UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

Economy (EU2012)

2012-11-26T18:54:46Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Cost avoidance */ Auto un-equip note

===Satellites===
Your number one source of income in the game is satellite coverage. Because you get income from satellites at the end of each month and satellite uplinks and satellites have long construction times, you will benefit greatly from some planning to make sure you can launch just ''before'' month end, rather than just after. Remember to factor in the engineers and power you'll need and make sure you build generators and workshops with enough lead time. Your satellite links should be your first priority for adjacency bonuses, because an extra satellite is considerably more valuable than +2 power or a workshop rebate. You will need 16 satellites to cover the whole world, so with 4 satellite uplinks and a satellite nexus (or 2 satellite uplinks and 2 satellite nexuses) you will need 4 adjacency bonuses.

While [[Managing Panic (EU2012)|Managing Panic]] will be your first priority with satellites, fully covering Africa should be a major priority for the 30% increase in global income.

===Gray Market===
The Gray Market is your second major source of income. While selling things you might need later is a painful decision, it's almost unavoidable to be able to afford to equip your soldiers properly while keeping up with satellite deployment.
* Sectoid, Thin Man and Floater corpses are usually good bets in the early game, since you will usually get more. You should stop selling Sectoid corpses around month 3 and Floater corpses around month 4, because you stop seeing those alien types and you may want the corpses for the interceptor consumables. You'll always have a supply of Thin Men from council missions.
* While it may be tempting in the first month or two, you should never sell weapon fragments because they're the main limiting factor on research and foundry projects.
* While less crucial, it's easy to run out of alloys and elerium to manufacture late game armor, so also avoid selling those if you can.
* After researching them, UFO Power Sources can be good things to sell in the early game. UFO Power Sources are mainly used for Firestorms, but interceptors with plasma cannons will suffice until late in the game, and are otherwise only used for Elerium Generators, which are pure luxuries given Thermo Generators can easily fulfil your power needs. UFO Navigation is similar but is used for Satellite Nexuses, which are useful for completing your satellite coverage, so think a little harder before selling them.

===Council Requests===
Once or twice per month a member nation of the Council will ask for X-Com to supply them with certain items.
* Occasionally they will ask for a satellite to be placed over their airspace; this must be done through the normal Launch Satellites screen.
* More usually they will request items from the Gray Market list or that X-Com can manufacture (Laser rifles, arc throwers, etc). This is the only time that items from the latter category can be sold.
* In exchange for the items or satellite, the Council nation will provide X-Com with a single reward similar to those offered for abduction missions. (i.e. the nation will offer one of either scientists, engineers, a veteran soldier or cash).
* If cash is offered, it will always be greater than the normal going rate for the items. For items that can be manufactured, the cost will always be high enough that you can make a cash profit by building the items to order, but the cost of components (weapon fragments, alloys, etc) needs to be considered.
* In addition to the economic gain, fulfilling these requests improves your score at the end of the month.+
* The advice from the section above on general use of the Gray Market also applies here.

===Cost avoidance===
Only buy or build what you ''need'' rather than what you want.
* You can manufacture soldier equipment instantly, even just before a mission, so there's no need to stockpile. If you find you need an extra nanofiber vest for your squad setup just back out, manufacture one and select the mission again.
* There's little reason to have more than one of each interceptor consumable in your stores. When you use one, manufacture a replacement instantly. Even if you need to use two interceptors in quick succession, you can still easily manufacture another between launches.
* Take the time to un-equip items and armor from troops to re-equip them on whoever is going out on the mission. It may take time, but it will save resources in the long-run. Note that injured soldiers who go to the infirmary automatically un-equip all their special gear, but soldiers undergoing Psi Testing do not.

===Do I ''Really'' Need That?===
Some projects are pure luxuries. Soldier recovery time in the Officer Training School is a prime example. It's available early, but it's quite expensive, and you can always swap in a new rookie or squaddie to get some experience. Some Foundry projects are also quite expensive, and worse, they often take Weapon Fragments, which are also required for research projects.

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-20T19:50:07Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Fact Checks */

__ToC__

Very thorough information, but please keep it with a Neutral Point of View, because there's a lot that I disagree with (not the stats or the explanations) like your personal premise that Lethality is the most important issue regarding perk selection, or that you should choose Bullet Swarm over Holo-Targeting at the beginning, when to me Holo-Targeting is crucial to help rookies (and the whole squad) get kills and promotions. Some other things are incorrect/missing (Mayhem also increases damage from explosives) or it's just a matter of personal playstyle - I love Snap Shot snipers because of their ability to move and fire, it works great on the big UFOs and city maps with a lot of buildings but I also have a Sniper with Squad Sight for some maps.
I think it would be much more useful to have a Guide about when/how to use each perk and let the player decide. Otherwise it's just a matter of personal opinion and that won't be much useful. My suggestion would be to have this content either reworked or moved to another page. And there's also the matter of what this Beginner Guide should have besides perk selection. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:33, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
: Certainly has room for improvement on the NPOV side, but I think that's fine as starting point for an article. It can be reworked. However, I recommend adding a suffix to the page, otherwise it could be a beginner guide for any one of the many games if you came in here through a Google search or via another page. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 07:37, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
:: I like the stats analysis very much (I haven't had time to do it myself so it's a great read) I just think it needs a more neutral analysis. Some perks are essential like Field Medic, Revive and Savior to have Support Medic right away, I think that one everybody should agree, but as for the rest it's really a matter of playstyle. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:49, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

The one question I have is, what difficulty level(s) were you playing when you came to these conclusions. For me, certain abilities that were previously useless made more sense when switching to Classic and Impossible. ~ [[User:Drakalu|Drakalu]] 13:50, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

