits pheromones that grant offensive benefits to all nearby squad mates. Cannot occur more than once on every 5 turns.''
*** Cost: §10, 25 Meld, requires [[Muton Autopsy (EU2012)|Muton Autopsy]] Research.
*** Includes boosts to Will, that ''do'' affect Psi attack/defense, so also helpful to your Psi Squad.
* '''Skin''':
**'''Bioelectric Skin''' - ''The soldier projects an electric skin from his or her skin, revealing but not alerting nearby enemies, and is immune to strangulation.''
*** Cost: §35, 15 Meld.
*** Buy it against the [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]], keep it so you'll know what's behind that door. Is "wall-piercing." In battle, Seekers drop their cloaking, and enemies that are out of Line of Sight show as distinct signals nearby.
**'''Mimetic Skin''' - ''Confers the ability to change skin pattern to match cover. When a soldier moves to high cover, enemies without special abilities will not target soldier. Does not work if any enemies have line of sight to the soldier's starting position. Leaving cover or firing will break this concealment.''
*** Cost: §75, 35 Meld, requires [[Seeker Autopsy (EU2012)|Seeker Autopsy]] Research.
*** In practice: be out of Line of Sight of an enemy, then move to '''full''' cover: soldier will essentially Ghost Mode before moving. If flanked, ghosting will drop, so the full cover must be relative to the enemy (but can be used to at least bypass enemy Overwatch).
*** As it does mimic Ghosting, you ''cannot'' use [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]'s mode (though you can, and probably still should equip it, at least for the move bonus and the Grapple).
* '''Legs''' :
**'''Muscle Fiber Density''' - ''Confers superhuman leg strength, enabling the soldier to reach high positions without the need for ladders or other climbing aids.''
*** Cost: §60, 25 Meld, requires [[Thin Man Autopsy (EU2012)|Thin Man Autopsy]] Research.
*** Equally useful as the Skeleton/Ghost armor's grapple, somewhat less than Archangel's flight (except that there's no fuel cost). For late-game, most useful for anyone in [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan armor]] .
*** Insanely useful on Terror Mission with Civilians hiding on upper floors.
**'''Adaptive Bone Marrow''' - ''Wound recovery time is reduced by 66%. Soldier regenerates 2 HP per turn up to the HP max without armor.''
*** Cost: §30, 15 Meld, requires [[Meld Recombination (EU2012)|Meld Recombination]] Research.
*** Stacks with the [[OTS (EU2012)|OTS]]'s Rapid Recovery causing soldiers to recover even faster from injuries.
*** Pairs well with Secondary Heart to preserve your [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psi]] soldiers, and keep them out of the infirmary (or a least get them back out fast enough to not miss a mission).
* Modded [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] have a different appearance than regular soldiers, with less [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] plating being shown.
 

<gallery widths=300px heights=200px perrow=6>
File:Gene Mods (EU2012).png|Gene Mods
File:Gene Modded Soldier (EU2012).png|Modded Soldier
</gallery>
 

==See Also==
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
 

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]

Assault (EU2012)

2013-11-16T00:59:14Z

Leman Russ: /* Equipment */

[[File:ASSAULTS (EU2012).png|right|thumb|400px|A Squad of different Assault soldiers.]][[File: CLASS ASSAULT.png|right|frame|64px|Assault]]
A class with high mobility, defence and close range damage, hence the Assault class excels at close combat in urban or indoor environments. Its main drawbacks are the limited effective range of the Shotgun and the high cool down time of; and high dependence on Run & Gun. Useful for flanking and scouting.

:'''Primary Weapon''': [[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]], [[Scatter Laser (EU2012)|Scatter Laser]] and [[Alloy Cannon (EU2012)|Alloy Cannon]]. 
:'''Alternative Primary Weapon:''' [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifles]], [[Laser Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Rifles]], [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifles]] & [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifles]]
:'''Secondary Weapon''': [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The Assaults Ability choices are mainly divided between attack or defence stats/abilites on each tier, giving the player the choice of either going full defence, high damage or a trade of between both.
Stats gained through rank promotions will give the Assault a total of +24 Aim points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will.

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|center]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px|center]]'''Tactical Sense''' ''Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20).''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Aggression''' ''Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%).''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px|center]]'''Lightning Reflexes''' ''Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss.''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px|center]]'''Close & Personal''' ''Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px|center]]'''Flush''' ''Fire a shot that causes enemies to run out of cover. The shot is easy to hit with, but does reduced damage.'' (+30 Aim, 50% Damage)
| [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Fire''' ''Take two shots against a single target in quick succession. Each shot carries a -15 penalty to Aim.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px|center]]'''Close Combat Specialist''' ''Confers a reaction shot against any enemy who closes to within 4 tiles. Does not require Overwatch.''
| [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px|center]]'''Bring 'Em On''' ''Adds 1 damage on critical hits for each enemy the squad can see (up to 5).''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|center]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px|center]]'''Resilience''' ''Confers immunity to critical hits.''
| [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px|center]]'''Killer Instinct''' ''Activating Run & Gun now also grants +50% critical damage for the rest of the turn.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====
*'''Run & Gun''' could land you in trouble by activating more alien groups, when trying to set up a flanking position.
*'''Run & Gun''' will only allow Fire, Overwatch and Rapid Fire after dashing. Use any free actions (like Ghost Mode) before.
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the soldier has taken any actions. Useful for setting up multiple shots against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]] or defending from [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] charges.
*'''Rapid Fire''' is not consumed if the alien is killed with the first shot.
*'''Flush''' will cause an alien to leave one cover position for another (if available). Make sure to set up [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] or Close Combat Specialist shots beforehand.
* '''Extra Conditioning''' gives +1 health with the starting Body armor, +2 for [[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace]], [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton]] , [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]], and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]], and +4 with [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan]] or [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]].
*'''Killer Instinct''' (+50% crit dmg), may also be combined with Overwatch and Close Combat Specialist shot.
*The Enemy Within version of Close And Personal functions similar to a Heavy's Bullet Swarm (but does not fucntion with Run and Gun), given that the Assault is within the 4-square range (when this Ability is availible, enemies will have an orange ring around them, akin to Arc Thrower functions). With Rapid Fire, how one would move, and shoot three times: move to within the ring. Fire a normal shot as the free move. Then use Rapid Fire. Only works once per turn (won't get multiple free shots on enemies with overlapping rings).

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (Shotgun vs. Assault Rifle). Because of this and the broad applicability of their individual skills, they don't necessarily have clear cut build paths. Shotguns offer damage values identical to Sniper Rifles -- albeit with slightly lower chance for critical hits - and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault one of the most damaging units in the game. Assault rifles trade damage for the safety of distance (and typically better cover, as a result), and defensive skills can further improve the soldier's ability to protect himself and his squad. All Assaults, however, provide the toughness and mobility to form a backbone for your squad, and bringing two (or even more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
![[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense'''
|'''Aggression'''
|}
* Here starts the divergent options of offense vs. defense. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to equip and play the Assault, choosing to accentuate strengths or shore up weaknesses.
* Generally though, shotgunners will prefer Tactical Sense and riflemen will want Aggression.

'''Tactical Sense'''
* Defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners;
* Its value increases exponentially with other defense boosts such as cover, Ghost Armor, and smoke grenades;
* Shotguns do a ton of damage by themselves, so Tactical Sense can be a great pickup to help you survive the stupid situations that result from charging in using Run and Gun with a short range weapon.

'''Aggression'''
* Similarly offers value for both weapon types;
* Assault rifles have low base damage and thus benefit from an easy way to increase that output without jeopardizing their cover
* Shotguns do ''gain'' more damage from critting than assault rifles, and you probably don't want to charge up to enemies, empty your weapon on them, and ''not'' kill them. Bear in mind, however, that flanking is easier to achieve and up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes'''
|'''Close & Personal'''
|}
* These skills both address your ability to close in on enemies, either in getting there safely or finishing them once you're there.
* Lightning Reflexes is generally preferable, but shotgunners should consider Close & Personal as well.

'''Lightning Reflexes'''
* The Assault's unique '''Lightning Reflexes''' ability allows it to completely evade the first reaction shot fired by the aliens. Further reaction shots are received normally.
* One of the best abilities, you will want at least one unit with it on your team. The ability to safely "clear out" Overwatches is good all the time, and it's particularly great when dealing with escort missions and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]]. While you can always count on XCOM to teach you that probability is a fickle mistress, Lightning Reflexes will always be there to tuck you in at night and feel safe.
* If you have a lot of Ghost Armors on your team, you'll see your usage of this dwindle. Nevertheless, Ghost Armor comes around late enough and sometimes you can't see the enemies entering Overwatch that you'll still get usage of this.

'''Close & Personal'''
* Continues the trend of making Assaults crit-monsters, and combined with Aggression will give you a 40%-60% bonus to crit chance before taking either weapon stats or flanking into account.
* If you can get in close, your target is going to need to be cleaned off the walls with a spatula. However, as riflemen generally will keep their distance, this will be of dubious value for them.
* Similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default - Close And Personal may prove to be overkill.
* If you leave a soldier cloaked with Ghost Armor for the alien turn, if this triggers it will decloak them, allowing aliens with remaining move to attack them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush'''
|'''Rapid Fire'''
|}
* Usually, Rapid Fire will be the clear choice but Flush can also have its uses;
* Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire'''
* '''Rapid Fire''' allows an Assault to attack twice at reduced accuracy, and does not consume itself if the first shot manages to kill the enemy.
* If the hit chance is in 34%~96% range, rapid fire offers more chance to land at least one hit.
* This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup. Also note that if you kill target with first shot, you'll spend only one ammo.

'''Flush'''
* The '''Flush''' ability allows an Assault to force an enemy to take a move action. This can force a unit to move out of cover, but can also cause the unit to simply move to different cover The enemy may trigger Overwatch and Close Quarters Specialist as it is running out of cover.
* It costs 3 ammo, so you can't use it every turn and will reload more often than Rapid Fire - assuming you have enough ammo left to use it in the first place;
* While it drives the target out of its current cover, the enemy could go to different cover or break sight range completely. Destroying the target's cover with explosives may be preferable;
* The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Has +30 aim and does half damage. This can make it useful for setting up captures, or giving a hefty Aim boost to a shotgunner who is a little too far away.
* Uses for Flush can include set up plays for Snipers who don't quite have line of sight, Heavies who are going to be launching rockets and hope to catch one more enemy in the blast zone, or other Assaults itching for a Close Combat Specialist crossfire. In most cases, however, you will struggle to take advantage of the movement Flush triggers.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist'''
|'''Bring 'Em On'''
|}
* Continuing the earlier theme, the Assault tree has a lot of great options. This is a choice for both weapon types.

'''Close Combat Specialist'''
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the Assault has taken any actions. As a practical matter, this means that an Assault can react before the end of the turn against aliens who have just been 'triggered', or even against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Muton Berserker]] that have entered the 4-tile radius from their reaction to being shot, even if the Assault triggered them to start with.
* A Godsend against charging melee, the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to, or any close range engagement. Shotgunners will see this trigger more frequently, and thus have a little more use for it than riflemen.
* This stacks with Overwatch, allowing your Assault to potentially fire twice in a single enemy turn.
* If you leave a soldier cloaked with Ghost Armor for the alien turn, if this triggers it will decloak them, allowing aliens with remaining move to attack them.

'''Bring 'Em On'''
* In contrast, has no range requirement but offers tremendous synergy with the other crit abilities available to an Assault - If you took Aggression and/or Close & Personal, this is a chance to make large dividends on that decision;
* Riflemen with upgraded [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.s]] will similarly get some extra mileage. Just remember that the bonus is based on enemies that the ''squad'' can see, so you may want to have this unit attack before your other soldiers in order to maximize its value.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience'''
|'''Killer Instinct'''
|}
* Again, both choices are great options. This is similar to the choice of Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal in weighing defensive certainty versus major killing power boosts, and should be considered for both weapon types.

'''Resilience'''
* Will turn the Assault Colonel into a brick. Immunity to crits take luck out of the equation and put shotgunners at less risk of being taken out in one fell swoop as they charge in for kill shots.
* Remember that you can briefly duplicate the effect (and more!) with [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]], however.

'''Killer Instinct'''
* The blood-soaked cherry atop the murder sundae that is the critical hit-focused Assault. In concert with Bring 'Em On, your critical hits can exceed 20 damage, regardless of weapon type.
* Even without it, you can make some very aggressive plays with Killer Instinct. Run at full dash to a good position, open up with Rapid Fire and blow a [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]] or [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] away in one fell blow. (Or two, as the case may be.)

===Equipment===
'''Weapons:''' Upgrading your weapons is a fairly significant concern for Assaults, as a base Assault Rifle won't reliably kill even Sectoids or Thin Men. Luckily, riflemen get some freebies from capturing enemies. No such luck for shotgunners, who unfortunately are also 1 step further down the tech tree. If [[Light Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Light Plasma Rifles]] are the most advanced assault rifles you have, give them to Assaults (rather than Supports) in order to offset some of the penalty from Rapid Fire. Shotgunners will also appreciate a decent pistol if you have any to spare, though this is typically a lower priority than giving one to your Sniper.

'''Armor:''' Assaults will be a major part of your front line regardless of their weapon and should get first choice of the most advanced armor you have. [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] is typically your best bet late game, as the [[Cover (EU2012)|defense]] bonus will generally serve you better than the few extra hitpoints of [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]] (though on Council Missions, which are almost exclusively [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Men]], you may want to stick with giving them Titan Armor). Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray. The +100% crit chance you get from firing while invisible also has great synergy with '''Bring 'Em On''' and '''Killer Instinct'''.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and good secondary users of the [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] if your Support's hands are full. If you don't need either of those, [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vests]] or [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] provide a an extra layer of survivability for shotgunners. Later on they can be upgraded to [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]] to provide massive stat boosts and damage reduction for breaching. Riflemen with Rapid Fire will appreciate a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]], especially with its foundry upgrade. Keep an eye on your unit's Will and use [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shields]] if necessary.

===Gene Mods===

====Brain====
Neural Dampening is probably a wiser course than Feedback since Assaults are usually in the midst of your Squad and you don't want your Shotgunner getting MC'd then flattening your Medic who just got finished healing him/her. This is a fairly high priority.
====Eyes====
Hyper Reactive Pupils will help Shotgunners out when they can't get up close (fire and miss, sure, then get a +10 Aim bonus your next turn). Riflemen will enjoy the added destruction they can cause with Depth Perception. A decent priority, but not insane.
====Chest====
A Secondary Heart on your Shotgunners will help for those "whoops" moments, while your squad will reap the benefits of Adrenal Neurosympathy on Riflemen. Adrenal Neurosympathy on Shotgunners isn't as useful since they may or may not be with the rest of the squad.
====Skin====
Since Assaults are usually in and amongst the Squad, Bioelectric Skin isn't as useful or necessary. Mimetic Skin will help Riflemen if they're able to sit still. Shotgunners usually move around, or are in inopportune positions for it to be of any use. Riflemen have more priority here than Shotgunners.
====Legs====
Adaptive Bone Marrow will be of huge help to Tank Shotgunners, while Muscle Fiber Density will help Riflemen get into good positions. Get the Adaptive Bone Marrow on your Tank Shotgunner fast.

===Summary===
Another way to consider your thinking on how to build your Assault Troopers is "Medium Range vs Close-Range". Depending on how you want them to fight, this means choosing either the shotgun weapons for point-blank combat, or giving them rifles to keep your distance from enemy guns. Either way, your Ability choices should match the combat style

Assault troopers with rifles will be better served with Ghost Armor, plus Crit-chance boosting Abilities, and perhaps a Scope. As you will be keeping them just out of range, Close Combat and Close & Personal are less useful to them, and Bring 'Em On helps them get those last few points of damage they'll need to consistently kill aliens.

Meanwhile, an Assault with a Shotgun-type weapon won't benefit as much from defense (aim is calculated with additive/subtractive values: +20 defense on a 130 point shot (ie: 130%-20%=110%) is still a guaranteed shot), and should be equipped to inevitably soak up damage with Archangel or Titan Armor & Chitin Plating (a grand total Armor HP bonus of 18 for a Major or Colonel: two of these on the front lines, under cover, and you may never have to worry about ''any'' soldiers needing time in the Med Bay). As more aliens will move in range, Close Combat Specialist will activate often, and with an Alloy Canon, any alien that tries to run through a door guarded by an Assault Trooper will almost always die. And while Rapid Fire loses a few points on aim, a shotgun-wielding Assault Trooper won't even see that point loss on the aim percentage, when they've got the barrel right in the alien's throat. Plus if Ghosting, and Rapid Fire counting as one move, and the Alloy Cannon, an Assault is capable of doing a "One" Shot Kill against anything, even a [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]], or the [[Uber Ethereal (EU2012)|Uber Ethereal]], even on Impossible.

Lastly, the [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] option "Absolutely Critical" will render all the +Crit Chance abilities redundant - save for Hardened enemies, which will actually have ''less'' chance of receiving Critical Hits.

Also: a common Squad formation is two snipers, two support, and either two Assault or an Assault and a Heavy. Heavies with the HEAT ammo ability are a little better at killing mechanized enemies, and tend to be able to do so at a safe distance, while two Assaults are better for killing things all around, as most players will focus heavies on being Anti-Mech Warriors.

[[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] Assault troopers will be easy to train, since their being in the front line means there's always an alien in range to Mindfray (additionally, the reduction to Aim and Move that the alien suffers will help keep your Assault trooper out of danger). As one should always be more proactive with Assault troopers, an assault benefits more from being Psi Inspired rather than Inspiring others, saving his move for attack than defense. It's a toss-up between TK Field and Mind Control: again, defensive TK may be better if someone else does it for him/her, as is MCing, as anyone in range of a close-range focused Assault will probably be in range of the rest of your squad. Perhaps MC is best for a Psi Assault, as while they may miss a turn doing damage, they'll be closer to the rest of the alien squad, and possibly succeed in MCing an alien that will then be flanking the remaining two aliens. The drawback to this is that MCing the rearmost alien carries the risk of activating any other alien squads that were before, just out of range.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Sniper (EU2012)

2013-11-16T00:40:51Z

Leman Russ: /* Equipment */

[[File:SNIPERS (EU2012).png|thumb|480px|Sniper Squad]][[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|right|frame|64px|Sniper]]

A class able to inflict massive long range damage on enemy targets from a position of safety. They are good at inflicting [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]], and can augment the chances further with their special '''Headshot''' ability. Special training can allow the sniper to provide long range cover fire, disarm enemies or reconnaissance. The drawback being a Sniper can't move and shoot except with the '''Snap Shot''' talent.

:'''Primary Weapon:''' [[Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Sniper Rifle]], [[Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Sniper Rifle]] or [[Plasma Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Sniper Rifle]].
:'''Secondary Weapon:''' [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]], [[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] or [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]].

The Sniper relies heavily on positioning, favourable terrain and the cooperation of squad mates to locate their marks. The Sniper is otherwise a poor close range combatant. Rank promotions will give Snipers the biggest increase in [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] when compared to the other [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] (+40 points total). Their drawback is that upon reaching Colonel rank a Sniper will also receive less 1 Health Point than any of the other classes (+3 total) but the same Will (+14 total)

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability

|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Headshot''' ''Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Snap Shot''' ''Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png|32px|center]]'''Squad Sight''' ''Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|32px|center]]'''Gunslinger''' ''Confers 2 bonus damage with pistols.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|32px|center]]'''Damn Good Ground''' ''+10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation in addition to the usual elevation bonuses.'' (including while flying)
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png|32px|center]]'''Disabling Shot''' ''Allows the Sniper to fire a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction. The target may use Reload to fix the weapon. The shot cannot inflict a critical hit. 2 turn cooldown.'' (-10 Aim, reduced Damage)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|32px|center]]'''Battle Scanner''' ''Scanning device, when thrown creates a new source of vision for 2 turns. Can only be used 2 times per battle.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|32px|center]]'''Executioner''' ''+10% Aim against targets with less than 50% Health.''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|32px|center]]'''Opportunist''' ''Eliminates the Aim penalty on reaction shots, and allows reaction shots to cause critical hits.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|32px|center]]'''Low Profile''' ''Makes partial cover count as full.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_ITZ.png|32px|center]]'''In The Zone''' '' Killing a flanked or uncovered target with the sniper rifle does not cost an action.'' (applies only once to Pistols)
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DOUBLETAP.png|32px|center]]'''Double Tap''' ''Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Headshot, or Disable Shot, provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown.'' (Can't be used with ''Snap Shot'')
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====

* Sniper Rifles suffer an aim penalty when targeting enemies in close quarters, making the pistol more useful than on other classes.
* '''Snap Shot''' or '''Squad Sight''', makes for two completely different play styles of snipers. Plan your build ahead.
* '''Squad Sight''' still requires free line of sight from the sniper to the target.
* '''Damn Good Ground''' is best combined with an [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] with flight or a grapple hook.
* '''Battle Scanner''' is often more useful on '''Snap Shot''' snipers, due to its limited range. It can also be thrown through [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFO]] doors.
* '''Gunslinger''' with Foundry [[Foundry_(EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_I| Pistol upgrades]] puts pistols on par with most Rifles.
* '''Disabling Shot''' is useful for captures or to disable high damage targets and mind controlled soldiers.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
The Sniper works exactly as you would expect: long range, high damage, low mobility engagement. Depending on the level and your position, a Sniper will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or he'll spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Building a sniper revolves around managing their killing power while stationary versus their complete lack of it while on the move. Despite this, there are a number of no-brainer choices in their ability tree, greatly limiting the viable customization.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe like the original game. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100, or 66 game tiles for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27, or 18 game tiles). Squadsight removes the last requirement, allowing the rest of your squad to spot for your sniper as he relaxes three-quarters of the level away. Squadsight allows you to make use of high ground more effectively (further amplifying your killing power), cover your squad as they advance, and actually hit anything, ever. Snipers that are not in vision range can not be attacked, making this ability an amazing boost to both offense and defense.