== Multiple PoVs ==

While this is a great guide, I feel that this guide is good only for a specific play style-IE, an aggressive one. If you want to be aggressive then that's all well and good, but many people would prefer a more subtle or defensive approach, approaches which are almost completely disregarded in this guide. Perhaps if we had multiple guides, one for each style (I believe this is already in place-isn't there an entire page dedicated to listing all the different guides for the original?) I don't think I would be a good example, but if everyone would like I could make a guide for my style, which is three supports-one a rifleman, two field medics, a heavy, and an assualt (the second field medic can be switched out for a Squadsight sniper) -[[User:Krikit386|Krikit386]]
:That's exactly my point above. Before the game was released I thought that the most important perks were those that expanded your 2 Actions, i.e. Snap Shot allows for Move and Fire with the Sniper Rifle, Bullet Swarm allows the Heavy to shoot twice, etc. After I started playing the game I realized that they are important (the same way that Lethality is) but you need to think about their general effect on the squad's abilities and their uses. Example: lots of people go for Squad Sight instead of Snap Shot. I like to have both, because Snap Shot is great for Abduction missions where most of the time you'll need to move to take the shot. Squad Sight also works for me on those occasions but Snap Shot fits more my style. Another example: UFO missions, I usually take Squad Sight but sometimes I'll switch to the Snap Shot sniper since he's the one more capable of using the Battle Scanner (since you'll usually keep your Squad Sight sniper behind), and you really need the Scanner to avoid unfriendly confrontations. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:14, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::I've started rewriting the content to make it NPOV but I only got to the Heavy and Holo-Targeting/Bullet Swarm analysis. Before I continue can everyone please check the page and give some feedback on the part I've rewritten? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 11:08, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::Great work as ever, Hobbes. Apart from the NPOV improvements, I wonder if the article needs more context at the start though. Or if it needs renaming. It's called a Beginner Guide to the (whole) game but seems to focusing on only one important aspect, how to pick upgrades. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 11:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::I agree, I think a Beginner's Guide should have more tips for overall game play, rather than focusing on Skill choices. I really like this page, I had already thought of something similar that expanded the text on the Classes page. I think it needs to be renamed and possibly we could move it individual pages for each class to better split up all this information. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::Maybe add in those overall tips. As it stands, this is more of intermediate article rather than a beginner article. It has a lot of analysis which sounds like disputation between experts. So if it's a true beginner article it needs to be simplified I think. Probably just rename it and keep it as it is. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 12:21, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::Meanwhile the original poster just placed again his personal opinion regarding Holo-Targeting, so I've clarified things (I hope) about what NPOV means. My only problem is the size of this article but I think it could be a great guide to help choosing abilities. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::Hey everyone, the original author here. Sorry about the NPOV, I have a hard time scrubbing it from my style when I am dealing with something I care about. a couple things though. 1. I wasn't really intending to make a begineers guide, I was making a guide that hopefully could be useful to anyone, the begineers guide just had a big red empty spot that I plopped this into. 2. Matters of opinion I try to be honest about, but alot of things are not opinions even if they might seem like it. For example, the bulletswarm vs. holotargetting. I went back and editted your changes hobbes, sorry, I also threw in the probability curve that I was too lazy to add the first time. Or at least a part of it. Showing why the choice is a false dichotomy. Bullet swarm is more likely in a given sequence to produce more hits, period, at least for all the series I ran. 3. I would love for people to chime in about the less mathematically oriented choice and have a divsification of playstyles. I am working on a team composition guide and a guide to the geoscape, but the geoscape especially is not my specialization, I am a tactics and optimization man, and hopefully y'all can throw in. Ps apologies if I stepped on some toes, I don't have any real wiki experience. -Sodiumazide
::::::::Hey, no problem :) I wasn't not questioning the math, although at the end of the stats part you wrote something like: it's highly unlikely that all 4 soldiers will shoot at the alien, which is correct, but IMO, in that case the stats that show that 5 soldiers firing at the same time have better odds than 4 don't really prove anything. The more gung-ho style of writing isn't really a problem (plenty of articles here are written in a more lighter tone) it's really that people will have different opinions. Bullet vs Holo is one example but I'm sure there are plenty more where the choices will be polarized, like Snap Shot vs Squad Sight, which is very good because then you can contrast arguments. To me the correct NPOV is to think 'explain how it works and give the same space to both arguments' (which is easier said than done). About the guide, as Spike said, right now this is an intermediate guide, which is great to have, although we needed something simpler - it could have suggestions for class builds or an initial strategy, but it should be definitely K.I.S.S.
::::::::Here's one example from this wiki for such a guide: [[Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization]] [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 15:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::::: I was trying to explain why Holo-Targeting is a false choice and why Bullet Swarm will in similar circumstances perform better. The problem is that an extra roll of the die is worth more than a small bonus and that the heavy himself has more valuable hits on a given probability curve. So while giving space for both sides is certainly important, it is also important to distinguish where there is only one side, despite being two choices. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 15:26, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::::: Actually- I can think of one case where Holotargetting IS a better choice, despite not having the numbers advantage: When you have to move to your target. In your example, the heavy started with vision on the enemy unit, and was given the choice to fire twice. As mentioned in your support section: "mobility is victory". Since firing rockets also consumes both turns, you have a VERY immobile unit, which doesn't alway play well, doublely so in panic missions. --[[User:Theoselk|Theoselk]] 17:40, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

OK, thanks for explaining where the article came from. Maybe a good idea would be to do what we previously had for EU 1994, where there were multiple strategy guides. Multiple strategy guides gives space for more divergent points of view and means we can slightly relax NPOV on those articles where they are flagged as subjective. They also tend to be more advanced in their thinking and factual argument, like this one is - less Keep It Simple Stupid and more analytical.

So we could add a main page link called Strategy Guides and then make this article the first Strategy Guide listed. The current article is better described as a strategy guide than a beginner guide. So I would suggest

*add Strategy Guides link on the main page, beneath Beginner Guide
*rename this page to something else, perhaps Sodiumazide's Strategy Guide? - without any redirect from Beginner Guide
*create the Strategy Guides page with a link to this first Strategy Guide page

Does that make sense for everyone? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:49, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

:::I am cool with that. Probably better that way anyhoo. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 21:41, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

==Points by PartisanGerm==

I'm glad I was able to spur on some activity for this guide! This is the first time I have felt passionate enough about a topic in a wiki where I am compelled to add my two cents. At first, I just wanted to correct all the spelling, grammar, and give some spacing.... but I do wish to defend the arguments made in the guide. I happen to agree completely with ''almost'' everything that Sodiumzide wrote, I either already discovered the efficiency of certain abilities or had a hunch some were more effective than others. There are definitely a few begging for dispute as has been discussed:

* '''The Purpose and Style of the Guide'''
I don't think the guide is really gearing for aggressive action, so much as base tactical viability and efficiency. Quite simply, any skill that needs to be triggered is a skill that is potentially unused and not paying for itself (for some turns, or maps with buildings etc.) However, any skill that can literally be used for almost any situation (such as Rapid Fire and Bullet Swarm) are worth more than just the 'extra action' they effectively give. Sure, there are going to be instances when you miss both shots, but the probability to get at least one shot off

Also, I think the name of the guide should be modified to something more accurate like "Abilities Analyzed" or "Promotions Perused". The guide functions great as both a foundation for new players to play smart without experience and thinking about how abilities are used, as well as

The writing style is personal and informal, and that's another reason why I enjoyed reading it and wanted to enhance it. Yes, I would like to make it a bit more 'official-like', but not because the information appears to be an individual opinion. The end results expressed with this guide have a core in logic and logistics, not simply a preferred game play style.

* '''Heavy: Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
Both of these abilities are very useful in a wide range of situations. However, I think Bullet Swarm proves to be more versatile and of guaranteed benefit no matter the results of using it.
:* Holo-Targeting is wasted on enemies that are finished with the attack it is targeted with; Bullet Swarm lets you shoot at another enemy or make a move after a kill.
:* Holo-Targeting allows other units a slightly better chance to hit, but it does not help the Heavy himself to hit; Bullet Swarm
:* Holo-Targeting gives the possibility of more reliable hits; Bullet Swarm always gives you the option to move/attack, attack/attack.
:* Late game enemies with a lot of health could benefit from more chance to his as well as more attacks, but usually the other classes already have good Aim.

* '''Sniper: Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
There is room for Snap Shot to be useful, when you're looking to be moving forward or into building with your Sniper. However, the aim cost of this ability almost negates the benefit and Sniper is literally the only class that wasn't designed for breaching (with the exception of Battle Scanner). I happen to think that Gunslinger gives Sniper all the mobile power he can reasonably make use of. The Sniper is made to be just that, shooting with high accuracy and power from afar. Getting your Sniper into just the right position so that he has line of sight to his targets is exactly what Squadsight allows for, and is just one of the tactics you're meant to be considering. Pulling enemies into his sight by tactical retreat is the other option.