'''Snap Shot''' is a future investment. It is designed to help the Sniper contribute on maps in which obtaining line of sight is difficult. However, the accuracy penalty drops the Sniper's Aim from the best in the game to noticeably worse than both Assaults and Supports and sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. However this can be compensated later by other Sniper abilities ('''Damn Good Ground''', '''Executioner''') and equipment (Archangel/Ghost armor) to turn the Snap Shot Sniper into a mobile flying/stealth Marksman that will be very effective at midrange fights (around 10 game tiles). '''In The Zone''' will further turn it into a killing machine, by allowing it to move and kill outflanked targets without using any action.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}

'''Damn Good Ground''' rewards you for parking on high ground and blasting away, which is what you want to be doing anyway. This helps the Sniper as your go-to for getting rid of a high priority target, and partially makes up for the fact that you are generally shooting into cover. You should be shooting from high ground more often than you shoot your pistol, and Damn Good Ground accentuates that. Both Snipers will get a ton of mileage out of Damn Good Ground. Once you research [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]], getting the benefit of DGG becomes very easy, making it a good pick late game.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. The boost to pistols is mostly effective to help snipers survive Floater and Thin Men ambushes. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. Gunslinger is a little redundant for Snapshot Snipers, and becomes more so as abilities and promotions make up for the aim penalty. For Squadsight Snipers, Gunslinger will make the sniper more useful in situations demanding lots of movement, or where drawing line of sight is difficult, like larger UFOs. Gunslinger is significantly less useful for psionic snipers, since they can use Mind Fray on most occasions where they would use a pistol. Finally, Gunslinger combined with Double Tap and Improved Pistol III turns your Sniper into a unit that can fire with better Aim and deal more damage with a [[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]] at all ranges (6 base damage for each shot, or 12 combined damage), than a Support with a [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifle]] (7 base damage).

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. This ability is useful if you have a dangerous target you're not confident you can kill this turn ([[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]]s and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]s), if you're going for a capture, or to neutralise a mind controlled friendly. There is a small Aim penalty (-10) attached to this shot, and the attack does reduced damage; if going for a capture, make sure you don't accidentally kill the target. 
'''Note:''' Disabling shot is the only thing you have that can prevent your mind controlled troops from flattening your non-mind controlled ones, short of killing them first; if killing the mind controller is not an option.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]. Giving it to a Snap Shot sniper turns it into a scout/sniper unit. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens, either landing a rocket in them while they're bunched up, or getting a free sniper shot on one out of cover. Its limited range means that the Sniper will not be in range to use it on open maps where he's miles away from his team, but a Sniper with Squad Sight can use it and it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot. Battle Scanners can be thrown through alien doors, making them handy in UFOs.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but there are two things to consider. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim but it can very useful for a Snap Shot sniper to deliver the killing blow. Second, snipers are generally able to kill most ordinary targets in one shot, which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. When fighting very high hit-point enemies such as [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], 50% of such an enemy's health amounts to quite a significant chunk of health. As the random number generator can be fickle at times, pushing your to-hit rate up to 100% against a major enemy is never a bad thing.

'''Opportunist''' improves your ability to cover the rest of the squad during [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]], helping mostly when aliens decide to patrol into your team blindly. With the range on Sniper Rifles, this ends up being a nice bit of coverage. Enemies triggering Overwatch are frequently in the open, partially reducing the need for this, but it's still an improved chance to save you time during your actual turn. The biggest sell for Opportunist is that your Sniper's Overwatch shots can now score critical hits: with a Plasma Sniper Rifle on hand, pretty much any aliens, even [[Muton Elite (EU2012)|Muton Elites]], that wander into view during Alien Activity are often dead on arrival, or at least severely wounded. If you go for two Snipers with Opportunist, try to place them with different lines of sight, so that they're less likely to waste a shot shooting at the same alien.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}

'''In The Zone''' offers unmatched offensive potential in the right conditions. Snapshot snipers, if armed with Ghost Armor, can sneak behind a squad of entrenched enemies and picked them off on the next turn. Squad Sight snipers will rarely flank an enemy, so will need to focus on exposed targets. Aliens that can't take cover - [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]], [[Zombie (EU2012)|Zombies]], [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]], [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]], [[Berserker (EU2012)|Muton Berserkers]], [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]], and [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] - and flying units (treated as exposed for the purposes of In The Zone) will be your primary targets. In the event that you kill an exposed alien with an overwatch shot, you'll get another non-move action next turn. Finally, squad mates can assist the sniper by blowing away cover with rockets or grenades. Note: In The Zone can be triggered with a pistol, but only once per turn.

'''Double Tap''' is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) without an aim penalty, and the ability to re-target. You will never ever regret having it. If you took Snap Shot, keep in mind that second shot suffers -20 aim penalty (due to a bug) and you can't Double Tap after moving.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high critical rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill targets in a single shot is not a very good asset to the squad, so you will want to keep up with tech here. Snipers also benefit from pistols much more than other classes, give them your best for those turns that they can't sit still or cannot fire their main weapon.

'''Armor:''' The best defense is a good offense. The second best defense is being too damn far away. Snipers have both of these, so you generally don't need to prioritize armor. Skeleton armor will help get you to a good position, and the defense bonus stacks nicely with Low Profile. Archangel is your go-to for the end game. A case for Ghost Armor can be made for Snap-Shot Snipers with In The Zone, as it will allow your Sniper to get into position with far less hassle. However, Ghost Armor can be expensive, and there are a couple other classes which should get the Ghost Armor first, so plan accordingly.

'''Item:''' Snipers generally get the most benefit from equipping a S.C.O.P.E. as it augments their already high accuracy and critical rate. If you're finding their normal aim progression to be sufficient, you may want to arm items that mitigate the snipers' close combat weakness such as a Nano-Fiber vest or Chitin plating. Alternately, arm equipment to provide additional functionality such as an Arc Thrower for capture, grenade for anti-cover, or another medikit.

===Gene Mods===
For the Sniper, Gene Mods are focused on, like everything else with the Sniper, Squadsight or Snapshot.
====Brain====
For the Brain, Snapshot Snipers can go either way, depending on the base Will of the soldier. Lower Will Snipers will want Neural Dampening, while higher can go with Feedback. Squadsight Snipers are the same, but the Brain is much lower priority since they are less likely to be in the line of fire.
====Eyes====
For Squadsight Snipers, Depth Perception will make you feel less guilty about taking Gunslinger instead of Damn Good Ground while Hyper Reactive Pupils will see very little benefit. For Snapshot, either will work fine. As with Brain, priority here should go to Snapshot rather than Squadsight.
====Chest====
You can never go wrong with Secondary Heart for either one. Squadsight Snipers will get little benefit from Adrenal Neurosympathy since they usually aren't in the middle of the Squad, while Snapshot will enjoy the benefit. Once again, priority should go to Snapshot first than Squadsight.
====Skin====
Bioelectric Skin is a must for Squadsight Snipers. It's not uncommon to leave them far behind the rest of the Squad and the last thing you need is a Seeker popping up and saying "Hi!" to your Squadsight Sniper when the rest of the Squad is embroiled in a fierce firefight on the other side of the map. Mimetic Skin will help Snapshot Snipers out on those turns they can sit still. Squadsight Snipers are of higher priority for Skin than Snapshots are.
====Legs====
Muscle Fiber Density will really help either Sniper get into a good position easier, while Adaptive Bone Marrow will help make up for the Sniper's inherent squishyness. Either will work and there really is no priority, though you may want to get Adaptive Bone Marrow on Snapshots faster since they're more likely to be in the thick of things.

===Summary===
All-around designed for long-range combat, one of the [[Making The Game Harder (EU2012)|making the game harder]] suggestions is simply "Never choose Squadsight." A Sniper with Squadsight and Damn Good Ground, flying high with Archangel Armor (an additional Defense bonus on top of DGG, for the rare time an enemy does get in range) and equipped with an upgraded Scope can pretty much ignore whatever cover aliens may have, and with Double Tap, one sniper fights like two soldiers, and two full snipers may seem like overkill. With Disabling Shot, the second shot can be used to simultaneously soften and disarm aliens for other solders to kill and level up with. With Opportunist, any alien that moves out of cover is almost a guaranteed kill. Watch your ammo levels, though.

With a six-member [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]], and the UFOs and many levels having a degree of symmetry, a regular tactic is to send two 3-member squads on each path (a sniper with each, taking back positions), which keeps any aliens on the other path from flanking around: a well-positioned sniper will reach out and help with front-line combat, and should shoot first for any frisky aliens who try to rush through, like Chryssalids (who fall easily to a Headshot even from the basic Sniper Rifle), rather than leaving the front-line troops move-less in attacking, or having them fall back to defend, leaving a gap for any more aliens to rush through. With that in mind, both Floater species are perhaps the biggest threat to snipers: their frequently-used Launch ability is utilized to flank your rearmost soldier, which will often be your sniper. Your mid-range fighters being close enough to provide backup, or another Squad Sight sniper, and having them cover one another, is the best defense against this.

An excellent lategame tactic involves two Squadsight Snipers (and at least one with Opportunist), and a forward soldier with Ghost Armor: the Ghosting soldier "recons" for the Snipers, and finds a 3-member squad of aliens, unactive and out of cover. The Sniper with Opportunist goes into Overwatch. Then the other sniper fires, killing the first alien. Activating the squad makes the aliens go into cover, triggering the Overwatching sniper, which will have equal aim, problably also killing another alien. Lastly, the cloaked soldier takes their shot, at 100% critical chance, possibly finishing off the squad.

A [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] Sniper is generally hard to train in open terrain situations, as you will not have the tendency to have them up front to attack with Mind Fray, though it is a valuable alternative to the pistol in the event of a Floater jump. "Psi Panic" has similar limitations when outdoors, and TK Field probably won't have the range to cover your front-line soldiers, who would benefit the most from it. Psi Inspiration can be used as a kind of support, boosting other psi soldiers before sending them forward to Fray/Panic/MC. Lastly, Mind Control is an excellent auxiliary move for any aliens that happen to flank the sniper.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Gene Mods (EU2012)

2013-11-16T00:16:13Z

Leman Russ:

Officer Training School (EU2012)

2013-08-28T19:20:27Z

Leman Russ:

[[Image:OTC.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Officer Training School.]]

The Officer Training School is a facility in the X-COM base, where you can buy 'tactics' that improves your strike team. 
Some tactics require you to have a soldier reach a particular rank in order to unlock it.

Your base starts without an OTS on Classic and Impossible difficulty levels. One of your Soldiers has to reach Sergeant rank to unlock the OTS for building.

The improvements require the continued existence of the Training School. So all purchased improvements would be disabled if the school was demolished.

* Cost: 3 Power, §125, 8 days [Classic & 5 Engineers], §25 / mo. maintenance

<onlyinclude>{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|+ [[OTS (EU2012)|OTS]] Abilities
|-
! width="20%" align="center" | Ability
! width="5%" align="center" | Rank Required
! width="5%" align="center" | Cost
! width="75%" align="center" | Description
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[File:OTS WETWORK.png|32px|left]] '''Wet Work''' || align="center" | Sergeant || align="center" | §125 || align="center" | +25% experience gained from kills
|-
| align="center" |[[File:OTS SQUADSIZEI.png|32px|left]] '''Squad Size I''' || align="center" | Sergeant || align="center" | §50 || align="center" | Squad size increased to 5 soldiers
|-
| align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" |[[File:OTS RAPIDRECOVERY.png|32px|left]] '''Rapid Recovery''' || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | Lieutenant || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | §150 || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | Soldiers heal twice as fast from wounds taken in combat.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:OTS SQUADSIZEII.png|32px|left]] '''Squad Size II''' || align="center" | Captain || align="center" | §75 || align="center" | Squad size increased to 6 soldiers.
|-
| align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" |[[File:OTS IRONWILL.png|32px|left]] '''Iron Will''' || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | Major || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | §200 || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | Soldiers receive a larger Will bonus each time they are promoted.
(Adds between 2-6 extra Will increases per promotion on top of the default +2-6)
|-
| align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" |[[File:OTS NEWGUY.png|32px|left]] '''New Guy''' || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | Major || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2"| §250 || align="center" style="background: #F2F2F2" | New soldiers are automatically promoted to the "Squaddie" rank.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:OTS DONTDIEONME.png|32px|left]] '''Don't Die On Me''' || align="center" | Colonel || align="center" | §275 || align="center" | The higher the rank, the more likely the soldier will be critically wounded instead of killed
|-
|}</onlyinclude>

Note: Iron Will improves your Will boost for 2-6 points per promotion. Plus the Second Wave option '''Hidden Potential''', this means a will boost of up to 13 points: and with '''Not Created Equally''', your Psi solders can easily surpass +100 Will scores.

==Trivia==
The seven banners on the back wall of the facility start out with the XCOM logo, and change to the symbol of each OTS ability as its researched, in the order that they're researched. In the above picture for example, the player acquired, from first to last, Squad Size I, Wet Work, Squad Size II, Rapid Recovery, New Guy, Don't Die on Me and lastly, Iron Will.

==See Also==
{{Base Facilities (EU2012)}}

{{StyleEU2012}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Base Facilities (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]

Ghost Armor (EU2012)

2013-08-25T16:39:37Z

Leman Russ: /* Notes */

[[Image:ghost_deco_1.jpg|thumb|right]]
==Description==
*'''Research Notes:'''
An advanced prototype based on our earlier Skeleton armor design, this variant makes use of our latest developments in the field of optical camouflage. By studying the unusual phasing behavior exhibited by the Hyperwave beacon, we've come to understand how this device is capable of existing outside of our visible plane. With this "phasing" behavior in mind, we've implemented several experimental metamaterials into the weave and structe of this suit's outermost layers. As a result, the "Ghost" armor provides near-invisibility to the wearer, allowing for enhanced evasion and infiltration capabilities in the field.

*'''Engineering Notes:'''
By integrating a stealth field based on the phase-shifts observed in the hyperwave beacon, this suit makes it extremely difficult for the wearer to be detected in the field. It should be noted, the stealth system is only effective when used by a soldier in cover.

==Stats==
{| class="wikitable" width="25%"
|+ '''Item Name'''
|-
! width="30px" align="center" | Property !! Info
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Requires: || align="center" | Titan Armor New Fighter Craft Hyperwave Communication
|-
| align="left" | Cost: || align="center" | §250 Alloy:40 Elerium:50 Min. Engineers:40
|-

| align="center" | Abilities: || align="center" | Grapple Stealth Defense: +20 Movement: +3
|-
| align="center" | Health: || align="center" | +6
|-
| align="center" | Equipped: || align="center" | Body
|-
|}

==Notes==
*Unit can become invisible up to four times per mission.
*Activating the stealth does not cost any actions nor end the turn. It's possible to use stealth multiple times in one turn, if you have the ability to act after attacking.
*Invisibility lasts for 1 turn or until the unit fires. This could be on your turn or on the alien turn after firing from [[Overwatch (EU2012)|overwatch]] or due to Close Combat Specialist. If your soldier decloaks during the alien turn he may be attacked by any aliens that haven't yet used their actions.
*When your turn starts your invisibility automatically ends, alerting enemies to your presence. This won't trigger Overwatch attacks, but you cannot continuously stay invisible for multiple turns even if you immediately activate Ghost again on the next turn.
*Occasionally, Ghost Mode can fail, and aliens will be alerted to that soldier's presence after moving: Ghost Mode will immediatley deactivate on the rare chance that this happens.
*Enemies behave as if you don't exist while you are invisible. You won't trigger alien 'wake-up' actions when moving into their line of sight, and they won't try to attack you. (You may still end up hurt from explosions, etc.)
**Civilians, however, can see you perfectly. You'll be able to trigger them in terror sites and Council missions.
*Attacking from stealth adds +100% critical chance. Against some enemies, this still may not guarantee a critical hit.
*Despite not taking an action, activating Ghost Mode counts as manipulating an item, and thus cannot be used if you have already triggered an ability prohibiting item use, such as Run and Gun.
**However, it is possible to activate Ghost Mode first, THEN activate Run and Gun.
*If a soldier is suppressed then activating Ghost Mode will make the suppression stop.
*Wearing [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] with Ghost armor will make it strong as [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan armor]] (+10 Health) plus the benefits of the added +20 Defense and no critical damage from melee attacks.

==See Also==
* [[Armor (EU2012)]]
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Ghost Armor (EU2012)

2013-08-25T16:39:26Z

Leman Russ: /* Notes */

[[Image:ghost_deco_1.jpg|thumb|right]]
==Description==
*'''Research Notes:'''
An advanced prototype based on our earlier Skeleton armor design, this variant makes use of our latest developments in the field of optical camouflage. By studying the unusual phasing behavior exhibited by the Hyperwave beacon, we've come to understand how this device is capable of existing outside of our visible plane. With this "phasing" behavior in mind, we've implemented several experimental metamaterials into the weave and structe of this suit's outermost layers. As a result, the "Ghost" armor provides near-invisibility to the wearer, allowing for enhanced evasion and infiltration capabilities in the field.

*'''Engineering Notes:'''
By integrating a stealth field based on the phase-shifts observed in the hyperwave beacon, this suit makes it extremely difficult for the wearer to be detected in the field. It should be noted, the stealth system is only effective when used by a soldier in cover.

==Stats==
{| class="wikitable" width="25%"
|+ '''Item Name'''
|-
! width="30px" align="center" | Property !! Info
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Requires: || align="center" | Titan Armor New Fighter Craft Hyperwave Communication
|-
| align="left" | Cost: || align="center" | §250 Alloy:40 Elerium:50 Min. Engineers:40
|-

| align="center" | Abilities: || align="center" | Grapple Stealth Defense: +20 Movement: +3
|-
| align="center" | Health: || align="center" | +6
|-
| align="center" | Equipped: || align="center" | Body
|-
|}

==Notes==
*Unit can become invisible up to four times per mission.
*Activating the stealth does not cost any actions nor end the turn. It's possible to use stealth multiple times in one turn, if you have the ability to act after attacking.
*Invisibility lasts for 1 turn or until the unit fires. This could be on your turn or on the alien turn after firing from [[Overwatch (EU2012)|overwatch]] or due to Close Combat Specialist. If your soldier decloaks during the alien turn he may be attacked by any aliens that haven't yet used their actions.
*When your turn starts your invisibility automatically ends, alerting enemies to your presence. This won't trigger Overwatch attacks, but you cannot continuously stay invisible for multiple turns even if you immediately activate Ghost again on the next turn.
*Occasionally, Ghost Mode can fail, and aliens will be alerted to that soldier's presence after moving: Ghost Mode will immediatley deactivate on the rare chance that this happens.
*Enemies behave as if you don't exist while you are invisible. You won't trigger alien 'wake-up' actions when moving into their line of sight, and they won't try to attack you. (You may still end up hurt from explosions, etc.)
**Civilians, however, can see you perfectly. You'll be able to trigger them in terror sites and Council missions.
*Attacking from stealth adds +100% critical chance. Against some enemies, this still may not guarantee a critical hit.
*Despite not taking an action, activating Ghost Mode counts as manipulating an item, and thus cannot be used if you have already triggered an ability prohibiting item use, such as Run and Gun.
**However, there it is possible to activate Ghost Mode first, THEN activate Run and Gun.
*If a soldier is suppressed then activating Ghost Mode will make the suppression stop.
*Wearing [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] with Ghost armor will make it strong as [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan armor]] (+10 Health) plus the benefits of the added +20 Defense and no critical damage from melee attacks.