* '''Support: Medic vs. Smoke Specialization'''
Unlike the other classes, which have a distinct preference for their roles, the Support works perfectly well tricked out as a Medic or a defensive/offensive assistant. The guide already says this, but could do with expansion on developing the two roles of Support.
:* Medic really is a required unit, since you're practically guaranteed to have some of your troops shot at some point or another.
:* Combat Support is certainly useful for preventing damage, but it is no guarantee. Having a second Medic instead of a Combat Support is up to preference.
--[[User:PartisanGerm|PartisanGerm]] 16:45, 14 November 2012 (EST)

:For the past two weeks I've been playing Classic Ironman non-stop and a few builds are starting to become my regulars but I think it would be better to have the main points for each choice as bullet for easier reading.
:I currently have a Colonel Heavy with Holo-Targeting, Rapid Reaction, Danger Zone, Suppression and Mayhem - it's a killer build against Mutons/Chryssalids/Floaters/etc - you can suppress whole groups of aliens, get 2 Overwatch shots if they try to move and still help with your soldiers aim. Until now I had focused on HEAT Rounds and Rocketeer by the medium/late game to deal with Sectopods and Cyberdiscs but I switched that role to my Assaults with Alloy Cannons. A killer combination is two Heavies, one of each build working together to take down targets.
:The main difference between Holo-Targeting is about the Heavy playing more of a Support/Ambush role or being a frontline unit. Both can work very well depending on the circumstances.
:Right now Snap Shot is useless due to the feature that allows you to switch weapons after moving and hitting Overwatch with the Sniper's pistol, unless you choose not to use it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:25, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::Agreed on the bullet format -- frankly the first two skill breakdown in PG's post look better than the current content of the guide.
::While I am nowhere near willing to give up my Heavies with Shredder Rockets, HEAT Ammo, and Rocketeer in my Ironman Classic game, we should definitely make a move to point out synergies like the above. There are still some choices that are more or less no-brainers -- mostly for snipers -- but suggested ''builds'' would be really nice additions beyond just the individual skill suggestions. Some of that is implied in the text already but could be made more clear. --[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 17:42, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::: As the page is refined and improved, a section with suggestions on various builds and synergies is definitely the way to go, as it would help balance the views a little. I might also suggest breaking down the equipment to cover a the primary/secondary arms, armour and item slot.
:::: IIRC, I rewrote the first two skills in a more NPOV style - I didn't do the rest because of lack of time and to get feedback. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
::: Hobbes, the trick with the sniper's pistol/sniper switch appears to only be a feature that can be done on the PC version. In the console versions, unless I'm missing something, once a soldier has ended their move such as by way of an overwatch, you can't tab back to them. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 18:14, 14 November 2012 (EST)
:::: NKF, you don't use tab for this. I don't know how the console controls work but on the PC, as long as there are still other soldiers with APs left, if I put the game cursor on a soldier without any action points left over, I can click and select it and perform actions that don't cost action points such as switch weapons, open doors, disable bomb nodes, etc. This feature/bug works great for Bomb Disposal missions also, where you can dash and still disable a node as long as it isn't the last unit with action points left [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
:::::I meant tabbing or scroll through the soldiers like the 'next soldier' button in the original. In the console version, you only get the cursor for free-aim actions like moving, grenades and rockets. The cursor cannot otherwise be used for selecting soldiers. Instead you use the controllers shoulder buttons to tab backwards or forwards between each soldier. Once a soldier's move has ended by setting overwatch for example, you cannot re-select that soldier until the next turn. One of the limitations of the console version I guess. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 19:11, 16 November 2012 (EST)
: One thing often forgotten about holo-targeting is that it takes effect even on a miss. While Bullet Swarm is certainly handy, it's basically worthless when you've got a 2% hit chance.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 12:52, 16 November 2012 (EST)

==Fact Checks==
New content said that:
* Flying enemies count as uncovered for In The Zone. Pretty sure this is untrue, flying enemies count as low cover from Evasion.
* In The Zone Works on Overwatch - this would be a major plus if it allowed unlimited overwatch shots, but I'm under the impression that it doesn't.
* Combat Drugs smoke grenades give no defense bonus.
Any of this true?
[[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 05:29, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Most times I use ITZ is to get rid of flying pests like Drones & Floaters. It doesn't work on Overwatch.
:I'm pretty sure Combat Drugs still give the Defense bonus - why would it be removed? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::[http://i50.tinypic.com/2qvzfhs.jpg] courtesy of Moyang. No smoke defense. I was surprised. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:21, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:::Yup, just checked on my own game as well... that might explain a past *accident* ;) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:You can check 'facts' from [http://forums.2kgames.com/forumdisplay.php?121 official forum] discussions. --[[User:Moyang|Moyang]] 12:45, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:: Unfortunately I can find all sorts of 'facts' on that forum, for example while searching for ITZ I "learned" that Damn Good Ground doesn't work with Archangel armor. A search showed the Combat Drugs bug, but nothing conclusive for ITZ, but nvm. No need to get offended. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Are Combat Drugs +Aim, +Will, or both? I generally don't have them and haven't remembered to check when I could. I'm not clear whether we're dealing with a bad skill description, a bug, or simple misreads.--[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 14:46, 20 November 2012 (EST)

==Page Name==
I think it's too long and since it's a guide to classes, it could be just called Guide to Classes or something smaller. Any other suggestions? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:42, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Soldier Skills and Equipment sounds like a fairly accurate name for the page as is. If anything I'd suggest a refactor in to separate pages for each class with a factual information section and a Guide section. That would solve the length issue and would make it match the Aliens section (which has a list of aliens with short description (which should probably be shorter than it is now) and link to page with longer description and Tactical Advice). [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 12:33, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::Oh, the *name* is too long. I'm an idiot. Yeah, though I'd still advocate what I said above anyway, which would make this whole page and it's horrible name go away. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:::Splitting this into individual class pages would be great. The entire EU2012 guide section could use similar restructuring -- that this appears to be nested under that barely-readable "Survival Guide" is all kinds of weird.--[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 14:49, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-20T19:49:44Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Page Name */

__ToC__

Very thorough information, but please keep it with a Neutral Point of View, because there's a lot that I disagree with (not the stats or the explanations) like your personal premise that Lethality is the most important issue regarding perk selection, or that you should choose Bullet Swarm over Holo-Targeting at the beginning, when to me Holo-Targeting is crucial to help rookies (and the whole squad) get kills and promotions. Some other things are incorrect/missing (Mayhem also increases damage from explosives) or it's just a matter of personal playstyle - I love Snap Shot snipers because of their ability to move and fire, it works great on the big UFOs and city maps with a lot of buildings but I also have a Sniper with Squad Sight for some maps.
I think it would be much more useful to have a Guide about when/how to use each perk and let the player decide. Otherwise it's just a matter of personal opinion and that won't be much useful. My suggestion would be to have this content either reworked or moved to another page. And there's also the matter of what this Beginner Guide should have besides perk selection. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:33, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
: Certainly has room for improvement on the NPOV side, but I think that's fine as starting point for an article. It can be reworked. However, I recommend adding a suffix to the page, otherwise it could be a beginner guide for any one of the many games if you came in here through a Google search or via another page. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 07:37, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
:: I like the stats analysis very much (I haven't had time to do it myself so it's a great read) I just think it needs a more neutral analysis. Some perks are essential like Field Medic, Revive and Savior to have Support Medic right away, I think that one everybody should agree, but as for the rest it's really a matter of playstyle. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:49, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

The one question I have is, what difficulty level(s) were you playing when you came to these conclusions. For me, certain abilities that were previously useless made more sense when switching to Classic and Impossible. ~ [[User:Drakalu|Drakalu]] 13:50, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

== Multiple PoVs ==

While this is a great guide, I feel that this guide is good only for a specific play style-IE, an aggressive one. If you want to be aggressive then that's all well and good, but many people would prefer a more subtle or defensive approach, approaches which are almost completely disregarded in this guide. Perhaps if we had multiple guides, one for each style (I believe this is already in place-isn't there an entire page dedicated to listing all the different guides for the original?) I don't think I would be a good example, but if everyone would like I could make a guide for my style, which is three supports-one a rifleman, two field medics, a heavy, and an assualt (the second field medic can be switched out for a Squadsight sniper) -[[User:Krikit386|Krikit386]]
:That's exactly my point above. Before the game was released I thought that the most important perks were those that expanded your 2 Actions, i.e. Snap Shot allows for Move and Fire with the Sniper Rifle, Bullet Swarm allows the Heavy to shoot twice, etc. After I started playing the game I realized that they are important (the same way that Lethality is) but you need to think about their general effect on the squad's abilities and their uses. Example: lots of people go for Squad Sight instead of Snap Shot. I like to have both, because Snap Shot is great for Abduction missions where most of the time you'll need to move to take the shot. Squad Sight also works for me on those occasions but Snap Shot fits more my style. Another example: UFO missions, I usually take Squad Sight but sometimes I'll switch to the Snap Shot sniper since he's the one more capable of using the Battle Scanner (since you'll usually keep your Squad Sight sniper behind), and you really need the Scanner to avoid unfriendly confrontations. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:14, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::I've started rewriting the content to make it NPOV but I only got to the Heavy and Holo-Targeting/Bullet Swarm analysis. Before I continue can everyone please check the page and give some feedback on the part I've rewritten? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 11:08, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::Great work as ever, Hobbes. Apart from the NPOV improvements, I wonder if the article needs more context at the start though. Or if it needs renaming. It's called a Beginner Guide to the (whole) game but seems to focusing on only one important aspect, how to pick upgrades. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 11:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::I agree, I think a Beginner's Guide should have more tips for overall game play, rather than focusing on Skill choices. I really like this page, I had already thought of something similar that expanded the text on the Classes page. I think it needs to be renamed and possibly we could move it individual pages for each class to better split up all this information. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::Maybe add in those overall tips. As it stands, this is more of intermediate article rather than a beginner article. It has a lot of analysis which sounds like disputation between experts. So if it's a true beginner article it needs to be simplified I think. Probably just rename it and keep it as it is. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 12:21, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::Meanwhile the original poster just placed again his personal opinion regarding Holo-Targeting, so I've clarified things (I hope) about what NPOV means. My only problem is the size of this article but I think it could be a great guide to help choosing abilities. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::Hey everyone, the original author here. Sorry about the NPOV, I have a hard time scrubbing it from my style when I am dealing with something I care about. a couple things though. 1. I wasn't really intending to make a begineers guide, I was making a guide that hopefully could be useful to anyone, the begineers guide just had a big red empty spot that I plopped this into. 2. Matters of opinion I try to be honest about, but alot of things are not opinions even if they might seem like it. For example, the bulletswarm vs. holotargetting. I went back and editted your changes hobbes, sorry, I also threw in the probability curve that I was too lazy to add the first time. Or at least a part of it. Showing why the choice is a false dichotomy. Bullet swarm is more likely in a given sequence to produce more hits, period, at least for all the series I ran. 3. I would love for people to chime in about the less mathematically oriented choice and have a divsification of playstyles. I am working on a team composition guide and a guide to the geoscape, but the geoscape especially is not my specialization, I am a tactics and optimization man, and hopefully y'all can throw in. Ps apologies if I stepped on some toes, I don't have any real wiki experience. -Sodiumazide
::::::::Hey, no problem :) I wasn't not questioning the math, although at the end of the stats part you wrote something like: it's highly unlikely that all 4 soldiers will shoot at the alien, which is correct, but IMO, in that case the stats that show that 5 soldiers firing at the same time have better odds than 4 don't really prove anything. The more gung-ho style of writing isn't really a problem (plenty of articles here are written in a more lighter tone) it's really that people will have different opinions. Bullet vs Holo is one example but I'm sure there are plenty more where the choices will be polarized, like Snap Shot vs Squad Sight, which is very good because then you can contrast arguments. To me the correct NPOV is to think 'explain how it works and give the same space to both arguments' (which is easier said than done). About the guide, as Spike said, right now this is an intermediate guide, which is great to have, although we needed something simpler - it could have suggestions for class builds or an initial strategy, but it should be definitely K.I.S.S.
::::::::Here's one example from this wiki for such a guide: [[Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization]] [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 15:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::::: I was trying to explain why Holo-Targeting is a false choice and why Bullet Swarm will in similar circumstances perform better. The problem is that an extra roll of the die is worth more than a small bonus and that the heavy himself has more valuable hits on a given probability curve. So while giving space for both sides is certainly important, it is also important to distinguish where there is only one side, despite being two choices. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 15:26, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::::: Actually- I can think of one case where Holotargetting IS a better choice, despite not having the numbers advantage: When you have to move to your target. In your example, the heavy started with vision on the enemy unit, and was given the choice to fire twice. As mentioned in your support section: "mobility is victory". Since firing rockets also consumes both turns, you have a VERY immobile unit, which doesn't alway play well, doublely so in panic missions. --[[User:Theoselk|Theoselk]] 17:40, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

OK, thanks for explaining where the article came from. Maybe a good idea would be to do what we previously had for EU 1994, where there were multiple strategy guides. Multiple strategy guides gives space for more divergent points of view and means we can slightly relax NPOV on those articles where they are flagged as subjective. They also tend to be more advanced in their thinking and factual argument, like this one is - less Keep It Simple Stupid and more analytical.

So we could add a main page link called Strategy Guides and then make this article the first Strategy Guide listed. The current article is better described as a strategy guide than a beginner guide. So I would suggest

*add Strategy Guides link on the main page, beneath Beginner Guide
*rename this page to something else, perhaps Sodiumazide's Strategy Guide? - without any redirect from Beginner Guide
*create the Strategy Guides page with a link to this first Strategy Guide page

Does that make sense for everyone? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:49, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

:::I am cool with that. Probably better that way anyhoo. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 21:41, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

==Points by PartisanGerm==

I'm glad I was able to spur on some activity for this guide! This is the first time I have felt passionate enough about a topic in a wiki where I am compelled to add my two cents. At first, I just wanted to correct all the spelling, grammar, and give some spacing.... but I do wish to defend the arguments made in the guide. I happen to agree completely with ''almost'' everything that Sodiumzide wrote, I either already discovered the efficiency of certain abilities or had a hunch some were more effective than others. There are definitely a few begging for dispute as has been discussed:

* '''The Purpose and Style of the Guide'''
I don't think the guide is really gearing for aggressive action, so much as base tactical viability and efficiency. Quite simply, any skill that needs to be triggered is a skill that is potentially unused and not paying for itself (for some turns, or maps with buildings etc.) However, any skill that can literally be used for almost any situation (such as Rapid Fire and Bullet Swarm) are worth more than just the 'extra action' they effectively give. Sure, there are going to be instances when you miss both shots, but the probability to get at least one shot off

Also, I think the name of the guide should be modified to something more accurate like "Abilities Analyzed" or "Promotions Perused". The guide functions great as both a foundation for new players to play smart without experience and thinking about how abilities are used, as well as

The writing style is personal and informal, and that's another reason why I enjoyed reading it and wanted to enhance it. Yes, I would like to make it a bit more 'official-like', but not because the information appears to be an individual opinion. The end results expressed with this guide have a core in logic and logistics, not simply a preferred game play style.