==See Also==
* [[Armor (EU2012)]]
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Situation Room (EU2012)

2013-08-24T18:18:12Z

Leman Russ: /* North America */

[[Image:situationRoom.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Situation Room.]]

Supporting XCOM's activities is a Funding Council of 16 countries that will supply XCOM with funding and extra resources (e.g., soldiers, scientists, engineers) as well as reward any additional missions performed upon special request. These countries are geographically divided, so it is up to the player to decide where to place additional satellite coverage beyond the base. Each country provides funding as long as they remain in the council, which depends on their panic level, which ultimately depends on the player's ability to 'protect' those countries with satellite coverage and successfully completing tactical combat missions. Continents provide bonuses for placing your base there and for covering the entire continent with satellites. For strategy discussion on choosing base location and managing satellite coverage, go to the [[Managing Panic (EU2012)|Managing Panic]] page.

==Funding==
X-COM receives a base funding each month from the Council, plus additional funding obtained through the deployment of satellites over countries. The starting funding will depend on the continent and country where the [[XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)|Headquarters]] is located. Since it comes with a deployed satellite, the starting funding will consist of the base funding plus the funding of the country where HQ is located. Both starting and country funding will be affected by the game difficulty and the bonus that is gained from placing the base on that continent.

{| class="wikitable" width="30%"
|+ Base Funding by Difficulty Level
|-
! Easy !! Normal !! Classic !! Impossible
|-
| §175 || §175 || §75 || §75
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+ Country Funding by Continent (+50% Easy difficulty)
|-
! Africa !! Asia !! Europe !! North America !! South America
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|
* Egypt: §70
* South Africa: §80
* '''Nigeria: §100'''

|
* '''China: §100'''
* Japan: §100
* India: §60
* Australia: §60

|
* United Kingdom: §100
* Russia: §150
* France: §80
* '''Germany: §100'''

|
* '''United States: §180'''
* Canada: §100
* Mexico: §50

|
* Argentina: §70
* '''Brazil: §80'''
|- style="font-weight: bold;"
| Ʃ §250 || Ʃ §320 || Ʃ §430 || Ʃ §330 || Ʃ §150
|}
''The '''bold''' country is where the base will be located if you pick that continent to start the campaign.''

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+ Country and Continent Bonuses per Month (Easy/Normal)
|-
! width="50px" align="center" | Satellites !! Africa !! Asia !! Europe !! North America !! South America
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align="center" | '''1''' || align="center" | +1 engineer || align="center" | +2 engineers || align="center" | +2 scientists || align="center" | +1 scientist +1 engineer || align="center" | +1 scientist
|-
| align="center" | '''2''' || align="center" | +1 scientist +2 engineers || align="center" | +3 engineers || align="center" | +3 scientists || align="center" | +2 scientists +2 engineers || align="center" | +2 scientists +2 engineers
|-
| align="center" | '''3''' || align="center" | +2 scientists +3 engineers || align="center" | +6 engineers|| align="center" | +6 scientists || align="center" | +4 scientists +4 engineers ||
|-
| align="center" | '''4''' || || align="center" | +8 engineers || align="center" | +8 scientists || ||
|- style="vertical-align:top; padding:5px;"
| align="center" | '''Bonus'''
| align="center" | '''All In''' ''Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30%.''
| align="center" | '''Future Combat''' ''All projects in [[Foundry (EU2012)|The Foundry]] and the [[OTS (EU2012)|Officer Training School]] cost 50% less.''
| align="center" | '''Expert Knowledge''' ''[[Laboratory (EU2012)|Labs]] and [[Workshop (EU2012)|Workshops]] cost 50% less to build and maintain.''
| align="center" | '''Air & Space''' ''All [[Craft (EU2012)| aircraft]] and [[Craft Armaments (EU2012)|aircraft weapons]] cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain.''
| align="center" | '''We Have Ways''' ''Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.''
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+ Country and Continent Bonuses per Month (Classic/Impossible)
|-
! width="50px" align="center" | Satellites !! Africa !! Asia !! Europe !! North America !! South America
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align="center" | '''1''' || align="center" | +1 engineer || align="center" | +1 engineer || align="center" | +1 scientist || align="center" | +1 scientist || align="center" | +1 scientist
|-
| align="center" | '''2''' || align="center" | +1 scientist +1 engineer || align="center" | +2 engineers || align="center" | +2 scientists || align="center" | +1 scientist +1 engineer || align="center" | +1 scientist +1 engineer
|-
| align="center" | '''3''' || align="center" | +1 scientist +2 engineers || align="center" | +3 engineers|| align="center" | +3 scientists || align="center" | +2 scientists +1 engineer ||
|-
| align="center" | '''4''' || || align="center" | +4 engineers || align="center" | +4 scientists || ||
|- style="vertical-align:top; padding:5px;"
| align="center" | '''Bonus'''
| align="center" | '''All In''' ''Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30%.''
| align="center" | '''Future Combat''' ''All projects in [[Foundry (EU2012)|The Foundry]] and the [[OTS (EU2012)|Officer Training School]] cost 50% less.''
| align="center" | '''Expert Knowledge''' ''[[Laboratory (EU2012)|Labs]] and [[Workshop (EU2012)|Workshops]] cost 50% less to build and maintain.''
| align="center" | '''Air & Space''' ''All [[Craft (EU2012)| aircraft]] and [[Craft Armaments (EU2012)|aircraft weapons]] cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain.''
| align="center" | '''We Have Ways''' ''Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.''
|}
''The continent where the XCOM base is located will also provide additional bonuses, listed under '''Bonus''' in the table above. If you cover an entire continent with satellites, then you also get that bonus even if your base is located elsewhere.''

''Additional information: [http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?146306-Continental-bonuses-analysis-(long-and-spolierish) 2K Forums about Satellite Coverage vs Bonus from Continents]''

== Panic Level ==
The Situation Room will display the Panic level throughout the world. Each country has a panic level from 0 to 5 (and a corresponding color) and it will increase or decrease depending on how well XCOM responds to alien activity in that country and the continent and also on the presence of satellites. Once a country has reached a high enough level of panic, that country may permanently withdraw from the XCOM project. Once eight countries leave the Council the XCOM project will be automatically terminated.

== Satellite Network ==
It is possible to launch satellites from the Situation Room after they are built by [[Engineering (EU2012)|Engineering]]. By expanding its space detection network XCOM will enhance its capabilities to detect and stop incoming UFOs, receive additional Council funding and extra scientists and/or engineers received for each additional country covered. It will also decrease the panic level of the country over which it is deployed and as the satellite cover expands to cover an entire continent, the player will get the additional continent bonuses listed above. Due to its critical role, the Aliens will also try to target and destroy XCOM's satellite network. To protect its satellites XCOM will also have to [[Hangar (EU2012)|deploy]] Interceptors on those continents to stop any hostile incursions.

== Finances ==
The Situation Room provides links to Finances, the [[Gray Market (EU2012)|Grey Market]], and [[Requests (EU2012)|Pending Requests]] as well as displays your total § on-hand and monthly income.

== Objectives ==
The Objectives suggest milestones (e.g., "''Construct the Alien Containment Facility''"; "''Research the Arc Thrower''") to help you progress through the game. Those actions are usually marked as '''Priority''' on the lists of available projects for your base. A list of XCOM's objectives can be found at [[Storyline_(EU2012)|Storyline]]

== News Ticker==
The News Ticker will display relevant [[News Items (EU2012)|News Items]] concerning the alien invasion from around the world that will reflect XCOM's performance in protecting the Council's nations.

== Continent Bonus Analysis ==
=== North America ===
Bonus: '''Air & Space''' 
Details: All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain. 
Analysis: One of the more useful bonuses by far, being able to procure Firestorms for 50% off is incredibly useful, especially if you're down to the wire on materials. If it's your starting bonus, it allows you to spit out a few more interceptors at a very low income time of the game, giving you some more coverage. While a couple of Interceptors is really all you need in the opening days, a couple extra will be there to make you feel safe for when XCOM decides to be XCOM. Also, as a side bonus, North America provides you with the highest monthly funding before satellites at the start on every difficulty except Normal, where starting in Africa has a couple extra bucks per month.

=== South America ===
Bonus: '''We Have Ways''' 
Details: Interrogations and Autopsies are completed instantly. 
Analysis: Only really useful if it's your starting bonus or you can get it within the first two months. Interrogations and Autopsies don't take that long to begin with and by the time you pile on a few scientists, they'll only take 1 or 2 days at most. Far more useful however if you're playing with Marathon on from Second Wave, since everything takes a little bit longer. Overall however, not a very pressing bonus to get.
=== Europe ===
Bonus: '''Expert Knowledge''' 
Details: Labs and Workshops cost 50% less to build and maintain. 
Analysis: Unless your pounding out Labs in the very early days of the game, or playing with Marathon turned on, Labs aren't that useful while Workshops are only really useful once you've linked a few of them together. Furthermore, neither Labs nor Workshops are going to burn a major hole in your wallet. It's a little more useful as a starting bonus however, as it'll probably allow you to get a 2x2 block of Workshops a little sooner than if you didn't have it. Depending on how you build, it could be more or less pressing.
=== Africa ===
Bonus: '''All In''' 
Details: Monthly XCOM funding increased by 30%. 
Analysis: Quite possibly the single most useful bonus there is. Get it, and get it fast if it isn't your starting bonus. That extra money is going to pay dividends in both the long and short run, and the early and late parts of the game. You need money for everything. And you can never have too much money.
=== Asia ===
Bonus: '''Future Combat''' 
Details: All projects in The Foundry and the Officer Training School cost 50% less. 
Analysis: Asia's bonus is a little weird. When you're not focusing on your Foundry and OTS upgrades, you really don't care that much that you don't have it. But when you start to focus on your Foundry and OTS upgrades, you're going to wish you DID have it. OTS upgrades are just money, so it usually isn't THAT big of a deal, but Foundry upgrades cost money and other materials, making it a bit more of a deal. Can be ignored if you aren't working on your Foundry or OTS upgrades, but you WILL want it for when you start to pound those out. Especially the Foundry upgrades, since those compete for materials (Alloys, Elerium, Weapon Fragments) alongside Research and Manufacturing.

==See Also==
* [[Mission Control (EU2012)|Mission Control]]
* [[Hangar (EU2012)|Hangar]]
* [[The Council (EU2012)|The Council]] - for info on scoring and XCOM monthly grade.
* [[News Items (EU2012)|News Items]] - for the media reports that are constantly updated and displayed.
{{Base Facilities (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Base Facilities (EU2012)]]

Armor (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:50:13Z

Leman Russ: /* Armor Types */

<gallery widths=150px heights=100px perrow=5 caption="Weapons">
File:BODY ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Body Armor (EU2012)|Body Armor]]
File:CARAPACE ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace Armor]]
File:SKELETON SUIT (EU2012).png|[[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]]
File:TITAN ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]]
File:ARCHANGEL ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]]
File:GHOST ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]]
File:PSI ARMOR (EU2012).png|[[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]]
File:NANOFIBER VEST (EU2012).png|[[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vest]]
File:CHITIN PLATING (EU2012).png|[[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]]
</gallery>

==Armor Types==
{|class="wikitable" width="60%"
|-
! width="25%" align="center" | Type
! width="5%" align="center" | Health
! width="5%" align="center" | Defense
! width="5%" align="center" | Move
! width="60%" align="center" | Extra Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
|[[Body Armor (EU2012)|Body Armor]]||align="center" |+1||||||
|-
|[[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace Armor]] ||align="center" |+4||||||
|-
|[[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]] ||align="center" |+3||align="center" |+10||align="center" |+3||Grapple
|-
|[[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]]||align="center" |+10||||||Fire and poison immunity
|-
|[[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]] ||align="center" |+8||align="center" |+20*||||Flight (6 moves, 12 after foundry upgrade)
|-
|[[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] ||align="center" |+6||align="center" |+20||align="center" |+3||Grapple, Stealth
|-
|[[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]] ||align="center" |+6||align="center" |+10||align="center" |+2||+20 Will
|}

Note: the Assault Class ability '''Extra Conditioning'' gives an additional armor HP bonus: +1 for the starting armor, +4 to Titan and Archangel, and +2 to all others.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Archangel Armor provides 20 defense only when in flight.

==Manufacturing==
{|class="wikitable sortable" width="70%"
|-
!Type!!Cost!!Elerium!!Alloys!!Engineers req'd
|-
|[[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace Armor]] ||25||0||15||10
|-
|[[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]] ||30||0||10||15
|-
|[[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]] ||150||10||35||25
|-
|[[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]] ||200||35||50||35
|-
|[[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] ||250||50||40||40
|-
|[[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]] ||400||40||20||30
|}
* Costs listed are base costs. Costs are decreased with additional engineers.

==Notes==
* Armor HP can be supplemented by the [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-fiber Vest]] and [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] equipment slot items.
* For a soldier to be wounded, their BASE health must be hit (The green number displayed in their stats screen). Taking damage less than or equal to armor and item bonus HP requires no recovery time.
== External Links ==
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Template:XCOM Units (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:45:42Z

Leman Russ:

<table width="75%" {{stdTable}} cellpadding="3" border="1">

<tr {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}><td colspan ="2">{{EU2012 Icon}} [[EU2012_Table|XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]: [[Classes (EU2012)|Classes]]</td></tr>

<tr><td width="80"><center>[[File: CLASS ASSAULT.png|24px]] [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]] • [[File: CLASS HEAVY.png|24px]] [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] • [[File: CLASS MECH.png|24px]] [[Mech Trooper (EU2012)|Mech Trooper]] • [[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|24px]] [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]] • [[File: CLASS SUPPORT.png|24px]] [[Support (EU2012)|Support]] • [[File: CLASS PSIONIC.png|24px]] [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]] </center> </td></tr>
</table>

Storyline Missions (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:39:01Z

Leman Russ: /* Assault the crashed Overseer UFO */

==Storyline Specific Missions & Tips==
===''Assault the Alien Base''===
*The Alien Base Assault is unlocked once you've captured an Outsider and researched it. You will also need to build the Skeleton Key artifact before assaulting it.
**Especially on Impossible Difficulty, it may be wise to unlock this mission as soon as possible (including building the key, so you don't find yourself short on resources for it), and save it for when you need it: completion gives a 2-point ''worldwide'' Panic Reduction, which could save several countries from withdrawing due to panic, if you find yourself in a difficult situation.
**If playing with [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]]'s option of Diminishing Returns you may want to hit the Alien Base as quickly as possible since the increasing cost of satellites makes panic management almost impossible.
*The Alien Base can be expected to contain all of the aliens you've encountered so far, and at the end a single Sectoid Commander guarding a Hyperwave Beacon. On higher difficulties you may also face yet unseen aliens such as [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]].
**Does not include Slingshot DLC's early appearances of Mutons and Cyberdiscs, unless it is or past the normal month for their appearance (ie: 3rd month for 1st Mutons).
*The Alien Base is considerably longer than most missions you'll have done so far, so pack for the long haul.
*Warning: losing this mission will result in losing the game.

Check the [[AlienBase01 (EU2012)|Alien Base 01]] and [[AlienBase02 (EU2012)|Alien Base 02]] pages for overhead shots of both Alien Base maps.

===''Assault the crashed Overseer UFO''===
*Once you've built a Hyperwave Relay base facility you will gain the ability to detect the Overseer UFO. This can only be shot down with a Interceptor/Firestorm with a powerful weapon and equipment aids.
*The Overseer UFO is then a standard medium-sized UFO crash site, with the exception that its commander is an [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] with [[Muton (EU2012)|Muton Elite ]]guards protecting a Psi-Link device.
*[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod(s]]) will show up regardless of current progress.
*If you can't shoot down the Overseer UFO or choose not to assault it after it crashes it will reappear later on.

Note: The Overseer UFO will not appear until AFTER you've built the Hyperwave Relay, and even then, there's a two week window that it could be before it appears. Furthermore, it could appear over any country you have Satellite Coverage on. With this knowledge, it might be advisable to wait and build the Relay until you have at least 1 Firestorm over each continent. Interceptors can be used, but you'll need Plasma Cannons on all of them, and modules.

===''Assault the Temple Ship''===
*The final mission of the game. Your mission is to get to the bridge of the Temple Ship, kill the Uber Ethereal there and keep the Volunteer alive.
*Your Volunteer soldier is granted a new psionic ability (The Rift) and must survive - if he/she dies you'll lose the game. (But you can restart the mission even on Ironman).
*You can expect to see at least one of every type of alien in this mission. Highlights are a room with two Sectopods, and the final room featuring an Uber Ethereal with two Ethereal guards and several Muton Elites.
*Killing the Uber Ethereal wins the game immediately, with no need to kill any remaining aliens.
*Warning: losing this mission will result in losing the game.

Check the [[TempleShip (EU2012)|Temple Ship]] page for overhead shots of the entire map.

'''Room 0 - Landing Bay'''
*No enemies. The path splits into three doorways, center, right, and left, a symmetrical configuration that follows all the way through the ship. Further directions assume chosen camera angles keeps forward "upwards".
*Alien squads will be listed individually (ie: per activation, each squad will be separated by commas; different squads can be activated independently).
*As you move through the ship, the Uber Ethereal will comment on each alien race and your progress.

'''Room 1 - Sectoid & Cyberdiscs'''
*A wide foyer with several half-cover berms, and archways opposite of the side doors.
*Once through the first set of doors, you will encounter a Sectoid Commander and two Sectoids, and another two Sectoids on the path under the right archway. After 1 round, 2 Cyberdiscs and 3 Drones will appear on top of the archways (1 Disc each, the one on the left has the 2 drones).
*Snipers with Double Tap can make short work of the Discs, and other solders can mop up the drones if they survive the Disks' explosion.

'''Room 2 - Floaters & Chryssalids'''
*A large square room, with a high walkway/bridge crossing down the middle, two high balconies on the sides, and low pathways between. There is a Floater on the left pathway, a Heavy Floater (high balcony) & Floater (pathway) on the right, and two Floaters at the end of the bridge. *After 1 round, 3 Chryssalids will spawn, two on the right pathway, and one on the left, closer to the entrances (fortunately, they will not move right away). The Volunteer can use rift to make short work of the two on the right.

'''Room 3 - Thin Men'''
*Actually 3 hallway/bridges: following the previous room, the middle bridge is shorter & high up, and the left and right bridges are at low elevations, and have an extra door in the middle.
*The middle path contains two Thin Men, who will immediately run when spotted, so two soldiers ghosting (one on overwatch, the other firing) would be useful to take both out before they get into cover.
*A third Thin Man will be on one of the lower bridges, past the middle door (it will be on whichever side that past the middle door is seen first). Take care not to run through poison gas.

'''Room 4 - Mutons and Sectopods'''
*A very large, long Colosseum, and perhaps the hardest room of the Temple Ship.
*Coming from the previous room's bridges: the middle entrance opens into a balcony, and the left and right entrances open into small open areas with stairs that lead back to a middle elevation. Visible from the top of each stairs are two separate squads of two regular Mutons each. If both are activated, it will activate a lone Berserker in the middle (in front of the balcony). You may want to keep some Mutons mind controlled for the next part (preferably the Berserker if you can).
*The side paths will lead again to downgoing stairs, which lead to two long pathways, which frame an even lower, wide open amphitheater containing two Sectopods, placed close together near the middle. Past the first high balcony, a middle-elevation balcony is in the middle, near the entrance.
*Snipers with Archangel should be able to fly high at the back of the room with Archangel and shoot freely at the Sectopods without being seen themselves.
*This is a good time to use Rift, since you should be able to get both Sectopods and it does full damage to them, and will kill them by itself over the two turn duration (if your Volunteer happens to be a HEAT Heavy it will simply one-shot them).
*Alternatively, if you managed to keep a Muton, placing it between both Sectopods will heavily damage all three when they fire their Chest Cannons.
*When both Sectopods are destroyed, two Muton Elites will spawn way down at the far end of the room, where stairs bring all 3 paths back into 1. With high-ground and cover, they may either wait to ambush you, or move forward, firing or tossing grenades at the first soldier they see.

'''Room 5 - Ethereal Cathedral'''
*After a thin corridor, the final room is a large cubic room with a low middle path with two high-cover obstacles, and two high side paths with sets of half-cover balconies (like two E shapes, both with the tines pointing inwards, the middle tines being longer).
*The Uber Ethereal waits at the far end of the room, on a high, thin balcony in the middle. Behind him is a second Ethereal Device serving as the Cathedral's altar. The aliens activate once in sight of him (a few spaces before crossing the middle tines of the "E"s: being no farther forward than the "latitude" of the middle stairs leading down is close enough to make any final Heals/Inspirations): two Ethereals on the last tines of the "E"s & two Elite Muton guards below and either side of the Uber Ethereal's balcony. Just before his guards spawn, the Uber Ethereal will speak again: of their existence, and why they have attacked Earth, alluding to some unrevealed "others" and some nameless cataclysm or trial.