* '''Heavy: Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
Both of these abilities are very useful in a wide range of situations. However, I think Bullet Swarm proves to be more versatile and of guaranteed benefit no matter the results of using it.
:* Holo-Targeting is wasted on enemies that are finished with the attack it is targeted with; Bullet Swarm lets you shoot at another enemy or make a move after a kill.
:* Holo-Targeting allows other units a slightly better chance to hit, but it does not help the Heavy himself to hit; Bullet Swarm
:* Holo-Targeting gives the possibility of more reliable hits; Bullet Swarm always gives you the option to move/attack, attack/attack.
:* Late game enemies with a lot of health could benefit from more chance to his as well as more attacks, but usually the other classes already have good Aim.

* '''Sniper: Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
There is room for Snap Shot to be useful, when you're looking to be moving forward or into building with your Sniper. However, the aim cost of this ability almost negates the benefit and Sniper is literally the only class that wasn't designed for breaching (with the exception of Battle Scanner). I happen to think that Gunslinger gives Sniper all the mobile power he can reasonably make use of. The Sniper is made to be just that, shooting with high accuracy and power from afar. Getting your Sniper into just the right position so that he has line of sight to his targets is exactly what Squadsight allows for, and is just one of the tactics you're meant to be considering. Pulling enemies into his sight by tactical retreat is the other option.

* '''Support: Medic vs. Smoke Specialization'''
Unlike the other classes, which have a distinct preference for their roles, the Support works perfectly well tricked out as a Medic or a defensive/offensive assistant. The guide already says this, but could do with expansion on developing the two roles of Support.
:* Medic really is a required unit, since you're practically guaranteed to have some of your troops shot at some point or another.
:* Combat Support is certainly useful for preventing damage, but it is no guarantee. Having a second Medic instead of a Combat Support is up to preference.
--[[User:PartisanGerm|PartisanGerm]] 16:45, 14 November 2012 (EST)

:For the past two weeks I've been playing Classic Ironman non-stop and a few builds are starting to become my regulars but I think it would be better to have the main points for each choice as bullet for easier reading.
:I currently have a Colonel Heavy with Holo-Targeting, Rapid Reaction, Danger Zone, Suppression and Mayhem - it's a killer build against Mutons/Chryssalids/Floaters/etc - you can suppress whole groups of aliens, get 2 Overwatch shots if they try to move and still help with your soldiers aim. Until now I had focused on HEAT Rounds and Rocketeer by the medium/late game to deal with Sectopods and Cyberdiscs but I switched that role to my Assaults with Alloy Cannons. A killer combination is two Heavies, one of each build working together to take down targets.
:The main difference between Holo-Targeting is about the Heavy playing more of a Support/Ambush role or being a frontline unit. Both can work very well depending on the circumstances.
:Right now Snap Shot is useless due to the feature that allows you to switch weapons after moving and hitting Overwatch with the Sniper's pistol, unless you choose not to use it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:25, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::Agreed on the bullet format -- frankly the first two skill breakdown in PG's post look better than the current content of the guide.
::While I am nowhere near willing to give up my Heavies with Shredder Rockets, HEAT Ammo, and Rocketeer in my Ironman Classic game, we should definitely make a move to point out synergies like the above. There are still some choices that are more or less no-brainers -- mostly for snipers -- but suggested ''builds'' would be really nice additions beyond just the individual skill suggestions. Some of that is implied in the text already but could be made more clear. --[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 17:42, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::: As the page is refined and improved, a section with suggestions on various builds and synergies is definitely the way to go, as it would help balance the views a little. I might also suggest breaking down the equipment to cover a the primary/secondary arms, armour and item slot.
:::: IIRC, I rewrote the first two skills in a more NPOV style - I didn't do the rest because of lack of time and to get feedback. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
::: Hobbes, the trick with the sniper's pistol/sniper switch appears to only be a feature that can be done on the PC version. In the console versions, unless I'm missing something, once a soldier has ended their move such as by way of an overwatch, you can't tab back to them. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 18:14, 14 November 2012 (EST)
:::: NKF, you don't use tab for this. I don't know how the console controls work but on the PC, as long as there are still other soldiers with APs left, if I put the game cursor on a soldier without any action points left over, I can click and select it and perform actions that don't cost action points such as switch weapons, open doors, disable bomb nodes, etc. This feature/bug works great for Bomb Disposal missions also, where you can dash and still disable a node as long as it isn't the last unit with action points left [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
:::::I meant tabbing or scroll through the soldiers like the 'next soldier' button in the original. In the console version, you only get the cursor for free-aim actions like moving, grenades and rockets. The cursor cannot otherwise be used for selecting soldiers. Instead you use the controllers shoulder buttons to tab backwards or forwards between each soldier. Once a soldier's move has ended by setting overwatch for example, you cannot re-select that soldier until the next turn. One of the limitations of the console version I guess. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 19:11, 16 November 2012 (EST)
: One thing often forgotten about holo-targeting is that it takes effect even on a miss. While Bullet Swarm is certainly handy, it's basically worthless when you've got a 2% hit chance.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 12:52, 16 November 2012 (EST)

==Fact Checks==
New content said that:
* Flying enemies count as uncovered for In The Zone. Pretty sure this is untrue, flying enemies count as low cover from Evasion.
* In The Zone Works on Overwatch - this would be a major plus if it allowed unlimited overwatch shots, but I'm under the impression that it doesn't.
* Combat Drugs smoke grenades give no defense bonus.
Any of this true?
[[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 05:29, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Most times I use ITZ is to get rid of flying pests like Drones & Floaters. It doesn't work on Overwatch.
:I'm pretty sure Combat Drugs still give the Defense bonus - why would it be removed? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::[http://i50.tinypic.com/2qvzfhs.jpg] courtesy of Moyang. No smoke defense. I was surprised. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:21, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:::Yup, just checked on my own game as well... that might explain a past *accident* ;) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:You can check 'facts' from [http://forums.2kgames.com/forumdisplay.php?121 official forum] discussions. --[[User:Moyang|Moyang]] 12:45, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:: Unfortunately I can find all sorts of 'facts' on that forum, for example while searching for ITZ I "learned" that Damn Good Ground doesn't work with Archangel armor. A search showed the Combat Drugs bug, but nothing conclusive for ITZ, but nvm. No need to get offended. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Are Combat Drugs +Aim, +Will, or both? I generally don't have them and haven't remembered to check when I could. I'm not whether we're dealing with a bad skill description, a bug, or simple misreads.--[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 14:46, 20 November 2012 (EST)

==Page Name==
I think it's too long and since it's a guide to classes, it could be just called Guide to Classes or something smaller. Any other suggestions? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:42, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Soldier Skills and Equipment sounds like a fairly accurate name for the page as is. If anything I'd suggest a refactor in to separate pages for each class with a factual information section and a Guide section. That would solve the length issue and would make it match the Aliens section (which has a list of aliens with short description (which should probably be shorter than it is now) and link to page with longer description and Tactical Advice). [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 12:33, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::Oh, the *name* is too long. I'm an idiot. Yeah, though I'd still advocate what I said above anyway, which would make this whole page and it's horrible name go away. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:::Splitting this into individual class pages would be great. The entire EU2012 guide section could use similar restructuring -- that this appears to be nested under that barely-readable "Survival Guide" is all kinds of weird.--[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 14:49, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-20T19:46:50Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Fact Checks */ Combat Drugs bonus?

__ToC__

Very thorough information, but please keep it with a Neutral Point of View, because there's a lot that I disagree with (not the stats or the explanations) like your personal premise that Lethality is the most important issue regarding perk selection, or that you should choose Bullet Swarm over Holo-Targeting at the beginning, when to me Holo-Targeting is crucial to help rookies (and the whole squad) get kills and promotions. Some other things are incorrect/missing (Mayhem also increases damage from explosives) or it's just a matter of personal playstyle - I love Snap Shot snipers because of their ability to move and fire, it works great on the big UFOs and city maps with a lot of buildings but I also have a Sniper with Squad Sight for some maps.
I think it would be much more useful to have a Guide about when/how to use each perk and let the player decide. Otherwise it's just a matter of personal opinion and that won't be much useful. My suggestion would be to have this content either reworked or moved to another page. And there's also the matter of what this Beginner Guide should have besides perk selection. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:33, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
: Certainly has room for improvement on the NPOV side, but I think that's fine as starting point for an article. It can be reworked. However, I recommend adding a suffix to the page, otherwise it could be a beginner guide for any one of the many games if you came in here through a Google search or via another page. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 07:37, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
:: I like the stats analysis very much (I haven't had time to do it myself so it's a great read) I just think it needs a more neutral analysis. Some perks are essential like Field Medic, Revive and Savior to have Support Medic right away, I think that one everybody should agree, but as for the rest it's really a matter of playstyle. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:49, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

The one question I have is, what difficulty level(s) were you playing when you came to these conclusions. For me, certain abilities that were previously useless made more sense when switching to Classic and Impossible. ~ [[User:Drakalu|Drakalu]] 13:50, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

== Multiple PoVs ==

While this is a great guide, I feel that this guide is good only for a specific play style-IE, an aggressive one. If you want to be aggressive then that's all well and good, but many people would prefer a more subtle or defensive approach, approaches which are almost completely disregarded in this guide. Perhaps if we had multiple guides, one for each style (I believe this is already in place-isn't there an entire page dedicated to listing all the different guides for the original?) I don't think I would be a good example, but if everyone would like I could make a guide for my style, which is three supports-one a rifleman, two field medics, a heavy, and an assualt (the second field medic can be switched out for a Squadsight sniper) -[[User:Krikit386|Krikit386]]
:That's exactly my point above. Before the game was released I thought that the most important perks were those that expanded your 2 Actions, i.e. Snap Shot allows for Move and Fire with the Sniper Rifle, Bullet Swarm allows the Heavy to shoot twice, etc. After I started playing the game I realized that they are important (the same way that Lethality is) but you need to think about their general effect on the squad's abilities and their uses. Example: lots of people go for Squad Sight instead of Snap Shot. I like to have both, because Snap Shot is great for Abduction missions where most of the time you'll need to move to take the shot. Squad Sight also works for me on those occasions but Snap Shot fits more my style. Another example: UFO missions, I usually take Squad Sight but sometimes I'll switch to the Snap Shot sniper since he's the one more capable of using the Battle Scanner (since you'll usually keep your Squad Sight sniper behind), and you really need the Scanner to avoid unfriendly confrontations. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:14, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::I've started rewriting the content to make it NPOV but I only got to the Heavy and Holo-Targeting/Bullet Swarm analysis. Before I continue can everyone please check the page and give some feedback on the part I've rewritten? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 11:08, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::Great work as ever, Hobbes. Apart from the NPOV improvements, I wonder if the article needs more context at the start though. Or if it needs renaming. It's called a Beginner Guide to the (whole) game but seems to focusing on only one important aspect, how to pick upgrades. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 11:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::I agree, I think a Beginner's Guide should have more tips for overall game play, rather than focusing on Skill choices. I really like this page, I had already thought of something similar that expanded the text on the Classes page. I think it needs to be renamed and possibly we could move it individual pages for each class to better split up all this information. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::Maybe add in those overall tips. As it stands, this is more of intermediate article rather than a beginner article. It has a lot of analysis which sounds like disputation between experts. So if it's a true beginner article it needs to be simplified I think. Probably just rename it and keep it as it is. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 12:21, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::Meanwhile the original poster just placed again his personal opinion regarding Holo-Targeting, so I've clarified things (I hope) about what NPOV means. My only problem is the size of this article but I think it could be a great guide to help choosing abilities. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::Hey everyone, the original author here. Sorry about the NPOV, I have a hard time scrubbing it from my style when I am dealing with something I care about. a couple things though. 1. I wasn't really intending to make a begineers guide, I was making a guide that hopefully could be useful to anyone, the begineers guide just had a big red empty spot that I plopped this into. 2. Matters of opinion I try to be honest about, but alot of things are not opinions even if they might seem like it. For example, the bulletswarm vs. holotargetting. I went back and editted your changes hobbes, sorry, I also threw in the probability curve that I was too lazy to add the first time. Or at least a part of it. Showing why the choice is a false dichotomy. Bullet swarm is more likely in a given sequence to produce more hits, period, at least for all the series I ran. 3. I would love for people to chime in about the less mathematically oriented choice and have a divsification of playstyles. I am working on a team composition guide and a guide to the geoscape, but the geoscape especially is not my specialization, I am a tactics and optimization man, and hopefully y'all can throw in. Ps apologies if I stepped on some toes, I don't have any real wiki experience. -Sodiumazide
::::::::Hey, no problem :) I wasn't not questioning the math, although at the end of the stats part you wrote something like: it's highly unlikely that all 4 soldiers will shoot at the alien, which is correct, but IMO, in that case the stats that show that 5 soldiers firing at the same time have better odds than 4 don't really prove anything. The more gung-ho style of writing isn't really a problem (plenty of articles here are written in a more lighter tone) it's really that people will have different opinions. Bullet vs Holo is one example but I'm sure there are plenty more where the choices will be polarized, like Snap Shot vs Squad Sight, which is very good because then you can contrast arguments. To me the correct NPOV is to think 'explain how it works and give the same space to both arguments' (which is easier said than done). About the guide, as Spike said, right now this is an intermediate guide, which is great to have, although we needed something simpler - it could have suggestions for class builds or an initial strategy, but it should be definitely K.I.S.S.
::::::::Here's one example from this wiki for such a guide: [[Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization]] [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 15:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::::: I was trying to explain why Holo-Targeting is a false choice and why Bullet Swarm will in similar circumstances perform better. The problem is that an extra roll of the die is worth more than a small bonus and that the heavy himself has more valuable hits on a given probability curve. So while giving space for both sides is certainly important, it is also important to distinguish where there is only one side, despite being two choices. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 15:26, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::::: Actually- I can think of one case where Holotargetting IS a better choice, despite not having the numbers advantage: When you have to move to your target. In your example, the heavy started with vision on the enemy unit, and was given the choice to fire twice. As mentioned in your support section: "mobility is victory". Since firing rockets also consumes both turns, you have a VERY immobile unit, which doesn't alway play well, doublely so in panic missions. --[[User:Theoselk|Theoselk]] 17:40, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

OK, thanks for explaining where the article came from. Maybe a good idea would be to do what we previously had for EU 1994, where there were multiple strategy guides. Multiple strategy guides gives space for more divergent points of view and means we can slightly relax NPOV on those articles where they are flagged as subjective. They also tend to be more advanced in their thinking and factual argument, like this one is - less Keep It Simple Stupid and more analytical.