'''Winning the Final Fight'''
*There are many ways to win, and even more ways to die in this room, especially after all the other battles you've fought leading to this.
* Killing the Uber Ethereal wins the game immediately, so a good strategy is to ignore the lesser enemies and pump everything you have in to the Uber Ethereal to win the fight as quickly as possible.
*Mind Controlling the Muton Elites on the turn you enter the room will take them out of the fight and also cause the Ethereals to spend a turn killing them, which they would otherwise spend mind controlling your people. Which they will otherwise do.
* A good basic strategy is to form up your squad near the entrance, enter the room and mind control both Muton Elites (which makes cover a non-issue, since the Ethereals' attacks ignore it) and spend any remaining actions damaging the Uber Ethereal. The Ethereals will then almost certainly kill both Mutons and then mind control one of your soldiers. You then have a full turn of actions from 5 soldiers to do enough damage to the Uber Ethereal to kill him and win.
*If you can't reliably end the battle in two turns, you need to be able to fend off those Mind Controls otherwise you're going to be in some serious trouble. The ideal solution is to have enough Mind Shields to outfit your entire team with them. But since this may be gimping your team in other ways, and may not be possible to have downed six Ethereals before this point, some creativity may be required. Psi Inspiration and Combat Drugs Smoke Grenades can help.
* A Squadsight Sniper can sit safely behind the 3 tile long cover just outside the door (have him/her set up in the middle of the block) and pop away at the Uber Ethereal with impunity. Simply send in someone with Ghost Armor to spot.
* If you manage to MC both of the other ''Ethereals'', that's pretty much a guaranteed win. You'll need the Volunteer and a second Psi soldier with at least a Mind Shield to have a chance, but then you can waste the UberEthereal in the next round with a 3-deep barrage of Rifts!

==See Also==
* [[Storyline (EU2012)|Storyline]]

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Guides (EU2012)]]

Defense Matrix (Dodge) (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:34:41Z

Leman Russ: Created page with "The Defense Matrix guarantees the next two shots fired at you miss. Perhaps the most useful module of the three, since guaranteeing a miss on you is far more valuable than guaran..."

The Defense Matrix guarantees the next two shots fired at you miss. Perhaps the most useful module of the three, since guaranteeing a miss on you is far more valuable than guaranteeing a hit on the enemy (even Avalanche Missiles have an average hit rate of 70%). You'll rarely (if ever) need to use this on a Firestorm, but it will allow your Interceptors to stay in the fight a little bit longer before you need to pull them out, especially when larger UFOs start to be fielded, which can fire a lot more than you can.

Defense Matrices require 3 Floater Corpses to make.

{{Craft Armaments (EU2012)}}

UFO Tracking (Boost) (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:31:01Z

Leman Russ: Created page with "The UFO Tracking module freezes the countdown timer for a few seconds, giving you those few extra seconds to take out the UFO. In most cases, the allotted time frame is enough to..."

The UFO Tracking module freezes the countdown timer for a few seconds, giving you those few extra seconds to take out the UFO. In most cases, the allotted time frame is enough to down the UFO or pull out after doing some damage, and let another plane finish it off. However, while this gives you more time to rail on the UFO, it also gives the UFO more time to rail on your Interceptor, and unless you're fighting a small scout or using a Firestorm, those few extra seconds might be enough for the UFO to finish you off instead of you finishing the UFO off. Perhaps the most useful situation for the UFO Tracking is if you're forced to take on the Overseer UFO with regular Interceptors. Regular Interceptors have significantly less time to shoot the enemy than a Firestorm will. A Tracking module will give your regular planes a few extra precious seconds to shoot the Overseer.

UFO Tracking Modules require 2 Cyberdisk wrecks to produce, which aren't as common as they could be, especially on higher difficulties.

{{Craft Armaments (EU2012)}}

Uplink Targeting (Aim) (EU2012)

2013-08-24T17:24:08Z

Leman Russ:

By routing information from our satellites to the interception craft, we can greatly improve the odds of a hit in combat.

When used during an interception, the next two attacks by the interception craft will be guaranteed hits. Each module produced in engineering is good for a single use and requires 3 Sectoid Corpses to make.

Not exactly the most useful boost, but still has uses. The best time to use it is if you're nearly out of time, and you think your next couple of shots will be enough to down the UFO. The main problem stems from the fact that you don't know if those next two shots were going to hit or miss anyways. Furthermore, it requires 3 Sectoid corpses to make, and even on Easy, Sectoids are pretty much gone by the fourth month.

{{Craft Armaments (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Difficulty (EU2012)

2013-08-20T00:43:16Z

Leman Russ:

The choice of difficulty levels is the very first step take when you play an X-COM game, and it will heavily define how the game will operate by adjusting what resources you start with and most importantly what sort of handicap or advantage is given to the enemy forces.

XCOM:Enemy Unknown allows you to change difficulty level as you play if you are finding the game too easy, or too hard. Previous games in the series did not allow this.

= Starting Funds =

{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! align="center" | Difficulty
! align="center" | North America
! align="center" | South America
! align="center" | Europe
! align="center" | Africa
! align="center" | Asia
|-
| align="center" | Easy
| align="center" | §465
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | §315
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | §315
|-
| align="center" | Normal
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | 
|-
| width="10%" align="center" | Classic
| width="10%" align="center" | §300
| width="10%" align="center" | 
| width="10%" align="center" | §190
| width="10%" align="center" | §242
| width="10%" align="center" | 
|-
| align="center" | Impossible
| align="center" | §275
| align="center" | §145
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | 
| align="center" | §165
|}

= Easy =
* 150% of monthly funds income
* Base global panic starts at 0
* A free satellite from start
* Most alien activity only raises panic by 1 if left unchecked
* Aliens use the Easy/Normal AI package, and aren't as numerous.
** Consequently: Research/Foundry subjects that require Weapon Fragments may actually take ''longer'', as you will not be able to even start them without the requisite materials.
* No more than 5 Aliens at a time may engage the player in tactical mission
* XCOM soldiers have +1 bonus HP, starting with 6 instead of 5
* Soldiers cost $10
* XCOM HQ starts 42 units of power.
* XCOM HQ starts with an Officer Training School.
* Sectoids have their health reduced by 1 compared to Normal
* Thin Man aliens' damage is reduced by 2, and their HP is reduced by 1 compared to Normal
* Aliens hesitate to use special abilities and throw grenades

==Other Notes==
Easy is just that: Easy. It's relaxing, it's not going to break you, and it's not going to stress you out too much. Because of low increase on panic levels, it takes numerous boneheaded decisions, combined with atrociously bad luck to lose even a single country, let alone lose the game because of too many countries pulling out. Furthermore, with higher monthly funding rates, it shouldn't be too hard to be lacking on satellites. Tactically, there are fewer enemies, as well as a cap on how many you can be engaged with at once and a shackle on their intelligence. Enemies will make silly mistakes like run out into the middle of the map with no cover, and even forget to take their turn! That being said however, the enemy is still dangerous, and will make you pay if you make a stupid decision, such as staying out of cover, or clustering your soldiers up together when a grenade enemy is on the loose. In fact, on Easy, that's about the only situation in which the enemy will use a grenade is if you've clustered several troops together. It's not remotely out of the question, even on Ironman, to go through Easy and not lose a single soldier, or country.

Easy is for Commanders unfamiliar with the genre, as a platform to wet your feet a little bit before moving to the bigger leagues, or for a relaxing, easygoing time.

= Normal =
* 100% of monthly funds income
* Base global panic starts at 0
* Most minor alien activity raises panic by 1 in left unchecked with some events doing up to 3
* No more than 5 Aliens at a time may engage the player in tactical mission
* Alien AI is limited (aliens can skip their turn, run away or take suboptimal moves for no reason)
* Soldiers have standard 5 hitpoints
* Soldiers cost $10
* XCOM HQ has 35 units of starting power.
* XCOM HQ starts with an Officer Training School.

==Other Notes==
The major difference between Normal and Easy is on the Strategic end of the game and not the Tactical. Unchecked alien activity will raise panic more than on Easy, and with less power to start, you'll either need to get very lucky on your Steam Vents or build some regular Generators. You'll need to pay more attention to things like continental panic when dealing with Alien Abductions for instance, as it won't take as much for a country to hit the 5 Panic as it would on Easy. Furthermore, with less funding, you'll need to be more conservative with your funds in the early game. Tactically however, the game is very similar to Easy. With a shackle on the enemy's intelligence as well as caps on how many enemies can be engaged, aside from one less HP on your troops (not that huge, even in the early game), you won't find much difference between Easy and Normal in this department.

Normal is for Commanders who have been around the block before and know what to expect, but still want an easily controlled game.

= Classic =
* 100% of monthly funds income
* Base global panic starts at 8 (8 nations start with 2 panic, other 8 has 1.)
* Unchecked alien activity causes at least 1 panic, but will often cause 2 or 3
* Country with unchecked abduction gets 2 panic, other countries on that continent get 1 panic
* There are more alien packs per mission and bigger chance of a pack having more aliens (up to 3).
* Aliens receive bonuses: Chryssalids and Zombies recieve a +2 damage bonus, Muton berserkers receive a +1 damage bonus, all aliens that use ranged weapons receive a +10 Aim bonus, Mutons, Heavy Floaters, Drones, and Outsiders receive a +2 HP bonus, Sectoid Commanders and Cyberdiscs receive a +4 HP bonus, Sectoid Commanders and Ethereals receive a +25 Will bonus.
* Alien AI is unshackled (aliens can still run away in fear or put themselves in bad position sometimes due to AI not cheating and having to guess where your units are, but will never take an unoptimal move intentionally)
* Soldiers have -1 HP
* Soldiers cost $15
* XCOM HQ has 30 units of starting power
* XCOM HQ has no Office Training School at the start; a soldier must reach Sergeant to unlock the OTS base facility
* You do not start with an extra satellite
*Satellite coverage over continents such as scientists and engineers are smaller
. Eg. Full coverage over Europe grants 4 scientist on classic but on normal it grants 8 for full satellite coverage

==Other Notes==
Classic is when things start to pick up. Gone are the caps and shackles on your foes. They will no longer skip their turn for no reason and run into the middle of the street for equally no reason, nor will they hesitate to toss a grenade at you if they don't like their chances to hit. To make matters worse, enemies are far more dangerous, and your troops are down another HP. As if that wasn't enough, panic increases at greater levels than before, making it even more paramount that you consider the entire continent as well as country in question. With lower satellite coverage rewards, research is going take a bit longer and your equipment is going to be a little more costly.

Classic is for Commanders who have been around the block several times and are ready for a greater challenge.

= Impossible =
* 100% of monthly funds income.
* Base global panic starts at 16 (all nations start with 2 panic).
* If unchecked alien activity causes at least 2 panic, but will often cause even more.
* Country with unchecked abduction gets 3 panic, other countries on that continent get 1 panic.
* There are even more aliens per mission and even bigger chance of a pack having more aliens (up to 3).
* Aliens receive bonuses: Many aliens do 2 to 4 bonus damage, all aliens using ranged weapons have +10 Aim except the Outsider and Muton Elite who receive +20 Aim, all aliens have +10 Critical Chance, Outsiders can move 5 more tiles per turn than in Easy, Normal, or Classic, Sectoid Commanders, Ethereals, and the Uber Ethereal receive bonus Will, with the first two getting +35 and the latter getting +10, many aliens receive +10 bonus Defense, and most aliens receive 1 to 5 bonus HP.
* Compared to Classic, most notable change is +1 Health and +10 Aim of Sectoids, and +2 Health of Thin Men and Floaters, which provides for a huge difficulty increase on the first months of the game.
* Alien AI is unshackled (aliens can still run away in fear or put themselves in bad position sometimes due to AI not cheating and having to guess where your units are, but will never take an unoptimal move intendedly).
* Aliens use special abilities frequently, and are 40 times more likely to throw grenades compared to Easy and Normal.
* Aliens will field more Heavy units: 3 Sectopods at once is pretty common, unlike on Classic or lower.
* Soldiers have -2 hitpoints.
* Soldiers cost $15.
* XCOM HQ has 30 units of starting power.
* XCOM HQ starts without an Officer Training School; a soldier must reach Sergeant to unlock the OTS base facility.
* You do not start with an extra satellite.

==Other Notes==
Impossible will break you. It exists to destroy you. It will feast on your tears and mock your very soul. To prepare yourself for the trials ahead, go [[Classic vs Impossible (EU2012)|here]]. Good luck, Commander. You WILL need it.

Impossible is for tactical geniuses, strategic masterminds, demigods and masochists.

= Sub Options =

In addition to the standard difficulty levels, the game offers two sub options that you can select before starting the game. Once set they cannot be switched off.

== Tutorial Mode ==

Tutorial Mode puts you through a short series of guided missions and tasks done to teach you the basics of how to play the game. It also acts as a Prologue to the story, making it worth trying at least once even if you are already familiar with this game.

* This mode grants you one more satellite than you normally will start with if it is disabled
* Only 2 of the 5 starting continents are available in the Tutorial. They are otherwise available if you start without tutorial mode selected.
* This mode is disabled when starting the game on Impossible

== Ironman ==
The Ironman game mode is a sub difficulty level that can be applied to any of the difficulty levels. This mode disallows you from saving the game manually and can not be disabled once the game has commenced.

* This makes the game more difficult since you cannot undo catastrophic mistakes or turns in combat.
* The game saves when:
** You exit the game
** Starting with turn 2 of combat, at the beginning of each player turn
** When you enter mission control
** When you leave any interface in base view (Mission Control, Situation Room, Research Labs, Engineering...)
* This mode can cause problems if you encounter bugs that cause non-progression, since you cannot go back to an earlier, hopefully more functional save state.
* Ironman can arguably 'save you from yourself' if you are the kind of player who would otherwise tend to reload any decision, combat, or turn that did not go well. While you are likely to do better as a result, overall gameplay may not be as fun as simply figuring out how to go on with the consequences.
* You can still easily "cheat" by making backups of the save files, or closing the game application after something unwanted happens but before your next turn begins in combat, however, this ruins the whole point of playing Ironman. These methods can also be considered a perfectly legal way to counter most of the bugs, however, including abilities doing nothing, enemies teleporting on your head, etc.

''Ironman'' mode originates from an unofficial method of play that harkens back to the earlier X-COM titles where players wanting a challenge would self-impose a rule on their save/reload habits. This is traditionally done by manually disallowing the use of the save/reload facility to recover from mistakes, losses, and cheating. Regular saving is still encouraged to lock down progress or to avoid game bugs. This can still be done manually in XCOM Enemy Unknown, however the Ironman mode is provided to automate this process and is a requirement for certain [[#Achievements|Achievements]].

= The Second Wave =
There are more options that adds flavor or challenge to the game, check [[Second Wave (EU2012)|The Second Wave]] page for details.

=Achievements=

While not a difficulty per-se, the game offers a series of set ''achievements'' that you can earn by performing certain actions. These are either obtained automatically as you progress, or require you to perform task under difficult conditions such as winning the game on Classic/Imposible with Ironman enabled, or winning several full games from each of the starting base locations.

These goals do not offer any direct in-game benefits but can be collected at your leisure. For a full breakdown of the challenges, see: [[Achievements (EU2012)|Achievements]].

= Miscellaneous information =
* You can change difficulty level at any time during the game. It takes effect immediately, but not retroactively. For example, if you change difficulty level in combat from Classic to Impossible, enemies will immediately gain respective health and aim bonuses, however no new enemy packs would be spawned corresponding to the difficulty change.
** (Unconfirmed information) This can also be used to avoid the rookie HP bug, if player so desires (the bug that makes new recruits arrive with standard 5 health even on harder difficulties). Changing difficulty right before the arrival of new soldiers will (reportedly) make them have correct amount of health.
*The games cheats for you on easy and normal difficulty.
** On normal with 4 or fewer soldiers, or easy with precisely 4:
*** Chance to hit is 120% of displayed value
*** For hits that have at least a 50% chance of hitting, chance to hit is increased by 15% (absolute) per consecutive miss, with no upper limit
*** Alien chance to hit is reduced by 10% (absolute) for each consecutive hit.
** On easy AND you are down to 3 or fewer soldiers:
*** Chance to hit is 120% of displayed value
*** Chance to hit is further increased by 15% (absolute) per missing squad member, under 4 (if you only brought 1 soldier, he has +45% chance to hit)
*** For hits that have at least a 50% chance of hitting, you receive another 15% (absolute) chance to hit per consecutive miss (up to 30%)
*** Alien chance to hit is reduced by 10% (absolute) for each consecutive hit.
*** Alien chance to hit is further reduced by 25% (absolute) for each squad member missing under 4

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Talk:Weapon Fragments (EU2012)

2013-08-16T03:56:41Z

Leman Russ: I totally DID NOT forget to sign the first time around

== Fragment vs. Fragments ==

Which page is the research project, and which is the staple ingredient of almost all the research projects in the game? [[User:Leman Russ|Leman Russ]] 23:56, 15 August 2013 (EDT)

Talk:Weapon Fragments (EU2012)

2013-08-16T03:56:20Z

Leman Russ: /* Fragment vs. Fragments */

== Fragment vs. Fragments ==

Which page is the research project, and which is the staple ingredient of almost all the research projects in the game?

Talk:Weapon Fragments (EU2012)

2013-08-16T03:56:10Z

Leman Russ: Fragment vs. Fragments

== Fragment vs. Fragments ==

Which is the research project, and which is the staple ingredient of almost all the research projects in the game?

Talk:Hangar (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:51:25Z

Leman Russ: /* Armor Pen vs. Damage */ new section

It is worth noting that by the time I could create a Firestorm, I already had the 'Air & Space' Bonus. Monthly maintenance is probably double what I am paying so that is what was added to the entry. No idea if the construction cost is affected. With 59 engineers, the material cost was already significantly decreased. ~ [[User:Drakalu|Drakalu]] 01:19, 12 October 2012 (EDT)

==Interception page?==

If noone objects, I was thinking we should make a separate page for the interception 'minigame', detailing how it works. (IE, interceptors are chances-per-continent to down a UFO, etc.) So...objections? [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 08:29, 7 December 2012 (EST)
* Go ahead: I just don't know to format Wiki pages, so I'll just write some and leave it on this page, and you can move/add/edit to it as you wish. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:33, 22 March 2013 (EDT)

Added raw data on ships/weapons: tested and got wins with them (some on multiple tries, some ''after'' multiple tries) for all UFOs and Difficulties, without modules, save for the Overseer UFO. Someone wanna make it into a table? (and I think that table at the bottom, with the hit chances and costs not supposed to be down there...) --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 05:58, 31 July 2013 (EDT)

== Armor Pen vs. Damage ==

OK, this is driving me nuts, what's the difference between "Armor Penetration" and "Damage" on weapons in terms of the number crunching and the behind the scenes? [[User:Leman Russ|Leman Russ]] 13:51, 8 August 2013 (EDT)

Psionic (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:23:42Z

Leman Russ: /* See Also */

[[File:PSIONICS (EU2012).png|right|512px|Psionic Squad]][[File: CLASS PSIONIC.png|right|frame|64px|Psionic]][[File:PSIONICCOLONEL.png|right|200px|Psionic Colonel]]A Psionic is a late game 'extra' <noinclude>[[Classes (EU2012)|class]]</noinclude><includeonly>class</includeonly> that appears once you tested your soldiers for psionic ability. Higher Will makes the more likely to have the gift. They can use their mental powers on the battlefield to panic/control enemy units or to create physical attacks. Psionic soldiers get access to their regular class abilities in addition to their psychic powers, allowing for some interesting combinations. A Psionic soldier will have a purple effect applied to their class identifier.