So we could add a main page link called Strategy Guides and then make this article the first Strategy Guide listed. The current article is better described as a strategy guide than a beginner guide. So I would suggest

*add Strategy Guides link on the main page, beneath Beginner Guide
*rename this page to something else, perhaps Sodiumazide's Strategy Guide? - without any redirect from Beginner Guide
*create the Strategy Guides page with a link to this first Strategy Guide page

Does that make sense for everyone? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:49, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

:::I am cool with that. Probably better that way anyhoo. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 21:41, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

==Points by PartisanGerm==

I'm glad I was able to spur on some activity for this guide! This is the first time I have felt passionate enough about a topic in a wiki where I am compelled to add my two cents. At first, I just wanted to correct all the spelling, grammar, and give some spacing.... but I do wish to defend the arguments made in the guide. I happen to agree completely with ''almost'' everything that Sodiumzide wrote, I either already discovered the efficiency of certain abilities or had a hunch some were more effective than others. There are definitely a few begging for dispute as has been discussed:

* '''The Purpose and Style of the Guide'''
I don't think the guide is really gearing for aggressive action, so much as base tactical viability and efficiency. Quite simply, any skill that needs to be triggered is a skill that is potentially unused and not paying for itself (for some turns, or maps with buildings etc.) However, any skill that can literally be used for almost any situation (such as Rapid Fire and Bullet Swarm) are worth more than just the 'extra action' they effectively give. Sure, there are going to be instances when you miss both shots, but the probability to get at least one shot off

Also, I think the name of the guide should be modified to something more accurate like "Abilities Analyzed" or "Promotions Perused". The guide functions great as both a foundation for new players to play smart without experience and thinking about how abilities are used, as well as

The writing style is personal and informal, and that's another reason why I enjoyed reading it and wanted to enhance it. Yes, I would like to make it a bit more 'official-like', but not because the information appears to be an individual opinion. The end results expressed with this guide have a core in logic and logistics, not simply a preferred game play style.

* '''Heavy: Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
Both of these abilities are very useful in a wide range of situations. However, I think Bullet Swarm proves to be more versatile and of guaranteed benefit no matter the results of using it.
:* Holo-Targeting is wasted on enemies that are finished with the attack it is targeted with; Bullet Swarm lets you shoot at another enemy or make a move after a kill.
:* Holo-Targeting allows other units a slightly better chance to hit, but it does not help the Heavy himself to hit; Bullet Swarm
:* Holo-Targeting gives the possibility of more reliable hits; Bullet Swarm always gives you the option to move/attack, attack/attack.
:* Late game enemies with a lot of health could benefit from more chance to his as well as more attacks, but usually the other classes already have good Aim.

* '''Sniper: Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
There is room for Snap Shot to be useful, when you're looking to be moving forward or into building with your Sniper. However, the aim cost of this ability almost negates the benefit and Sniper is literally the only class that wasn't designed for breaching (with the exception of Battle Scanner). I happen to think that Gunslinger gives Sniper all the mobile power he can reasonably make use of. The Sniper is made to be just that, shooting with high accuracy and power from afar. Getting your Sniper into just the right position so that he has line of sight to his targets is exactly what Squadsight allows for, and is just one of the tactics you're meant to be considering. Pulling enemies into his sight by tactical retreat is the other option.

* '''Support: Medic vs. Smoke Specialization'''
Unlike the other classes, which have a distinct preference for their roles, the Support works perfectly well tricked out as a Medic or a defensive/offensive assistant. The guide already says this, but could do with expansion on developing the two roles of Support.
:* Medic really is a required unit, since you're practically guaranteed to have some of your troops shot at some point or another.
:* Combat Support is certainly useful for preventing damage, but it is no guarantee. Having a second Medic instead of a Combat Support is up to preference.
--[[User:PartisanGerm|PartisanGerm]] 16:45, 14 November 2012 (EST)

:For the past two weeks I've been playing Classic Ironman non-stop and a few builds are starting to become my regulars but I think it would be better to have the main points for each choice as bullet for easier reading.
:I currently have a Colonel Heavy with Holo-Targeting, Rapid Reaction, Danger Zone, Suppression and Mayhem - it's a killer build against Mutons/Chryssalids/Floaters/etc - you can suppress whole groups of aliens, get 2 Overwatch shots if they try to move and still help with your soldiers aim. Until now I had focused on HEAT Rounds and Rocketeer by the medium/late game to deal with Sectopods and Cyberdiscs but I switched that role to my Assaults with Alloy Cannons. A killer combination is two Heavies, one of each build working together to take down targets.
:The main difference between Holo-Targeting is about the Heavy playing more of a Support/Ambush role or being a frontline unit. Both can work very well depending on the circumstances.
:Right now Snap Shot is useless due to the feature that allows you to switch weapons after moving and hitting Overwatch with the Sniper's pistol, unless you choose not to use it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:25, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::Agreed on the bullet format -- frankly the first two skill breakdown in PG's post look better than the current content of the guide.
::While I am nowhere near willing to give up my Heavies with Shredder Rockets, HEAT Ammo, and Rocketeer in my Ironman Classic game, we should definitely make a move to point out synergies like the above. There are still some choices that are more or less no-brainers -- mostly for snipers -- but suggested ''builds'' would be really nice additions beyond just the individual skill suggestions. Some of that is implied in the text already but could be made more clear. --[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 17:42, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::: As the page is refined and improved, a section with suggestions on various builds and synergies is definitely the way to go, as it would help balance the views a little. I might also suggest breaking down the equipment to cover a the primary/secondary arms, armour and item slot.
:::: IIRC, I rewrote the first two skills in a more NPOV style - I didn't do the rest because of lack of time and to get feedback. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
::: Hobbes, the trick with the sniper's pistol/sniper switch appears to only be a feature that can be done on the PC version. In the console versions, unless I'm missing something, once a soldier has ended their move such as by way of an overwatch, you can't tab back to them. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 18:14, 14 November 2012 (EST)
:::: NKF, you don't use tab for this. I don't know how the console controls work but on the PC, as long as there are still other soldiers with APs left, if I put the game cursor on a soldier without any action points left over, I can click and select it and perform actions that don't cost action points such as switch weapons, open doors, disable bomb nodes, etc. This feature/bug works great for Bomb Disposal missions also, where you can dash and still disable a node as long as it isn't the last unit with action points left [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:00, 16 November 2012 (EST)
:::::I meant tabbing or scroll through the soldiers like the 'next soldier' button in the original. In the console version, you only get the cursor for free-aim actions like moving, grenades and rockets. The cursor cannot otherwise be used for selecting soldiers. Instead you use the controllers shoulder buttons to tab backwards or forwards between each soldier. Once a soldier's move has ended by setting overwatch for example, you cannot re-select that soldier until the next turn. One of the limitations of the console version I guess. [[User:NKF|NKF]] 19:11, 16 November 2012 (EST)
: One thing often forgotten about holo-targeting is that it takes effect even on a miss. While Bullet Swarm is certainly handy, it's basically worthless when you've got a 2% hit chance.--[[User:(name here)|(name here)]] 12:52, 16 November 2012 (EST)