{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="90%" align="center" colspan="2"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | '''Psionic'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:PSIONIC MINDFRAY.png|32px|left]]'''Mindfray''' '' Causes the target to lose grip on reality, inflicting penalties to Aim(-25), Will(-25), and Movement, and doing 5 base Damage. Robotic units are immune. Lasts 2 turns. 1 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | '''Specialist'''
| width="40%" | [[File:PSIONIC PSIINSPIRATION.png|32px|left]]'''Psi Inspiration''' ''Removes Mindfray and panic from all allies within 3 tiles, and strengthen their Will by +30 for 2 turns. 4 turn cooldown.''
| width="40%" | [[File:PSIONIC PANIC.png|32px|left]]'''Psi Panic''' ''Cause target to panic on its following turn, if the target's Will is overcome. Robotic enemies are immune. 2 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | '''Operative'''
| width="40%" | [[File:PSIONIC TELEKINETICFIELD.png|32px|left]]'''Telekinetic Field''' ''Create an immobile telekinetic field that lasts through the enemy turn. The field distorts and deflects incoming attacks, granting +40 Defence.''
| width="40%" | [[File:PSIONIC MINDCONTROL.png|32px|left]]'''Mind Control''' ''Very difficult psi technique that, if successful, grants control of the target for 3 turns. Robotic enemies are immune. 5 turn cooldown.''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | '''The Volunteer'''
| width="40%" colspan="2"| [[File:PSIONIC RIFT.png|32px|left]]'''Rift''' ''Devastate an area with a storm of psi energy. The rift does more damage against targets with low Will, and reduced damage against targets with high Will. 4 turn cooldown.''

|}
'''Additional Notes'''
* Psionics can only be used on an alien that can only be seen by the unit.
* Will penalty from '''Mindfray''' stacks with multiple application. Other effects does not stack.
* '''Telekinetic Field''' will be centered on the psi user that created it, so it should be given to soldiers that will be near the front line.
* '''Telekinetic Field''' don't give defense to enemy units unlike smoke grenades.
* An alien under the effects of '''Mind Control''' is treated as one of your soldiers for pretty much all intents and purposes. Your soldiers will take the Will penalty if he dies. Additionally, if he dies while being MC'd, his weapon does '''not''' explode, allowing you to capture it at the end of the mission.
* A Mind Controlled unit cannot act on the turn it is controlled.
* '''Psi Inspiration''' removes the Fallen Comrade will debuff. This is especially useful when using Mind Control.
* The Support's Combat Drugs includes a Will bonus, but this does '''not''' affect any Psi Abilites (ie: will not stack with Inspiration, or enhance MC/Panic/Mindfray probability).
* Contrary to the description, '''Psi Panic''' will cause the victim to panic immediately and then skip its next turn. This will often cause it to fire on you in your turn if it can see you.
*Only one psi unit can become '''The Volunteer''', and this occurs when they use the alien device in the [[Gollop Chamber (EU2012)|Gollop Chamber]].
* The '''Rift''' ability is a wide area-effect psi attack that can inflict massive damage, but has a long down-time.
* '''Rift''' is the only Psi attack that can affect Robotic units, and, if the Volunteer is a Heavy, DOES benefit from the HEAT ammo ability.

<noinclude>

==Testing for Psionics==
After the [[Psionic Lab (EU2012)|Psi Lab]] is built it is possible to test up to three soldiers at a time to discover their Psionic potential. Testing takes 10 days for each soldier and the result is dependent upon the soldier's Will, as well as entry order, and with whom else.

==Tactical Advice==
Psionics are clearly an asset to any class. Shotgun Assaults can use psionics to engage at medium range when it's not possible for them to Run & Gun for a close range shot. Snipers can use psionics as a weapon after moving. Heavies can use psionics as a complement to their moderate aim at high levels. Supports in a way gain the least from psionics, but their Deep Pockets ability allows them to carry a Mind Shield without hampering their other functions greatly. This grants them psi defense and a higher offensive ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Mind Fray'''

All psionic soldiers have this as their first ability. The main advantage of Mind Fray over simply shooting a target is that (like all psi abilities) it ignores Defense and cover and targets the alien's Will, which unless it is a psionic enemy, Chryssalid or Berserker is often a much easier target. While the damage is low compared to end-game weapons, it is fixed and guaranteed if the attack hits, which makes it a nice way of killing an alien with 5 HP or less left.

Mind Fray's Will reduction will make further psionic attacks easier, and is the easiest psionic attack to land. This means you can use it to soften up an alien for a Mind Control or Panic, or for a further Mind Fray by a lower ranked soldier. This is particularly useful when going for the '''Xavier''' achievement.

'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The main problem with this skill is that often the unit's panic action will be to take a shot at you, which isn't a massive improvement on what it would have done had you not panicked it. The unit will sometimes do something else like hunker down or run away. In any case, a successful psi panic prevents the use of any special abilities like grenades and will prevent the unit from moving to flank.

Unlike Mind Fray, Psi Panic will not decloak a soldier using the Ghost Armor's Ghost ability. The panicked alien will not attack the hidden psi user, but may attack other soldiers that it can immediately see. When used carefully, this can be a good way to disable key enemies for a turn. Unfortunately, aliens don't suffer from regular panic like you do, so you can't start a panic chain among the enemy by getting them to shoot each other.

'''Psi Inspiration''' gives a +30 boost to Will for 2 turns and removes Mind Fray and Panic. The most important thing this ability does that isn't mentioned is remove the Fallen Comrade Will debuff. This is very useful when using Mind Control, because mind controlled aliens dying will cause this debuff and you'll want to get rid of it so it doesn't hamper your morale and psi abilities for the rest of the mission. The Will bonus will buff your soldiers' offensive psi ability hit chance and defense against enemy psi attacks, making it a useful ability to use before breaching a room. Psi Inspiration can be used to level up to the next psi level quickly, because it can be used on spare turns when not in combat. While Psi Inspiration is an area effect ability, it only reaches two tiles, so can be a pain to get many other soldiers without forming your squad into grenade bait formation.

'''Telekinetic Field''' vs '''Mind Control'''

'''Mind Control''' is easily the most powerful ability in the game in most encounters. While it's difficult-to-impossible to pull off against psionic enemies, they usually have non-psionic guards (Muton Elites in particular) who can be controlled. The only major enemies it doesn't help against are Cyberdiscs and Sectopods, though mind controlled aliens from a previous group will make for good cannon fodder for them. Mind Control is one of the hardest skills to pull of, and requires high Will to succeed. If your soldier has reasonably high Will, then this is the skill to take.

Like Panic, Mind Control also does not decloak a soldier using the Ghost ability. This way only the mind controlled alien will be at risk of attacks from its allies. Additionally, MCing an alien in an inactive squad (ie: while in Ghost Mode) will not activate the remainder of the squad (or any others nearby) until your next action is taken. With Squad Sight, Snipers can wipe out an entire Alien Squad at once.

An alien or human who is ''psi-linked'' is not a valid target for mind control. A psi-linked unit is one who is using or is the target of Mind Merge or Mind Control. This means if an alien MCs a soldier, you cannot attempt to MC the soldier back, or attempt to MC the alien to break the link. Likewise, if you MC an Ethereal's Muton Elite guard, the Ethereal will not be able to MC that soldier or the guard.

You can keep track of how many turns are left of a controlled alien by the ability tile on the controlling soldier: if it reads '''T-3''', then the alien will be released at the start of the next Alien Action. Some aliens will immediately fire if your soldiers are in range, and be especially wary of any with grenades. However, you ''can'' 'force' their action-- or inaction: when the tile reads T-3, have the soon-to-be-free alien Hunker Down, and it will stay in that mode when released. As flanking ignores Hunker Down, and your soldier only needs to be a little away to be invisible to it, this is a safe way to either MC it again, or finish it off.

'''Telekinetic Field''' is essentially a psionic smoke grenade that is reusable after a 4 turn cooldown. It is always centered on the soldier creating it, rather than being placeable like a smoke grenade, but it makes up for this by being much larger. It also gives +40 defence like a dense smoke grenade. The main use for this ability is to protect your squad from the attacks of a sectopod or cyberdisc if you have to finish your turn under its guns. Telekinetic Field will not decloak a soldier using the Ghost ability. You may want to take this if your psionic has low Will.

If you decide to have 4 troopers with TK field, and have them cast in turn, that means you can have a 'continuous' TK field for as long as you desire. Add Mindfrays, advanced armors' Defense bonus and a smoke grenade if things look dicy, and this can make you almost unhittable in a straight-up firefight. Focusing this much on TK field comes at the cost of Mind Control though, and limits how far apart you can deploy your squad while benefiting from it.

Telekinetic Field can be a good replacement for smoke grenades if you take ''Combat Drugs'' on your Supports, since this makes their smoke grenades no longer give a Defense bonus.

===Chances of Psi attacks===
Chance to land Mindfray/Psi panic is 50 + (your will) - (target's will) %. 
Chance to land Mind control is 30% lower, 20 + (your will) - (target's will) %. 
Psi armor and Mind shield gives bonus 20% and 30% (respectively) chance to all psi attacks, on top of will bonus. 
On classic and Impossible difficulty, there is -10% and -20% (respectively) penalty to all psi attacks. 
*Combat drugs will boost does not apply on psi attack.
*If you have 205 will with Psi armor and Mind shield, then you can MC an Ethereal with 100% chance on impossible difficulty.

===Equipment===
The requirements of your primary class will probably dominate your equipment choice. The only items of particular note for psionic soldiers are the [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shield]] and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]]. The Mind Shield's description portrays it as a defensive item against hostile psionics, but the Will bonus it gives is equally useful for boosting your own psi ability hit rate. Psi Armor is an option for psionics that gives a Will bonus and all the effects that entails, but it's by no means automatic that Psi Armor is the best choice; Ghost and Titan have better defence and Ghost and Archangel have better mobility.

When deciding on whether to use the Mind Shield or Psi Armor, look at the soldier's Will level and consider the sort of psi skills that your soldier will be using the most. A soldier mainly concentrating on buff skills for example will not need to use either, as these skills are not dependent on their Will level. A soldier specialising in Mind Control may want to take one or even both to get Will close to or beyond 100. Most combat oriented builds can get away without either and can use Mind Fray and Psi Panic to a good degree of success against most common enemies except the Muton Berserkers and Ethereals.

Again: note that Combat Drugs' (Support's skill) or Combat Stims' (item) boosts to Will do not add to Psi techniques.

===Care and Feeding of Psionics===

You want to avoid your potential (or already identified) psi troopers being Critically Wounded, since this gives a ''permanent'' reduction to Will.

Once you've obtained the '''Iron Will''' OTS upgrade, you may want to replace your current crop of high ranking soldiers with new ones, since these new soldiers will end up with significantly higher will scores than soldiers that gained their ranks without Iron Will. Even if your original soldiers test positive, the higher will of your new ones will make them more powerful psionics.

To maximise the will of your soldiers, save before the final shot of each mission (usually either a Sectoid Commander, an Ethereal, or the last action of a Council Mission). This way, when you get back to base, if they didn't get the Will upgrade you'd like, you can reload and try again. If playing with the Second Wave '''Hidden Potential''' option this can also be done to maximise other stats.

Whether a soldier will be gifted or not is decided when they are placed in the Psi-Lab, so with saving and loading you can make any soldier a guaranteed psionic by placing them in the lab, saving, fast forwarding 10 days (skipping missions) and seeing what the result is. If it's positive, reload and play normally, if negative, reload, pull them out and back in to the lab, save again and repeat. Again, a positive or negative result is dependant on when that soldier is ''entered'', so removing the soldier in slot 2 will not change the result of the soldiers already in slot 3 or 1.

If playing on Iron Man (or are just unwilling to abuse saving and loading in this way) then after testing your current ranked soldiers, get the '''New Guy''' upgrade and recruit and test new squaddies of the class you want with high starting will as often as possible to identify psionics. If you are playing with the Second Wave option '''Not Created Equal''', then you will also want to pay attention to aim and move as well. Psi Snipers in particular will want to prioritise aim. While Will is a factor (higher ranked soldiers will have a better chance of testing positive), it is more economical to test masses of squaddies than to promote soldiers to higher ranks before testing and then discarding that effort if they test negative.

If you are playing with the Second Wave '''More Than Human''' keep in mind that you'll most likely only have 1 or 2 Psionics available at all times during the game. Once your single Psionic is dead you'll have to find and train a new one so you may want to think first before sending him/her on a risky move.

===Leveling===

As Psionics is a subclass, a newbie psionic can be a Rookie or a Colonel. Psionic leveling is rather quick, and dependant on successful Psionic actions. Basically, just make a lot of successful Mindfrays. And once you get the next level (Inspire or Panic), use that one a lot, too (if with Inspire, level faster by Inspiring multiple other soldiers in the same turn.

As for starting a newbie Psionic ''as'' a Rookie/Squaddie or a Colonel: while hits made with Mindfray and Panic (and supporting with Inspire) level Psionic abilities, ''kills'' made with Mindfray still count as EXP for levelling Soldier Rank, and an additional 'weapon' technique for a new recruit (whom may have low aim) that always hits does wonders for faster levelling (kills made ''with'' an MCed alien, or an MCed alien getting killed, do not grant EXP). Meanwhile, an experienced soldier's higher Will means that a Psionic attack is less likely to fail. If you have a backlog of high-stat recruits for Psi Testing, you may consider sending the choice soldiers into battle in the meanwhile, so at least they level some amount, reducing the odds of failed Mindfrays--- or remove all worry by giving them Psi Equipment: note that any soldier can equip Mind Shields, but only those that have already tested positive for Psi Potential can equip the Psi Armor.

Council Missions, which are almost always only Thin Men, are excellent missions to train new Psi soldiers on: on all but Impossible difficulty, Mindfraying a Thin Man is a 1-hit kill.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Support (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:21:51Z

Leman Russ: /* See Also */

[[File:SUPPORTS (EU2012).png|right|512px|Support Squad]][[File: CLASS SUPPORT.png|right|frame|64px|Support]][[File:SUPPORTCOLONEL.png|right|200px|Support Colonel]]A multipurpose <noinclude>[[Classes (EU2012)|class]]</noinclude><includeonly>class</includeonly> intended to serve as field medics, scouts, sentries or any other support roles. Supports can stay behind the front lines in order to heal damaged units and/or secure flanks, or provide suppressive fire for advancing units. Or they can join the advance, by scouting ahead and using smoke clouds to protect the squad's advance, helping to [[Flanking (EU2012)|outflank]] opponents, if Assaults are pinned down or have been lost, or to provide [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]]. Its drawbacks are the slighly lower damage from its primary weapon and lower capacity for critical hits as well as having no permanent Defense bonuses besides those of armor/cover.
* The Support's primary weapon is its [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifle]], which can also be used to Suppress enemies, if the Support acquires the Rifle Suppression ability. The main weapon can later be upgraded to [[Laser Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Rifle]], [[Plasma Light Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Light Rifle]] or [[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifle]] variants.
* The Support also carries [[Smoke Grenade (EU2012)|Smoke Grenades]] which can generate clouds capable of offering half cover to any units inside them (both XCOM and the aliens) or even increase the stats of the soldiers inside the cloud.
* Support abilities upgrades are centered on four aspects: Defense, Damage Reduction, Reactions and Inventory.
:* Damage Reduction - '''Field Medic''', '''Revive''' and '''Savior''' greatly increase a Medi-kit's abilities.
:* Defense - '''Smoke Grenade''', '''Rifle Suppression''' and '''Dense Smoke'''.
:* Reactions - '''Covering Fire''', '''Rifle Suppression''' and '''Sentinel'''.
:* Inventory - '''Smoke Grenade''', '''Smoke and Mirrors''' and '''Deep Pockets'''.
:* Unique - '''Sprinter''' - only perk that increases Movement and '''Combat Drugs'''.
* The bonus in stats gained through rank promotions will give the Support a total of +24 Aim points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will.
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SMOKEGRENADE.png|32px|left]]'''Smoke Grenade''' ''Deploy a smoke grenade once per mission. The smoke confers +20 defense to all units, not just allies, and lasts during the enemy turn.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_GRENADE1.png|32px|I]][[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN1.png|32px|-A20]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SMOKEGRENADE.png|32px|left]]'''Smoke Grenade''' ''Deploy a smoke grenade once per mission. The smoke confers +20 defense to all units, not just allies, and lasts during the enemy turn.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_GRENADE2.png|32px|I]][[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|-A20]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SPRINTER.png|32px|left]]'''Sprinter''' ''Allows the support to move 3 additional tiles.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY MOVE1.png|32px|M]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT COVERINGFIRE.png|32px|left]]'''Covering Fire''' ''Allows reaction shot to trigger on enemy attacks, not just movement.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH2.png|32px|R]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT FIELDMEDIC.png|32px|left]]'''Field Medic''' ''Allows medikits to be used 3 times per battle instead of once.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|-4D]][[File:ABILITY_GRENADE1.png|32px|I]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SMOKEMIRRORS.png|32px|left]]'''Smoke and Mirrors''' ''Allows 1 additional use of Smoke Grenade each mission.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|-A20]][[File:ABILITY_GRENADE2.png|32px|I]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT REVIVE.png|32px|left]]'''Revive''' ''Allows Medikits to revive critically wounded Soldiers at 33% of maximum health instead of just stabilizing them.
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|=33%D]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT RIFLESUPPRESSION.png|32px|left]]'''Rifle Suppression''' ''Fires a barrage that pins down a target, granting reaction fire against it and imposing a 30 penalty to aim.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH2.png|32px|R]][[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|-A30]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT DENSESMOKE.png|32px|left]]'''Dense Smoke''' ''Smoke Grenades have increased area of effect and further increase units' Defense by 20.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN1.png|32px|-A40]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT COMBATDRUGS.png|32px|left]]'''Combat Drugs''' ''Smoke Grenades now contain powerful stimulants that grant +20 Will and +10% Critical Chance for all units in the cloud.'' (Also grants +20 Aim Bonus)
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM2.png|32px|+10CA]][[File:ABILITY HARDENED2.png|32px|-DP20]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT DEEPPOCKETS.png|32px|left]]'''Deep Pockets''' ''Confers an additional item slot in inventory.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_GRENADE1.png|32px|I]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT DEEPPOCKETS.png|32px|left]]'''Deep Pockets''' ''Confers an additional item slot in inventory.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_GRENADE2.png|32px|I]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SAVIOR.png|32px|left]]'''Savior''' ''Medikits restore 4 more health per use.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|-4D]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SUPPORT SENTINEL.png|32px|left]]'''Sentinel''' ''Allows two reaction shots during Overwatch, instead of only one.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH2.png|32px|R]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|+ KEYCHART
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY UNKNOWN20.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY MOVE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY AIM.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED.png|32px]]
|-
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Additional Shot || align="center" | Improves Reaction || align="center" | Extra Movement || align="center" | Additional Equipment || align="center" | Change Unit Aim || align="center" | Decrease Enemy Aim || align="center" | Change Damage Given || align="center" | Decrease Damage Taken
|-
|}
{{TipBox |'''Smoke Grenade'''
:*Smoke Grenades mean the difference between life and death in the game due to the Defense bonus it provides. Later they can carry '''Combat Drugs''' switching their role for an offensive one.
:*Supports can carry an additional Smoke Grenade with '''Smoke and Mirrors''' but they'll forgo the additional Medi-Kit usage.
:*'''Dense Smoke''' doubles the Defense to +40, giving units on the cloud the equivalent to full cover. If already in full cover the bonus can increase to +80 or more.
:*'''Combat Drugs''' is also a great ability specially when setting ambushes to advancing aliens or if you can plan the cloud deployment in advance. It can also be used to counter Will losses coming from Psionic attacks in the late game stage.}}
'''Additional Notes'''
* Support abilities upgrades are centered on medical, scout and sentry roles.
* The '''Field Medic''' perk dramatically improves the effectiveness of medikits, tripling the number of uses. '''Savior''' further improves medikit effectiveness, and '''Revive''' can allow the medikit to bring critically wounded soldiers back in to the fight.
* The '''Sprinter''' perk and additional smoke capacity makes for a good scout.
* '''Combat Drugs''' smoke gives an undocumented +20 to aim, and ''loses'' its defensive benefit.
* Support's two other specialized abilities are '''Rifle Suppression''', allowing scouts or sentries to support attacks and '''Covering Fire''' (making it the only class that can react to enemy fire on Overwatch).
<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
Supports aren't ''sexy'' in the way that the other classes are, but they do bring a lot more to the table than many realize. Their Aim and HP are both on par with Assaults, giving them comparable offense for the early portion of the game. On top of that, they have great mobility, effective damage mitigation and healing, and get the opportunity to bring 2 Items along for unparalleled customization. It is not by any means a bad decision to bring a pair of Supports on a mission as you expand your squad, and it can be very helpful to do so on long missions such as the Alien Base or lengthy UFO assaults.
There are 3 main paths while choosing perks for Support soldiers rather than the common 2 of the other classes. Those can be combined together in several combinations, although the choice is between specialization vs. flexibility.
* Scout. '''Sprinter''', '''Smoke and Mirrors''' and '''Dense Smoke'''
* Tactical Officer: '''Covering Fire''', '''Rifle Suppression''' and '''Sentinel'''
* Medic: '''Field Medic''', '''Revive''', '''Combat Drugs''' and '''Savior'''

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}

'''Sprinter''' gives an incredible amount of mobility to set up flanks. While the Assault's Run & Gun accomplishes this as well, Sprinter also helps set up grenades, stuns, or Medikit use.

'''Covering Fire''' is essentially an upgrade to the Overwatch ability of your Support to restrict enemy actions. It can be also useful for a Medic since its role is usually more of a sentry unit and Covering Fire grants more Overwatch options. However, this ability is only useful if activated when the soldier can already see an enemy. In this case, it is more effective to simply shoot rather than go on overwatch and shoot on the aliens' turn with a penalty. The usefulness of Covering Fire is therefore a little questionable.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to repair some/all damage to your squad after a major fight or when things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Depending on the opposition level it is normal to see 1-2 Medikits on squads so this skill is one of the most important to have present on any squad.

'''Smoke and Mirrors''' is, under ideal circumstances, better than Field Medic, as avoiding shots is preferable to healing (some of) the damage from a shot. The issue with this is that you're playing without a safety net, so if you don't use smokes effectively (or you deploy them correctly and the enemy shots connect anyway, or, as is more often the case in the later parts of the game, the enemy decides to lob a grenade at you), you're not going to find yourself in a good position. A side benefit of choosing Smoke and Mirrors is that you will never feel bad about packing an Arc Thrower, so consider that flexibility when making your decision.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}

'''Rifle Suppression''' is a great utility skill, keeping your squad safe from return fire and locking enemies in position. While Heavies can get Suppression as well (earlier, and with more ways to augment it), this is a great ability for Supports working as Scouts to have as well since they allow to lock newly seen aliens.

'''Revive''' is a useful skill but that can be tricky to use. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you can't protect the revived soldier from any alien shots then it will be killed and most likely your Medic with it afterwards. And if later the soldier will further require more healing before it can be relied not to die with a single shot. Sometimes it may just be better to stabilize the unit rather than revive him/her.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
Defense vs Offense choice.

'''Dense Smoke''' is a huge defensive bonus that will make units in any kind of cover nearly untouchable. The catch to this is that after the appearance of Mutons, aliens will start carrying grenades. And any time they decide they don't like their odds to hit, they're liable to hurl a grenade instead. This will do 5 damage to one or more unit and set you up for further pain by destroying your cover. This is a Very Bad Thing. Aside from that quirk, this is, again, a huge defensive bonus.

'''Combat Drugs''' provides a powerful boost to your Will and a small one to Crit Chance. And while this isn't listed, it loses its defense bonus and gets +20 Aim bonus instead (this might be a bug, but it works this way now). Since the smoke lasts to next your turn, you can benefit from the Aim bonus twice. Will bonus could be helpful when you want defense from Sectoid commanders or Ethereals, or using psi attacks against high will targets.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic (and Revive) very effectively, and with the Improved Medikit project from the Foundry will give a unit 30HP worth of total healing to hand out. This is a huge boost to your longevity, marking almost double the healing even if you already have the Foundry Project. Perhaps more importantly, this 8-10 HP will often counteract an entire shot's worth of damage. After all, healing a solider from 1 HP to 7HP does you no good if incoming attacks are dealing 9.

'''Sentinel''' combines with Covering Fire and Rifle Suppression for a sentry unit that will shoot twice at any aliens that move or fire within its field of vision.

===Equipment===
'''Weapons:''' Generally your Supports will be using your Assault's leftovers. Because they have no ability to increase their damage output, you'll need good weapons to make up for it. Unlike the Heavy, they have very few non-primary-weapon damage or utility, so unless you're planning on using Suppression every turn, you'll need to stay up to speed here.

'''Armor:''' Again, probably playing second banana to the Assault. With Sprinter, Supports don't have a huge need for Skeleton Suits during the mid game, and later on a case can be made for Titan Armor. Ghost is still preferable in the long run, but given how expensive it is, Titan is not a poor alternative while you scrape together resources.

'''Item:''' If you took Field Medic and/or Savior, you'll be carrying a Medikit. Sprinters are the best choice to use Arc Throwers, and with fast armor the Support will have an easy time getting into range. Chitin Plating helps to counteract the Support's lack of defensive talents, and does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psionic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

===Summary===

As discussed, you can mix and match to suit personal play style to Scouting, Medic, and Tactics. Field Medic is ideal for early on, when most soldiers are one or two hits away from death anyways, while it become less important as you get better armors and more HP. Smoke & Mirrors and Dense Smoke will help you from getting hit at all, while Combat Drugs may help with not getting ''fired at'' at all, by helping other soldiers kill aliens first. Ghost Armor is easily the best for Support troopers, as the add to move and grappling hook help get into position, Ghosting lets you get right next to aliens, and landing a shot while Ghosting is a guaranteed Critical. Getting Field Medic almost "forces" you to save one inventory slot for the Medkit, but plus Ghost Armor, and the Deep Pocket slot for a Scope, that makes Support pretty damn good at fighting Thin Men during your monthly(ish) Council Missions. Otherwise, Chitin Plating is a good choice, as it gives an extra 4 HP, though the "50% reduction to Melee" may not come up often for them. Sentinel may help your Support soldiers do more damage, while Savior, plus the Medkit Foundry upgrade, means +10HP a heal. Sentinel and Cover Fire gets two shots to an attacking alien during Overwatch: with laser/plasma rifles, the first shot may destroy the alien's cover, making the second a critical hit (though both may hit, both may miss, etc...).

Psi Support: it seems as if Support troopers do not get the greatest of starting or leveling Will scores, so their role as support is expressed here. Mind Fray assist your front-line troops, naturally. Psi Panic may not be good for them, as since Supports are mid-range fighters, a Panic Attack will probably make the affected alien attack your forward Assault or Heavy, so again, Psi Inspiration as a support role is probably best. MC or TK is again, per preference: TK Field is good as, if you didn't get Smoke and Mirrors for that second Smoke Grenade, or got Combat Drugs (with reportedly ''loses'' the +20 Defense, while Dense Smoke makes it a +40 Defense item), acts as a regenerating defense field, and also, unlike the smoke grenades, doesn't help any aliens that happen to be in range of the effect. The downside is that TK field lasts 1 turn, while Smoke Grenades last two, but as your mid-line soldier, a TKing Support might cover your entire squad. Mind Control helps 'add a volunteer' for your squad, but probably only the forwardmost alien will be in range, which if MCed, will almost always be killed by its former squadmates behind it.

That being said, Supports often make for good, safe choices for the Volunteer, since they don't usually rely as much on the quirks of their end game armor like other classes do (eg: Shotgun Assaults using Ghost Armor to flatten an enemy, or Squadsight Snipers using Archangel Armor to hover out of reach). As a result, they won't be as seriously handicapped for the final mission when they're forced into the (when compared to other end game armors) lackluster Psi Armor. As an added bonus, with the benefit of Deep Pockets, you can give them Mind Shields without, again, seriously hampering them.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Sniper (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:21:33Z

Leman Russ: /* See Also */

[[File:SNIPERS (EU2012).png|right|512px|Sniper Squad]]

[[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|right|frame|64px|Sniper]][[File:SNIPERCOLONEL.png|right|200px|Sniper Colonel]]A <noinclude>[[Classes (EU2012)|class]]</noinclude><includeonly>class</includeonly> able to inflict massive long range damage on enemy targets from a position of safety. They are good at inflicting critical hits, and can augment the chances further with their special '''Headshot''' ability. Special training can allow the sniper to provide long range cover fire, disarm enemies or reconnaissance.

The Sniper relies heavily on mobility, favourable terrain and the cooperation of squad mates to locate their marks. The Sniper is otherwise a poor close range combatant.

* The Sniper's primary weapon is the [[Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Sniper Rifle]]. This weapon offers high damage and a +20 Critical Chance to any shot, with the critical hit chance increasing on each tech upgrade, from [[Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Sniper Rifle]] to [[Plasma Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Sniper Rifle]].
* Each upgrade adds 2 points to Headshot's starting damage, so the Laser and Plasma versions will deal +4 and +6 damage to any hits.
* Sniper Rifles are also the only starting weapon that can fire at hostiles outside the units' view, using the '''Squad Sight''' Sniper ability. Pistols can shoot at Squad Sight range during Overwatch but this may be a bug.
* Snipers Rifles can only be fired or used for Overwatch (except for a bug, see below) with a full 2 actions or not at all. The '''Snap Shot''' ability eliminates this requirement and allows the Sniper to Move and Fire. However, this ability inflicts an accuracy penalty on all Sniper Rifle attacks.
* Sniper Rifles suffer an aim penalty when targeting enemies in close quarters, requiring a switch to the pistol. Of all the classes, the Sniper relies on the Pistol the most.
* Support abilities upgrades are centered on four aspects: Actions, Aim, Defense and Damage Given.
:*Actions - '''Snap Shot''', '''In The Zone''' and '''Double Tap'''.
:*Aim - '''Headshot''', '''Squad Sight''', '''Damn Good Ground''', '''Battle Scanner''' and '''Executioner'''.
:*Defense - '''Damn Good Ground''' and '''Low Profile'''.
:*Damage Given - '''Headshot''' and '''Gunslinger'''.
:*Unique - '''Opportunist'''.
* Rank promotions will give Snipers the biggest increase in Aim when compared to the other classes (+40 points total). Their drawback is that upon reaching Colonel rank a Sniper will also receive less 1 Health Point than any of the other classes (+3 total) but the same Will (+14 total).
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability

|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png|32px|left]]'''Headshot''' ''Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM1.png|32px|+30CAL]][[File: ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+TCDL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png|32px|left]]'''Headshot''' ''Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM2.png|32px|+30CAL]][[File: ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+TCDL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png|32px|left]]'''Snap Shot''' ''Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN201.png|32px|S]][[File:ABILITY AIM1.png|32px|-20A]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png|32px|left]]'''Squad Sight''' ''Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM2.png|32px|AL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|32px|left]]'''Gunslinger''' ''Confers 2 bonus damage with pistols.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+2DL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|32px|left]]'''Damn Good Ground''' ''+10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation in addition to the usual elevation bonuses.'' (including while flying)
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM2.png|32px|+10AL]][[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|A-10L]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png|32px|left]]'''Disabling Shot''' ''Allows the Sniper to fire a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction. The target may use Reload to fix the weapon. The shot cannot inflict a critical hit. 2 turn cooldown.'' (-10 Aim, reduced Damage)
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM1.png|32px|-10A]][[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|-100CDL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|32px|left]]'''Battle Scanner''' ''Scanning device, when thrown creates a new source of vision for 2 turns. Can only be used 2 times per battle.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM2.png|32px|AL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|32px|left]]'''Executioner''' ''+10% Aim against targets with less than 50% Health.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY AIM1.png|32px|+10AL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|32px|left]]'''Opportunist''' ''Eliminates the Aim penalty on reaction shots, and allows reaction shots to cause critical hits.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_OVERWATCH2.png|32px|RC]][[File:ABILITY AIM2.png|32px|+20A]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|32px|left]]'''Low Profile''' ''Makes partial cover count as full.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN1.png|32px|-A20]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|32px|left]]'''Low Profile''' ''Makes partial cover count as full.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|-A20]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_ITZ.png|32px|left]]'''In The Zone''' '' Killing a flanked or uncovered target with the sniper rifle does not cost an action.'' (applies only once to Pistols)
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN201.png|32px|SL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:SNIPER_DOUBLETAP.png|32px|left]]'''Double Tap''' ''Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Headshot, or Disable Shot, provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown.'' (Can't be used with ''Snap Shot'')
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN202.png|32px|SL]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|+ KEYCHART
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY UNKNOWN20.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY MOVE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY AIM.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED.png|32px]]
|-
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Additional Shot || align="center" | Improves Reaction || align="center" | Extra Movement || align="center" | Additional Equipment || align="center" | Change Unit Aim || align="center" | Decrease Enemy Aim || align="center" | Change Damage Given || align="center" | Decrease Damage Taken
|-
|}
{{TipBox |'''Snap Shot''' or '''Squad Sight'''?
:*The most important decision for a Sniper is whether they are '''Squad Sight''' or '''Snap Shot'''.
:*A Snap Shot sniper is more mobile, while a Squad Sight sniper will stay back and deliver long-range fire.
:*'''Snap Shot''' snipers equipped with Battle Scanner can be great scouts and/or deliver devastating medium range. The Snap Shot's -20 Aim penalty can be overcome through '''Executioner''' and use of S.C.O.P.E.s but it will always take time to develop
:*'''Squad Sight''' is both a killer and a saver. It is one of the most essential skills to have in the early game.
:* But '''Squad Sight''' only works if the Snipers have a clear line of sight. This can limit their effectiveness in more built up maps like the larger UFOs.}}
'''Additional Notes'''
* The sniper has the choice of taking '''Gunslinger''' or '''Damn Good Ground''' to either combat their weakness in close combat or capitalize on their strength. Mind that Gunslinger can be redundant if a Sniper possesses '''Snap Shot''' already.
* The '''Battle Scanner''' can reveal groups of enemies without activating them, and can also be thrown through UFO doors. If equipped with the Battle Scanner Snipers may also scout for hostiles without the need to send (and risk) a squad member.
* Snipers can also train on their unique '''Disabling Shot''' perk, allowing them to temporarily disable an alien's weapon. This is useful for captures, or to shut down Cyberdiscs or Sectopods that you won't be able to kill this turn. Disabling Shot is also very useful to prevent mind controlled squad members from firing at your soldiers.
* Equipping the Sniper with armor that has a grappling hook is particularly helpful to establish a safe shooting position with wide field coverage and to use the '''Squad Sight''' and '''Damn Good Ground''' perks.
** Archangel armor will also allow this. The sniper will benefit from '''Damn Good Ground''' while hovering.
* Snipers may be trained to use their [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistols]] for greater damage (+2 points) with the '''Gunslinger''' ability, and can augment it further with higher tech pistols and the relevant Foundry upgrades.
* On the PC: Snipers can overwatch with their sniper rifle after moving by reselecting the sniper and switching weapons. This can be a bit tricky on a Sniper who is flying with Archangel Armor, so another technique is to set a hotkey for Overwatch (through the pause menu or the main menu), and after moving your Sniper, have him/her wield their pistol, press the hotbutton for Overwatch, and click on the rifle icon on the lower right before the camera moves to the next trooper/Alien Activity. This is almost certainly a bug and cannot be done on the console releases.

<noinclude>

==Tactical Advice==
The Sniper works exactly as you would expect: long range, high damage, low mobility engagement. Depending on the level and your position, a Sniper will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or he'll spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Building a sniper revolves around managing their killing power while stationary versus their complete lack of it while on the move. Despite this, there are a number of no-brainer choices in their ability tree, greatly limiting the viable customization.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe like the original game. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100, or 66 game tiles for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27, or 18 game tiles). Squadsight removes the last requirement, allowing the rest of your squad to spot for your sniper as he relaxes three-quarters of the level away. Squadsight allows you to make use of high ground more effectively (further amplifying your killing power), cover your squad as they advance, and actually hit anything, ever. Snipers that are not in vision range can not be attacked, making this ability an amazing boost to both offense and defense.

'''Snap Shot''' is a future investment. It is designed to help the Sniper contribute on maps in which obtaining line of sight is difficult. However, the accuracy penalty drops the Sniper's Aim from the best in the game to noticeably worse than both Assaults and Supports and sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. However this can be compensated later by other Sniper abilities ('''Damn Good Ground''', '''Executioner''') and equipment (Archangel/Ghost armor) to turn the Snap Shot Sniper into a mobile flying/stealth Marksman that will be very effective at midrange fights (around 10 game tiles). '''In The Zone''' will further turn it into a killing machine, by allowing it to move and kill outflanked targets without using any action.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}

'''Damn Good Ground''' rewards you for parking on high ground and blasting away, which is what you want to be doing anyway. This helps the Sniper as your go-to for getting rid of a high priority target, and partially makes up for the fact that you are generally shooting into cover. You should be shooting from high ground more often than you shoot your pistol, and Damn Good Ground accentuates that. Both Snipers will get a ton of mileage out of Damn Good Ground.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. The boost to pistols is mostly effective to help snipers survive Floater and Thin Men ambushes. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. Gunslinger is a little redundant for Snapshot Snipers, and becomes more so as abilities and promotions make up for the aim penalty. For Squadsight Snipers, Gunslinger will make the sniper more useful in situations demanding lots of movement, or where drawing line of sight is far more difficult, like larger UFOs.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. This ability is useful if you have a dangerous target you're not confident you can kill this turn ([[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]]s and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]s), if you're going for a capture, or to neutralise a mind controlled friendly. There is a small Aim penalty (-10) attached to this shot, and the attack does reduced damage; if going for a capture, make sure you don't accidentally kill the target. 
'''Note:''' Disabling shot is the only thing you have that can prevent your mind controlled troops from flattening your non-mind controlled ones, short of killing them first; if killing the mind controller is not an option.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Giving it to a Snap Shot sniper turns it into a scout/sniper unit. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens, either landing a rocket in them while they're bunched up, or getting a free sniper shot on one out of cover. Its limited range means that the Sniper will not be in range to use it on open maps where he's miles away from his team, but a Sniper with Squad Sight can use it and it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot. Battle Scanners can be thrown through alien doors, making them handy in UFOs.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but there are two things to consider. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim but it can very useful for a Snap Shot sniper to deliver the killing blow. Second, snipers are generally able to kill most ordinary targets in one shot, which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. When fighting very high hit-point enemies such as Sectopods, 50% of such an enemy's health amounts to quite a significant chunk of health. As the random number generator can be fickle at times, pushing your to-hit rate up to 100% against a major enemy is never a bad thing.

'''Opportunist''' improves your ability to cover the rest of the squad during Overwatch, helping mostly when aliens decide to patrol into your team blindly. With the range on Sniper Rifles, this ends up being a nice bit of coverage. Enemies triggering Overwatch are frequently in the open, partially reducing the need for this, but it's still an improved chance to save you time during your actual turn. The biggest sell for Oppertunist is that your Sniper's Overwatch shots can now score critical hits: with a Plasma Sniper Rifle on hand, pretty much any aliens, even Elite Mutons, that wander into view during Alien Activity are often dead on arrival, or at least severely wounded. If you go for two Snipers with Oppertunist, try to place them with different lines of sight, so that they're less likeley to waste a shot shooting at the same alien.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}

'''In The Zone''' offers unmatched offensive potential in the right conditions. Snapshot snipers, if armed with Ghost Armor, can sneak behind a squad of entrenched enemies and picked them off on the next turn. Squad Sight snipers will rarely flank an enemy, so will need to focus on exposed targets. Aliens that can't take cover - Chryssalids, Zombies, Drones, Cyberdisks, Muton Berserkers, Sectopods, and Ethereals -- and flying units (treated as exposed for the purposes of In The Zone) will be your primary targets. In the event that you kill an exposed alien with an overwatch shot, you'll get another non-move action next turn. Finally, squad mates can assist the sniper by blowing away cover with rockets or grenades. Note: In The Zone can be triggered with a pistol, but only once per turn.

'''Double Tap''' is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) without an aim penalty, and the ability to re-target. You will never ever regret having it. If you took Snap Shot, keep in mind that second shot suffers -20 aim penalty (due to a bug) and you can't Double Tap after moving.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high critical rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill targets in a single shot is not a very good asset to the squad, so you will want to keep up with tech here. Snipers also benefit from pistols much more than other classes, give them your best for those turns that they can't sit still or cannot fire their main weapon.

'''Armor:''' The best defense is a good offense. The second best defense is being too damn far away. Snipers have both of these, so you generally don't need to prioritize armor. Skeleton armor will help get you to a good position, and the defense bonus stacks nicely with Low Profile. Archangel is your go-to for the end game. A case for Ghost Armor can be made for Snap-Shot Snipers with In The Zone, as it will allow your Sniper to get into position with far less hassle. However, Ghost Armor can be expensive, and there are a couple other classes which should get the Ghost Armor first, so plan accordingly.

'''Item:''' Snipers generally get the most benefit from equipping a S.C.O.P.E. as it augments their already high accuracy and critical rate. If you're finding their normal aim progression to be sufficient, you may want to arm items that mitigate the snipers' close combat weakness such as a Nano-Fiber vest or Chitin plating. Alternately, arm equipment to provide additional functionality such as an Arc Thrower for capture, grenade for anti-cover, or another medikit.

===Summary===
All-around designed for long-range combat, one of the "Making the Gamer Harder" suggestions is simply "Never choose Squadsight." A Sniper with Squadsight and Damn Good Ground, flying high with Archangel Armor (an additional Defense bonus on top of DGG, for the rare time an enemy does get in range) and equipped with an upgraded Scope can pretty much ignore whatever cover aliens may have, and with Double Tap, one sniper fights like two soldiers, and two full snipers may seem like overkill. With Disabling Shot, the second shot can be used to simultaneously soften and disarm aliens for other solders to kill and level up with. With Opportunist, any alien that moves out of cover is almost a guaranteed kill. Watch your ammo levels, though.

With a six-member squad, and the UFOs and many levels having a degree of symmetry, a regular tactic is to send two 3-member squads on each path (a sniper with each, taking back positions), which keeps any aliens on the other path from flanking around: a well-positioned sniper will reach out and help with front-line combat, and should shoot first for any frisky aliens who try to rush through, like Chryssalids (who fall easily to a headshot even from the basic Sniper Rifle), rather than leaving the front-line troops move-less in attacking, or having them fall back to defend, leaving a gap for any more aliens to rush through. With that in mind, both Floater species are perhaps the biggest threat to snipers: their frequently-used Launch ability is utilized to flank your rearmost soldier, which will often be your sniper. Your mid-range fighters being close enough to provide backup, or another Squadsight sniper, and having them cover one another, is the best defense against this.

An excellent lategame tactic involves two Squadsight Snipers (and at least one with Opportunist), and a forward soldier with Ghost Armor: the Ghosting soldier "recons" for the Snipers, and finds a 3-member squad of aliens, unactive and out of cover. The Sniper with Opportunist goes into Overwatch. Then the other sniper fires, killing the first alien. Activating the squad makes the aliens go into cover, triggering the Overwatching sniper, which will have equal aim, problably also killing another alien. Lastly, the cloaked soldier takes their shot, at 100% critical chance, possibly finishing off the squad.

A Psionic Sniper is generally hard to train in open terrain situations, as you will not have the tendency to have them up front to attack with Mind Fray, though it is a valuable alternative to the pistol in the event of a Floater jump. "Psi Panic" has similar limitations when outdoors, and TK Field probably won't have the range to cover your front-line soldiers, who would benefit the most from it. Psi Inspiration can be used as a kind of support, boosting other psi soldiers before sending them forward to Fray/Panic/MC. Lastly, Mind Control is an excellent auxiliary move for any aliens that happen to flank the sniper.

For your early snipers, who will not benefit from Psi abilities like Mind Fray (and will have comparatively low will, even if they do test positive when you finally get to test them), Gunslinger may actually be the better option over DGG, if you find yourself often flanked or in situations where their starting position does not provide a clear shot (and you did not take Snapshot). With all the foundry upgrades for pistols, and Plasma Pistols, that's a base damage of 6: while not impressive, it's a decent holdout weapon for late-game.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Heavy (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:21:14Z

Leman Russ: /* See Also */

[[File:HEAVIES (EU2012).png|right|512px|Heavy Squad]][[File: CLASS HEAVY.png|right|frame|64px|Heavy]][[File:HEAVYCOLONEL.png|right|200px|Heavy Colonel]]A <noinclude>[[Classes (EU2012)|class]]</noinclude><includeonly>class</includeonly> specialising in firepower and damage, carrying both a [[LMG (EU2012)|Light Machinegun]] and a [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rocket Launcher]]. They are essential to support squad attacks, engage enemies on their own or the demolition of terrain obstacles. Its main disadvantages are low accuracy progression and limited ammunition for the launcher.
* The '''LMG''' is the Heavy's main weapon, capable of dealing heavy damage to targets and also to suppress them, if the Heavy has that ability. It can later be updated to the more advanced [[Heavy Laser (EU2012)|Heavy Laser]] or [[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]] models.
* The '''Rocket Launcher''' is the secondary weapon for the Heavy and grants 1 rocket, to use against groups or enemies or to take down terrain. The '''Shredder Rocket''' ability adds a special purpose rocket; and the '''Rocketeer''' perk allows one further normal rocket to be carried. The Rocket Launcher can later be upgraded to the [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]], which increases the effectiveness of the rockets.
** It may be cheating slightly, but due to a clipping oversight in the firing animation, rockets can be fired ''through'' a wall or corner, if the Heavy is right next to it: as long as the HUD doesn't say the shot is blocked, it'll work.
* Heavies can carry 1 additional item for customization. [[Frag Grenade (EU2012)|Frag Grenades]]/[[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenades]] are an essential item for Heavies that have taken the '''Grenadier''' ability.
* The Heavy's Ability tree choices are mainly divided between Damage Increase, Reactions and Equipment.
:*Damage Increase - '''Fire Rocket''', '''Shredder Rocket''', '''HEAT Ammo''', '''Danger Zone''' and '''Mayhem'''.
:*Reactions - '''Suppression''' and '''Rapid Reaction'''.
:*Equipment - '''Fire Rocket''', '''Grenadier''' and '''Rocketeer'''.
:*Unique - '''Bullet Swarm''' (firing doesn't use both Actions), '''Holo-Targeting''' (+10 Aim to squad mates) and '''Will to Survive''' (less Damage taken).
* Heavies receive lesser rank bonuses in stats upon promotion, specially in Aim (+10 Aim points total upon reaching Colonel), receiving also a total of 4 HPs and 14 Will points.
* Heavies also take the longest time to level into a Colonel, making them an investment to reach their full potential.
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY FIREROCKET.png|32px|left]]'''Fire Rocket''' ''Fire a rocket using an equipped launcher. This ability can not be used after moving, nor more than once per mission.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE1.png|32px|I]][[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+TDL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY FIREROCKET.png|32px|left]]'''Fire Rocket''' ''Fire a rocket using an equipped launcher. This ability can not be used after moving, nor more than once per mission.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE2.png|32px|I]][[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+TDL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY BULLETSWARM.png|32px|left]]'''Bullet Swarm''' ''Firing the primary weapon as the first action no longer ends the turn.
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN201.png|32px|S]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY HOLO.png|32px|left]]'''Holo-Targeting''' ''Shooting at or suppressing enemies also confers a +10 Aim to any allies' attacks on those enemies.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM2.png|32px|+10AL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY SHREDDER.png|32px|left]]'''Shredder Rocket''' '' Fire a rocket that causes all enemies hit to take +33% damage from all sources for the next 4 turns. The rocket's blast is weaker than a standard rocket's.'' (67% normal damage)
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+D33%L]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY SUPPRESSION.png|32px|left]]'''Suppression''' ''Can fire a special shot that grants reaction fire at a single target. The target also suffers a -30 Aim penalty.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH2.png|32px|R]][[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN2.png|32px|-A30]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY HEAT AMMO.png|32px|left]]'''HEAT Ammo''' ''+100% to damage against robotic enemies.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+D100%L]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY RAPIDREACTION.png|32px|left]]'''Rapid Reaction''' ''Confers a second reaction shot, if on Overwatch and the first reaction shot is a hit.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH2.png|32px|RL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY GRENADIER.png|32px|left]]'''Grenadier''' ''Allows to carry 2 grenades in a single inventory slot.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE1.png|32px|I]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY DANGERZONE.png|32px|left]]'''Danger Zone''' ''Increases hit area of rockets and suppression by 2 tiles.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+1TD]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|32px|left]]'''Will to Survive''' ''Reduces all normal damage taken by 2 if in cover and not flanked.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|-2DL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|32px|left]]'''Will to Survive''' ''Reduces all normal damage taken by 2 if in cover and not flanked.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED2.png|32px|-2DL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY ROCKETEER.png|32px|left]]'''Rocketeer''' ''Allows 1 additional standard rocket to be fired per battle.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE1.png|32px|I]]
| width="30%" | [[File:HEAVY MAYHEM.png|32px|left]]'''Mayhem''' ''Confers additional damage based on weapon tech level to Suppression and all area-effect abilities.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+1TD]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|+ KEYCHART
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY UNKNOWN20.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY MOVE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY AIM.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED.png|32px]]
|-
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Additional Shot || align="center" | Improves Reaction || align="center" | Extra Movement || align="center" | Additional Equipment || align="center" | Change Unit Aim || align="center" | Decrease Enemy Aim || align="center" | Change Damage Given || align="center" | Decrease Damage Taken
|-
|}
{{TipBox |'''Fire Rocket'''
:*The Heavy's signature weapon. It provides a limited but powerful area effect attack that does heavy damage to targets and terrain.
:*A Heavy can only use 1 rocket per mission at first, but has the potential to carry up to 3 by Colonel rank by taking '''Shredder Rocket''' and/or '''Rocketeer'''.
:*Rockets require a full 2 actions to fire.
:*Rockets do not need a solid surface or target to detonate. They can be set to explode in mid-air.
:*The Rocket Launcher only fires in a straight line and has a chance to be fired off-target. Careful positioning of the Heavy is therefore a crucial element for an effective rocket attack.
:*Once upgraded to the [[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]], all rockets will gain more damage, the ability to navigate around walls and obstacles. They can also travel through closed doors. The Heavy only needs to be within rocket range, and can otherwise stay safely out of sight.
:*Rockets can be enhanced with '''Danger Zone''' and '''Mayhem'''. Danger Zone widens the blast area, while Mayhem adds more damage at the cost of the Rocketeer perk.}}

'''Additional Notes'''

* Heavy abilities are divided between Heavy Ordinance (Attack) or Heavy Supression:
:* Heavy Ordinance path: Focuses on area effect damage. Suggested perks include '''Shredder Rocket''', '''Grenadier''' and '''Rocketeer'''. This perk line is designed to accentuate area damage, good for taking out groups of weak aliens or to soften up and destroy the cover of hard targets.
:* Heavy Suppression path: Focuses on suppression perks like '''Suppression''', '''Rapid Reaction''', '''Danger Zone''' and '''Mayhem'''. Suppression allows the player to pin down the enemy and freely move around '''Run & Gun''' Assault units to systematically eliminate the enemy. This would be good for scenarios that are not time sensitive so you establish position and plan out movements to minimize Overwatch consequences.
* The Heavy can provide general purpose squad-support with '''Holo Targeting''', '''Supression''' and the '''Shredder Rocket''' as well as use any carried explosives to destroy enemy cover.
:* Both '''Holo-Targeting''' and '''Shredder Rocket''' are designed for other squad members to take advantage of them, allowing the Heavy to act as a squad multiplier, including other Heavy units, if present.
* '''Bullet Swarm''' allows you to use both of your move to fire your LMG. It counts as using your first move action, so cannot be followed by a Rocket attack. Bullet Swarm only works with your primary weapon, so using an item or psionic ability as your first action will still end the turn.
* The '''Shredder Rocket''' deals 4 base damage as opposed to the regular rocket's 6 damage.
:*Any targets hit by a Shredder Rocket will take on more damage from any subsequent attacks for the rest of the turn. This makes it a good opening attack on enemies with lots of hit-points.
* The damage bonus for '''HEAT Ammo''' is applied to all of the Heavy's damaging attacks, be it regular shooting, grenades, rockets, or '''Mayhem'''.
* '''Mayhem''' deals 1 damage per tech level of the heavy's primary weapon, so the LMG will deal 1 damage, the Heavy Laser will do 2 damage, and the Heavy Plasma will dish out 3 damage.
** Additionaly, Mayhem, paired with Supression, seems to have 100% accuracy AND splash damage (akin to the Sectopod's beam weapons) for 3 damage for all in-range targeted enemies (6 with HEAT Ammo on robotic enemies), excellent for pinning down a Disc or Pod while taking out it's drones, or aliens that are taking cover close together or to efficiently finish off a nearly dead alien.
*The suppression ability of Heavies allows a pair of them to effectively immobilize a mind-controlled ally. This will save you from killing your own soldiers, or having an alloy-cannon-armed assault soldier turning on you on while you're in the tight spaces of a downed UFO.
<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==
Heavies are the class with the most varied choices: HEAT Ammo, Suppression, Shredder Rocket, etc. making each build an individual taste. You can have an explosives specialist capable of putting out major damage in an area, making big plays to pull your squad out of the fire when XCOM decides to be... well, XCOM. Or you can have a Machinegunner expert that crowds out the Support for his job with Suppression, Bullet Swarm and Rapid Reaction. As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with 65 Aim, Heavies gain significantly less through promotion than their peers. In contrast, his machine gun deals high damage, on par with a sniper rifle or shotgun. These facts, combined with his rocket launcher, make him a terror in the early game but potentially less reliable (and thus less relevant) as it progresses. Between their poor Aim and inability to fire rockets after moving, Heavies are the class most hampered by mobility.

In light of this, beginning players may find explosives-centric heavies preferable. Suppression-focused heavies take a while to come into their own and depend on their squad to provide killing power once they do. Explosives Heavies are somewhat more straightforward to play, and they themselves provide more firepower to carry your team before it becomes a well-oiled x-ray-killing machine.

For psionic Heavies, Mind Control may suit a Heavy better, at least as a distraction to keep them and their cover from being attacked, keeping nearby aliens in position for a Rocket/Blaster attack.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm'''
|'''Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Either choice will benefit both Heavy builds. Explosive Heavies usually go Bullet Swarm, although Holo-Targeting is also very useful for the rest of the squad to fire against the alien. Machinegunner Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm'''
* Gives tactical flexibility. It allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire. In particular, shooting twice ends up yielding a statistically better chance of hitting a particular alien than Holo-Targeting him and ordering the rest of your Rookies to open fire.
* Also allows other combinations of Fire and Throw Grenade, Fire and Overwatch and (very powerful) Fire and Reload.
* Also, firing twice gives the Heavy two chances to destroy his target's cover; in this event, he has just granted your squad ''more'' than the benefit of Holo-Targeting.
* The downside is its high ammo consumption plus using it can make the Heavy immobile and vulnerable against superior enemies.

'''Holo-Targeting'''
* Applies to both the Machinegun and the Launcher - Heavy shoots/blows cover and marks the remaining aliens for the rest of the team to tag.
* Helps the whole team to focus their firepower on a single alien - it can be very useful in taking down high-threat aliens, regardless of storyline progression.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression'''
|'''Shredder Rocket'''
|}
Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Machinegunner Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets'''
* Useful throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them;
* Shred effect helps with high HP targets;
* The set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture.

'''Suppression'''
* Also a handy utility skill;
* Can be used to pin down an alien and prevent it from moving (and flanking your position). It can also keep melee aliens (Muton Berserkers and Crysalids) stationary and prevent them from charging.
* Suppression will also drop its target's Aim by 30% if it fires against an exposed squadmate.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo'''
|'''Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Machinegunner Heavies can consider Rapid Reaction.

'''HEAT Ammo'''
* Deals extra damage to robotic opponents. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. Anything that hastens Cyberdiscs and Sectopods to their circuity grave is awesome;
* HEAT boosted grenades will make short work of Drones, saving your squad a lot of wasted effort.
* One of few ways to scale your explosives damage, until Blaster Launcher is available;
* If combined with Bullet Swarm, Heavies can dole out massive quantities of damage to robots, and the team can even drop Cyberdiscs and Sectopods in one turn.

'''Rapid Reaction'''
* The complement to HEAT Ammo: an ability for use against weaker enemies as found in Council missions, specially during Overwatch ambushes;
* Rapid Reaction can also be very useful to guard rooms and corridors;
* Be sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way to empty your magazine.
* The AI almost never moves when suppressed, so this has surprisingly little synergy with '''Suppression'''.
* Can give disappointing results given that Heavies have the lowest aim of all the classes, and the first overwatch shot (with its penalty) has to hit in order to trigger the second shot. Consider giving this ability to Heavies with high aim when using the Hidden Potential option in [[Second Wave (EU2012)]].

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier'''
|'''Danger Zone'''
|}
Both types of Heavy like Danger Zone. Explosive Heavies should also consider Grenadier.

'''Grenadier'''
* Locks you into a single item to take advantage of it, but grenades are admittedly useful.
* Make sure you acquire some Alien Grenades if you go this route.
* Consider whether you typically have grenades on any of your other units. If not, giving up a wildly-inaccurate Heavy shot to hurl a grenade is not a big sacrifice by any stretch, and the rest of your squad will thank you for blowing the enemy's cover.
* Similarly, if you think you'd rather Kool-Aid Man through a wall instead of using the door, doing it with a grenade beats burning a rocket on it.

'''Danger Zone'''
* Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but Suppression Heavies being able to AOE suppress enemies is the big payoff.
* AOE Suppression requires fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage it, it's great;
* You can also apply Holo-Targeting to the whole group, turning it into a nice combination. If the rest of the squad can shoot the targets individually, this results in less collateral damage and more recovered weapon fragments in single player.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer'''
|'''Mayhem'''
|}
Explosives Heavies will want Rocketeer. Suppression Heavies should take Mayhem.

'''Rocketeer'''
* Boosts your overall damage output while taking away some of the nerves you get when thinking about whether now is really the best time to shoot your one, single rocket;
* While Mayhem does add some damage to your rockets, Rocketeer ultimately amounts to more damage and gives you more control in how you apply it.

'''Mayhem'''
* The grand finale for the Machinegunner - makes Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies;
* Can be a useful late game way of chipping the health off an enemy you want to capture.
* The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit.
* Despite Rocketeer resulting in more overall rocket damage, Mayhem allows you to apply more damage in one turn. This could makes the difference between ending turn facing a Sectopod on 2 HP, or a dead one. Mayhem allows a HEAT Ammo Heavy to one-shot a Cyberdisc on Classic and Impossible.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' With the Heavy's high base damage, the standard LMG can often one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters on Classic. This means there is no immediate urgency to hasten a Heavy's weapon upgrade over other class-specific weapons. Of course, do upgrade when you can spare the time and resources to keep the Heavy on par with the stronger enemies as they appear.

For a Heavy taking the explosive build route, weapon upgrades do not confer bonus damage on rockets, grenades or suppression until paired with the high ranking ''Mayhem''' perk. Weapon upgrades in this instance will mainly be beneficial for personal defence once their munitions have expired and there are no nearby allies to provide support.

A different approach should be taken for a machinegunner or suppressor build as the primary weapon will be the Heavy's bread and butter weapon.

'''Armor:''' Heavies will typically be near the front of your group, as they need to advance and sit still in order to put rockets where they need to be. As a result, Armor is a fairly big priority for Heavies, and they should be considered after Assaults for cutting edge suits if you can't outfit your full team. Skeleton Armor and Ghost Armor eliminate mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets, flanks, or moving into point-blank range to counteract their lesser Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not always the best choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier grab a Grenade. If you have HEAT ammo and are facing Cyberdiscs/Drones, grab a Grenade. A S.C.O.P.E. can improve the Heavy's low Aim, improving their long range combat effectiveness with the machine gun, making it a useful item for any build except for a Grenadier. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough. Chitin plating serves as a decent extra padding in any instance that requires your Heavy to get very close to the action.

===Summary===

Most Commanders will raise their Heavies as machine killers, and room-clearers, particulary for Terror Missions, and those occasions where every enemy in a mission seems to show up at once.

If you don't mind Save Scumming, and have a rocket going off-course (a seeded outcome: it will happen every time): you can manipulate this to still land a rocket precisely where you want it to (it will explode at the same elevation and distance that you aim for, so merely compensate for the angle; roughly 20 degrees).

While their aim starts and ends as the lowest in the game, their capactiy for explosives makes their aim semi-irrelevant. Indeed, with Grenadier, and the Blaster Launcher allowing you to place an explosive precisely where you want, they technically have 100% accuracy, and with limited Rocket capacity driving you to conserve rocket shots, those will tend to be the shots that really matter.

With the Supression/Mayhem combo, you actually ''do'' have an 100% accuracy shot, if a weak one (and a somewhat ammo-costly one. Accurire the Ammo Conservation project to alleviate this, but you should be getting it ASAP anyways). A constant barrage of 3 damage with a Heavy Plasma, and splash damage to neighboring aliens, as well as the aim reduction the targeted aliens will suffer; it's an investment, but a worthy option to consider. Plus HEAT, that's 6 damage to robotic enemies, an excellent way to clear out a Disk or Pod's drones while causing significant damage, and not spend a rocket. The one drawback for this combo is that suppression will lose the ability to destroy cover (which is basically random and near-uncontrollable, anyways, and only happens with Laser or Plasma weaponry)(misses with the normal shot will still have the random chance to destroy cover).

Being only able to carry their main weapon and a limited-use rocket, they actually have significant flexibility with item choice, unless Grenadier is chosen (in contrast, a Commander might never unequip Scopes and Archangel armor from their Snipers, or Medikits from their Supports), as well as armor. A Heavy can therefore function as an alternative to a second Assault, ''or'' a second Support, and their abilites lend to either. For example, Combat Stims and their Will To Survive ability pair well to make Heavies very hard to kill. Chitin plating, Titan Armor, and Bullet Swarm make them Chryssalid & Berserker Killers (and the way those two attack, makes Aim less of an issue), and Archangel armor (or one of the two with the Grappling Hook) can redefine the term "Death from Above."

For UFO assault missions, a Support-centric heavy with Grenadier will allow you multiple, smaller demolitions, rather than risking the larger blast of Danger Zone destroying valuble Elerium generators and navigational computers, but still being able to bring down the hammer in a tough situation.

With the stat-altering Second Wave options (Hidden Potential, Not Created Equal), Heavies can come out of the box with significant to very high Will, as well as good starting Aim, and can receive the same 2-to-12 Will (with OTC's Iron Will) bonus with every level, bringing them back to regular front-line combat readiness in late-game. Their Aim upgrades will still be quite low, though still (potentially) more than without the Second Wave options.

As they have a mix of skills that work either as secondary Support or secondary Assault, and unspectacular leveling will scores, a Psi Heavy also works either way with support or offensive Psi skills, and again comes down to personal playing style. Inspiration and TK Field help him help others, while MCing an alien lowers the odds of your Psi heavy being shot at (and risking his cover being destroyed), keeping him safe to launch a rocket next turn, if you had to move to get into range this turn. Plus Ghost Armor, a Mind Shield, and damage-focused abilites, an Inspiration/MC Psi Heavy can be devstating to alien squads, even on his own (a good canidate for the Lone Wolf achievement on a Small Scout).

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
</noinclude>

Assault (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:20:55Z

Leman Russ: /* See Also */

[[File:ASSAULTS (EU2012).png|right|512px|Assault Squad]][[File: CLASS ASSAULT.png|rigth|frame|64px|Assault]][[File:ASSAULTCOLONEL.png|right|200px|Assault Colonel]]
A mobile <noinclude>[[Classes (EU2012)|class]]</noinclude><includeonly>class</includeonly> with a short-range high punch and good defense. A good choice for close quarter combat in maps with constricting spaces and limited vision. The '''Run & Gun''' ability makes Assault soldiers particularly useful for outflanking opponents. Its main drawbacks are the limited usefulness of the Shotgun outside close range and the high cool down time after using Run & Gun.
* The Assault class primary weapon is the [[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]], a firearm designed to deal heavy damage to targets at close range with a 20% probability for critical hits, but with loss of efficiency at a greater distance to target.
* The Shotgun can later be replaced by the [[Laser Scatter (EU2012)|Laser Scatter]] and [[Alloy Cannon (EU2012)|Alloy Cannon]] models, which offer greater damage capability.
* As an alternative, [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifles]] may also be used by Assault units instead of Shotguns. It provides them with a better weapon for medium range engagements, where the Assault can use the perks that improve its Critical Hit ability for devastating effects.
:*This also grants the Assault the most variety of weapons with both the rifle and shotgun families being included.
* Finally the Assault also carries a [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]] as its secondary weapon and a single other equipment item.
* The Assault's Ability tree choices are mainly divided between Defense and Attack:
:* Defense: '''Tactical Sense'''/'''Lightning Reflexes''' (increase Defense), '''Close Quarters Specialist''' and '''Extra Conditioning/Resilience''' (less Damage received).
:* Attack: '''Run & Gun''', '''Aggression/Close & Personal''' (increase Critical Chance), '''Rapid Fire''' and '''Bring 'Em On/Killer Instinct''' (increase Critical Damage).
:* Unique: '''Flush''' (forces a unit to leave Cover).
* The bonus in stats gained through rank promotions will give the Assault a total of +24 Aim points upon reaching Colonel rank, together with a total of +4 HP and +14 Will.
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|left]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown.''
| width="10%" | [[File: ABILITY_UNKNOWN201.png|32px|SL]]
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|left]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN202.png|32px|SL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px|left]]'''Tactical Sense''' ''Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20).''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_HUNKERDOWN1.png|32px|A5~20]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px|left]]'''Aggression''' ''Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%).''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM2.png|32px|+10~30CA]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px|left]]'''Lightning Reflexes''' ''Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_HUNKERDOWN1.png|32px|-A100L]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px|left]]'''Close & Personal''' ''Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM2.png|32px|+30CAL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px|left]]'''Flush''' ''Fire a shot that causes enemies to run out of cover. The shot is easy to hit with, but does reduced damage.'' (+30 Aim, 50% Damage)
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_AIM1.png|32px|+30A]][[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB1.png|32px|+=4D]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px|left]]'''Rapid Fire''' ''Take two shots against a single target in quick succession. Each shot carries a -15 penalty to Aim.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_UNKNOWN202.png|32px|S]][[File:ABILITY_AIM2.png|32px|-15A]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px|left]]'''Close Combat Specialist''' ''Confers a reaction shot against any enemy who closes to within 4 tiles. Does not require Overwatch.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY_OVERWATCH1.png|32px|RL]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px|left]]'''Bring 'Em On''' ''Adds 1 damage on critical hits for each enemy the squad can see (up to 5).''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+1~5DC]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|left]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|-TDL]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|left]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED2.png|32px|-TDL]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px|left]]'''Resilience''' ''Confers immunity to critical hits.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED1.png|32px|-D100%C]]
| width="10%" | [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px|left]]'''Killer Instinct''' ''Activating Run & Gun now also grants +50% critical damage for the rest of the turn.''
| width="10%" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB2.png|32px|+50%CDL]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|+ KEYCHART
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY UNKNOWN20.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY OVERWATCH.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY MOVE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY GRENADE.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY AIM.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HUNKERDOWN.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ALIEN CLUSTERBOMB.png|32px]]
! width="10%" align="center" | [[File:ABILITY HARDENED.png|32px]]
|-
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | Additional Shot || align="center" | Improves Reaction || align="center" | Extra Movement || align="center" | Additional Equipment || align="center" | Change Unit Aim || align="center" | Decrease Enemy Aim || align="center" | Change Damage Given || align="center" | Decrease Damage Taken
|-
|}
{{TipBox |'''Run & Gun'''
:*It grants the Assault the ability to attack or go into Overwatch after Moving twice. Useful for flanking an enemy or to quickly get into a defensive position without losing the ability to Fire/Overwatch.
:*Run & Gun can be combined with '''Killer Instinct''', which gives 50% more damage to critical attacks for the rest of the turn, including Overwatch and '''Close Combat Specialist''' shots.
:* Activating Run & Gun will deactivate most other add-on skills. Such as the Grapple, Arc Thrower, Ghost mode, etc. If you wish to make use of these abilities, especially any free actions, use them before activating '''Run & Gun'''.
:* Be careful using '''Run & Gun''' to dash a long way to flank. You may activate extra aliens, making things worse. The new aliens may then be behind your Assault, who can't move to take cover from them. Having supports on hand with smoke grenades may save an unfortunate Assault in this situation.}}
'''Additional Notes'''
* The Assault's unique '''Lightning Reflexes''' ability allows it to completely evade the first reaction shot fired by the aliens. Further reaction shots are received normally.
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the Assault has taken any actions. As a practical matter, this means that an Assault can react before the end of the turn against aliens who have just been 'triggered', or even against Muton Berserkers that have entered the 4-tile radius from their reaction to being shot, even if the Assault triggered them to start with.
* The '''Flush''' ability allows an Assault to force an enemy to take a move action. This can force a unit to move out of cover, but can also cause the unit to simply move to different cover. The enemy may trigger Overwatch and '''Close Quarters Specialist''' as it is running out of cover.
* '''Rapid Fire''' allows an Assault to attack twice at reduced accuracy, and does not consume itself if the first shot manages to kill the enemy. It only gives a benefit if the base chance for a single shot is 30% or greater. Below this, Rapid Fire has a lower chance of making at least one hit.
* '''Extra Conditioning''' gives +1 health with the starting Body armor, +2 for Carapace, Skeleton, Ghost, and Psi Amror, and +4 with Titan or Archangel Armor.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (Shotgun vs. Assault Rifle). Because of this and the broad applicability of their individual skills, they don't necessarily have clear cut build paths. Shotguns offer damage values identical to Sniper Rifles -- albeit with slightly lower chance for critical hits - and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault one of the most damaging units in the game. Assault rifles trade damage for the safety of distance (and typically better cover, as a result), and defensive skills can further improve the soldier's ability to protect himself and his squad. All Assaults, however, provide the toughness and mobility to form a backbone for your squad, and bringing two (or even more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense'''
|'''Aggression'''
|}
* Here starts the divergent options of offense vs. defense. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to equip and play the Assault, choosing to accentuate strengths or shore up weaknesses.
* Generally though, shotgunners will prefer Tactical Sense and riflemen will want Aggression.

'''Tactical Sense'''
* Defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners;
* Its value increases exponentially with other defense boosts such as cover, Ghost Armor, and smoke grenades;
* Shotguns do a ton of damage by themselves, so Tactical Sense can be a great pickup to help you survive the stupid situations that result from charging in using Run and Gun with a short range weapon.

'''Aggression'''
* Similarly offers value for both weapon types;
* Assault rifles have low base damage and thus benefit from an easy way to increase that output without jeopardizing their cover
* Shotguns do ''gain'' more damage from critting than assault rifles, and you probably don't want to charge up to enemies, empty your weapon on them, and ''not'' kill them. Bear in mind, however, that flanking is easier to achieve and up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes'''
|'''Close & Personal'''
|}
* These skills both address your ability to close in on enemies, either in getting there safely or finishing them once you're there.
* Lightning Reflexes is generally preferable, but shotgunners should consider Close & Personal as well.

'''Lightning Reflexes'''
* The Assault's unique '''Lightning Reflexes''' ability allows it to completely evade the first reaction shot fired by the aliens. Further reaction shots are received normally.
* One of the best abilities, you will want at least one unit with it on your team. The ability to safely "clear out" Overwatches is good all the time, and it's particularly great when dealing with escort missions and Sectopods. While you can always count on XCOM to teach you that probability is a fickle mistress, Lightning Reflexes will always be there to tuck you in at night and feel safe.
* If you have a lot of Ghost Armors on your team, you'll see your usage of this dwindle. Nevertheless, Ghost Armor comes around late enough and sometimes you can't see the enemies entering Overwatch that you'll still get usage of this.

'''Close & Personal'''
* Continues the trend of making Assaults crit-monsters, and combined with Aggression will give you a 40%-60% bonus to crit chance before taking either weapon stats or flanking into account.
* If you can get in close, your target is going to need to be cleaned off the walls with a spatula. However, as riflemen generally will keep their distance, this will be of dubious value for them.
* Similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default - Close And Personal may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush'''
|'''Rapid Fire'''
|}
* Usually, Rapid Fire will be the clear choice but Flush can also have its uses;
* Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire'''
* '''Rapid Fire''' allows an Assault to attack twice at reduced accuracy, and does not consume itself if the first shot manages to kill the enemy.
* If the hit chance is in 34%~96% range, rapid fire offers more chance to land at least one hit.
* This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup. Also note that if you kill target with first shot, you'll spend only one ammo.

'''Flush'''
* The '''Flush''' ability allows an Assault to force an enemy to take a move action. This can force a unit to move out of cover, but can also cause the unit to simply move to different cover The enemy may trigger overwatch and Close Quarters Specialist as it is running out of cover.
* It costs 3 ammo, so you can't use it every turn and will reload more often than Rapid Fire - assuming you have enough ammo left to use it in the first place;
* While it drives the target out of its current cover, the enemy could go to different cover or break sight range completely. Destroying the target's cover with explosives may be preferable;
* The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Has +30 aim and does half damage. This can make it useful for setting up captures, or giving a hefty Aim boost to a Shotgunner who is a little too far away.
* Uses for Flush can include set up plays for Snipers who don't quite have line of sight, Heavies who are going to be launching rockets and hope to catch one more enemy in the blast zone, or other Assaults itching for a Close Combat Specialist crossfire. In most cases, however, you will struggle to take advantage of the movement Flush triggers.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist'''
|'''Bring 'Em On'''
|}
* Continuing the earlier theme, the Assault tree has a lot of great options. This is a choice for both weapon types.

'''Close Combat Specialist'''
* '''Close Quarters Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the Assault has taken any actions. As a practical matter, this means that an Assault can react before the end of the turn against aliens who have just been 'triggered', or even against Muton Berserkers that have entered the 4-tile radius from their reaction to being shot, even if the Assault triggered them to start with.
* A Godsend against charging melee, the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to, or any close range engagement. Shotgunners will see this trigger more frequently, and thus have a little more use for it than riflemen.
* This stacks with Overwatch, allowing your Assault to potentially fire twice in a single enemy turn.

'''Bring 'Em On'''
* In contrast, has no range requirement but offers tremendous synergy with the other crit abilities available to an Assault - If you took Aggression and/or Close & Personal, this is a chance to make large dividends on that decision;
* Riflemen with upgraded S.C.O.P.E.s will similarly get some extra mileage. Just remember that the bonus is based on enemies that the ''squad'' can see, so you may want to have this unit attack before your other soldiers in order to maximize its value.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience'''
|'''Killer Instinct'''
|}
* Again, both choices are great options. This is similar to the choice of Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal in weighing defensive certainty versus major killing power boosts, and should be considered for both weapon types.

'''Resilience'''
* Will turn the Assault Colonel into a brick. Immunity to crits take luck out of the equation and put shotgunners at less risk of being taken out in one fell swoop as they charge in for kill shots.
* Remember that you can briefly duplicate the effect (and more!) with Combat Stims, however.

'''Killer Instinct'''
* The blood-soaked cherry atop the murder sundae that is the critical hit-focused Assault. In concert with Bring 'Em On, your critical hits can exceed 20 damage, regardless of weapon type.
* Even without it, you can make some very aggressive plays with Killer Instinct. Run at full dash to a good position, open up with Rapid Fire and blow a Sectopod or Ethereal away in one fell blow. (Or two, as the case may be.)

===Equipment===
'''Weapons:''' Upgrading your weapons is a fairly significant concern for Assaults, as a base Assault Rifle won't reliably kill even Sectoids or Thin Men. Luckily, riflemen get some freebies from capturing enemies. No such luck for shotgunners, who unfortunately are also 1 step further down the tech tree. If Light Plasma Rifles are the most advanced assault rifles you have, give them to Assaults (rather than Supports) in order to offset some of the penalty from Rapid Fire. Shotgunners will also appreciate a decent pistol if you have any to spare, though this is typically a lower priority than giving one to your Sniper.

'''Armor:''' Assaults will be a major part of your front line regardless of their weapon and should get first choice of the most advanced armor you have. Ghost Armor is typically your best bet late game, as the defense bonus will generally serve you better than the few extra hitpoints of Titan Armor (though on Council Missions, which are almost exclusively Thin Men, you may want to stick with giving them Titan Armor). Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray. The +100% crit chance you get from firing while invisible also has great synergy with '''Bring 'Em On''' and '''Killer Instinct'''.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and good secondary users of the Arc Thrower if your Support's hands are full. If you don't need either of those, Nano-Fiber Vests or Chitin Plating provide a an extra layer of survivability for shotgunners. Later on they can be upgraded to Stim Packs to provide massive stat boosts and damage reduction for breaching. Riflemen with Rapid Fire will appreciate a S.C.O.P.E., especially with its foundry upgrade. Keep an eye on your unit's Will and use Mind Shields if necessary.

===Summary===
Another way to consider your thinking on how to build your Assault Troopers is "Medium Range vs Close-Range". Depending on how you want them to fight, this means choosing either the shotgun weapons for point-blank combat, or giving them rifles to keep your distance from enemy guns. Either way, your Ability choices should match the combat style

Assault troopers with rifles will be better served with Ghost Armor, plus Crit-chance boosting Abilities, and perhaps a Scope. As you will be keeping them just out of range, Close Combat and Close & Personal are less useful to them, and Bring 'Em On helps them get those last few points of damage they'll need to consistently kill aliens.

Meanwhile, an Assault with a Shotgun-type weapon won't benefit as much from defense (aim is calculated with additive/subtractive values: +20 defense on a 130 point shot (ie: 130%-20%=110%) is still a guaranteed shot), and should be equipped to inevitably soak up damage with Titan or Archangel Armor and Chitin Plating (a grand total HP bonus of 18 for a Major or Colonel). As more aliens will move in range, Close Combat Specialist will activate often, and with an Alloy Canon, any alien that tries to run through a door guarded by an Assault Trooper will almost always die. And while Rapid Fire loses a few points on aim, a shotgun-wielding Assault Trooper won't even see that point loss on the aim percentage, when they've got the barrel right in the alien's throat. Plus if Ghosting, and Rapid Fire counting as one move, and the Alloy Cannon, an Assault is capable of doing a "One" Shot Kill against anything, even a Sectopod, or the UberEtherial, even on Impossible.

Lastly, the Second Wave option "Absolutely Critical" will render all the +Crit Chance abilities redundant-- save for Hardened enemies, which will actually have ''less'' chance of receiving Critical Hits.

Also: a common Squad formation is two snipers, two support, and either two Assault or an Assault and a Heavy. Heavies with the HEAT ammo ability are a little better at killing mechanized enemies, and tend to be able to do so at a safe distance, while two Assaults are better for killing things all around, as most players will focus heavies on being Anti-Mech Warriors.

Psionic Assault troopers will be easy to train, since their being in the front line means there's always an alien in range to Mindfray (additionally, the reduction to Aim and Move that the alien suffers will help keep your Assault trooper out of danger). As one should always be more proactive with Assault troopers, an assault benefits more from being Psi Inspired rather than Inspiring others, saving his move for attack than defense. It's a toss-up between TK Field and Mind Control: again, defensive TK may be better if someone else does it for him/her, as is MCing, as anyone in range of a close-range focused Assault will probably be in range of the rest of your squad. Perhaps MC is best for a Psi Assault, as while they may miss a turn doing damage, they'll be closer to the rest of the alien squad, and possibly succeed in MCing an alien that will then be flanking the remaining two aliens. The drawback to this is that MCing the rearmost alien carries the risk of activating any other alien squads that were before, just out of range.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (EU2012)]]
* [[Armour (EU2012)]]
* [[Equipment (EU2012)]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Classes (EU2012)

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Leman Russ: /* See Also */

Soldiers in ''[[EU (2012)|Enemy Unknown 2012]]'' are divided into '''Classes''', where each class has specialized [[Attributes (EU2012)#Stats|stats]] and [[Weapons (EU2012)|weapons]], whilst also possessing unique [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] (a.k.a. 'perks').
When a Rookie is first promoted it will be assigned randomly to one class and be given its initial ability. As the soldier level up more, the player gets to choose one of two abilities at each level, with the exception of Major where only one perk is available.

The system of different classes complement one another on the battlefield and provide unique abilities to each squad. Each class is focused for a specific role(s) and they are crucial to [[Squads (EU2012)|squad design]] with the right combination of abilities required for each [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]], [[Maps (EU2012)|terrain]], type of [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|hostile presence]] and other factors. There are five classes of XCOM soldiers present in the game.

__TOC__

==Assault==
{{main|Assault (EU2012)}}
{{:Assault (EU2012)}}

==Heavy==
{{main|Heavy (EU2012)}}
{{:Heavy (EU2012)}}

==Sniper==
{{main|Sniper (EU2012)}}
{{:Sniper (EU2012)}}

==Support==
{{main|Support (EU2012)}}
{{:Support (EU2012)}}

==Psionic==
{{main|Psionic (EU2012)}}
{{:Psionic (EU2012)}}

==See Also==
* [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]] - For a list of all abilities and ingame descriptions
* [[Soldiers (EU2012)#Ranks|Ranks]] - For detailed information on promotion skill bonuses
* [[Gameplay Mechanics (EU2012)|Gameplay Mechanics]] - Explanation of the Action system
* [[Equipment (EU2012)|Equipment]] - list of all XCOM weapons and equipment
* [[Class_Builds (EU2012)|Class Builds]]
* [[Squads (EU2012)|Squads]]
{{Template: Classes (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]

Template:XCOM Units (EU2012)

2013-08-08T17:19:51Z

Leman Russ: Created page with "<table width="75%" {{stdTable}} cellpadding="3" border="1"> <tr {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}><td colspan ="2">{{EU2012 Icon}} XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012): [[C..."

<table width="75%" {{stdTable}} cellpadding="3" border="1">

<tr {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}><td colspan ="2">{{EU2012 Icon}} [[EU2012_Table|XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]: [[Classes (EU2012)|Classes]]</td></tr>

<tr><td width="80"><center>[[File: CLASS ASSAULT.png|24px]] [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]] • [[File: CLASS HEAVY.png|24px]] [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]] • [[File: CLASS SNIPER.png|24px]] [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]] • [[File: CLASS SUPPORT.png|24px]] [[Support (EU2012)|Support]] • [[File: CLASS PSIONIC.png|24px]] [[Psionic (EU2012)|Psionic]]</center> </td></tr>
</table>