==Fact Checks==
New content said that:
* Flying enemies count as uncovered for In The Zone. Pretty sure this is untrue, flying enemies count as low cover from Evasion.
* In The Zone Works on Overwatch - this would be a major plus if it allowed unlimited overwatch shots, but I'm under the impression that it doesn't.
* Combat Drugs smoke grenades give no defense bonus.
Any of this true?
[[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 05:29, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Most times I use ITZ is to get rid of flying pests like Drones & Floaters. It doesn't work on Overwatch.
:I'm pretty sure Combat Drugs still give the Defense bonus - why would it be removed? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::[http://i50.tinypic.com/2qvzfhs.jpg] courtesy of Moyang. No smoke defense. I was surprised. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:21, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:::Yup, just checked on my own game as well... that might explain a past *accident* ;) [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:You can check 'facts' from [http://forums.2kgames.com/forumdisplay.php?121 official forum] discussions. --[[User:Moyang|Moyang]] 12:45, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:: Unfortunately I can find all sorts of 'facts' on that forum, for example while searching for ITZ I "learned" that Damn Good Ground doesn't work with Archangel armor. A search showed the Combat Drugs bug, but nothing conclusive for ITZ, but nvm. No need to get offended. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:16, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Are Combat Drugs +Aim, +Will, or both? I generally don't have them and haven't remembered to check when I could. I'm not whether we're dealing with a bad skill description, a bug, or simple misreads.--[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 14:46, 20 November 2012 (EST)

==Page Name==
I think it's too long and since it's a guide to classes, it could be just called Guide to Classes or something smaller. Any other suggestions? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 09:42, 20 November 2012 (EST)
:Soldier Skills and Equipment sounds like a fairly accurate name for the page as is. If anything I'd suggest a refactor in to separate pages for each class with a factual information section and a Guide section. That would solve the length issue and would make it match the Aliens section (which has a list of aliens with short description (which should probably be shorter than it is now) and link to page with longer description and Tactical Advice). [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 12:33, 20 November 2012 (EST)
::Oh, the *name* is too long. I'm an idiot. Yeah, though I'd still advocate what I said above anyway, which would make this whole page and it's horrible name go away. [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 13:26, 20 November 2012 (EST)

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-20T19:43:52Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Sniper */ Reformat and slight rewording on Colonel pick

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|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'''
* 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.

'''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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|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'''
* Adds tremendous killing power, and as it is said in the business, "death is the best debuff.";
* Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice;
* 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'''
* 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;
* 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|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'''
* 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty(-10) attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
Opportunist is generally the stronger pick here.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
Both of these skills offer a lot of killing power, but Double Tap is more consistent.

'''In The Zone''' offers unmatched offensive potential when you can set up the right conditions. Squadsight snipers will never flank an enemy, so you'll need 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, you can blow covers with rockets or grenades when the firepower is desperately needed. Note: In The Zone can be triggered with a pistol due to a bug, 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 crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day. Note: Scope bonus and Improved scope bonus don't stack with pistol upgrade I/II, so don't bother with them.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
There's merit to both picks, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating 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.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T08:43:29Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Support */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
Opportunist is generally the stronger pick here.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
There's merit to both picks, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup. Dense Smoke is powerful boost with a major drawback, and Combat Drugs is a minor buff without any complications.

'''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. This is questionably useful, but may be helpful when you're expecting impending Mind Controls. It will probably fall out of favor after you find yourself some psi-talented soldiers, but Will bonuses are few and far between. Even then you may appreciate the increased chance for success on your psi abilities. At any rate, the best thing that Combat Drugs has going for it is that it doesn't actively encourage aliens to throw explosives at you.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating 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.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T08:41:45Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
Opportunist is generally the stronger pick here.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
There's merit to both picks, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup. Dense Smoke is powerful boost with a major drawback, and Combat Drugs is a minor buff without any complications.

'''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. This is questionably useful, but may be helpful when you're expecting impending Mind Controls. It will probably fall out of favor after you find yourself some psi-talented soldiers, but Will bonuses are few and far between. Even then you may appreciate the increased chance for success on your psi abilities. At any rate, the best thing that Combat Drugs has going for it is that it doesn't actively encourage aliens to throw explosives at you.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psychic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T08:41:01Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
There's merit to both picks, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup. Dense Smoke is powerful boost with a major drawback, and Combat Drugs is a minor buff without any complications.

'''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. This is questionably useful, but may be helpful when you're expecting impending Mind Controls. It will probably fall out of favor after you find yourself some psi-talented soldiers, but Will bonuses are few and far between. Even then you may appreciate the increased chance for success on your psi abilities. At any rate, the best thing that Combat Drugs has going for it is that it doesn't actively encourage aliens to throw explosives at you.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psychic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T08:40:18Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */ Formatting

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup. Dense Smoke is powerful boost with a major drawback, and Combat Drugs is a minor buff without any complications.

'''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. This is questionably useful, but may be helpful when you're expecting impending Mind Controls. It will probably fall out of favor after you find yourself some psi-talented soldiers, but Will bonuses are few and far between. Even then you may appreciate the increased chance for success on your psi abilities. At any rate, the best thing that Combat Drugs has going for it is that it doesn't actively encourage aliens to throw explosives at you.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psychic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T08:38:39Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Support */ Update

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

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.

===Abilities===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Take Sprinter. You're welcome.

'''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. Accept no substitutes.

'''Covering Fire''' will almost never help you. Enemy units will very rarely fire when they're not in cover, and Overwatch's additional 15% penalty to hit means that this will almost never connect. It can be a nice extra after you pick up Rifle Suppression or Sentinel, but it simply isn't a good trade for on-demand mobility.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup, but Field Medic is probably the safer bet.

'''Field Medic''' gives you the ability to do some damage control after things go wrong. And they will go wrong. Maybe you'll accidentally eat an Overwatch, maybe they'll hit you while you're hunkered down behind cover, or maybe you'll get hit with a grenade. But the bottom line is that you're ''going'' to take damage on most missions, and you'll want to be able to pull yourself out of the danger zone. This does unfortunately lock you into using a Medikit, but the Support isn't a bad person to be carrying it.

'''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), 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.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Rifle Suppression will help keep you alive. Isn't that better than dying and using Revive? Yes. Yes it is.

'''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), you will probably be relying and them for the big booms, which leaves Suppression duties to the Support.

'''Revive''' is a skill you use when you are already screwed. While it is admittedly nice to be able to bring a soldier back from the almost-dead, if you find yourself wishing you had this, consider changing your tactics or bringing along an additional Field Medic to keep your soldiers topped off.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
This is a bit of a tossup. Dense Smoke is powerful boost with a major drawback, and Combat Drugs is a minor buff without any complications.

''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. This is questionably useful, but may be helpful when you're expecting impending Mind Controls. It will probably fall out of favor after you find yourself some psi-talented soldiers, but Will bonuses are few and far between. Even then you may appreciate the increased chance for success on your psi abilities. At any rate, the best thing that Combat Drugs has going for it is that it doesn't actively encourage aliens to throw explosives at you.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
No wrong choices here. Follow your gut.

'''Savior''' synergizes with Field Medic 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''' doesn't offer any specific synergy to other Support skills except perhaps for Covering Fire (which you should not have). But it singlehandledly solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. No long will you have embarrassing moments of your entire squad opening fire on a hapless Floater, only to watch a Muton wander unchecked into position and crit you in the face.

===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. Aside from that, Arc Throwers are handy, and Chitin Plating does a good job of filling in any question marks in the extra slot. Psychic Supports would do well to bring a Mind Shield in their bonus slot, as it gives them very good hit rates on Mind Control.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-19T07:14:28Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Heavy */ Typo cleanup

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job. 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

==Psionic==

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 crutch to make up for their terrible 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, which gives them fantastic offensive psi ability hit chance.

===Abilities===
'''Psi Inspiration''' vs '''Psi Panic'''

'''Psi Panic''' is a dubiously useful ability. It causes the unit to panic immediately upon use and then skip the next turn. The problem 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. Sometimes the unit will do something else like hunker down or run away, and it does prevent the use of any special abilities like grenades.

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 disabled a single enemy for a turn.

'''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 in to 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. If in doubt, Mind Control is the ability 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.

'''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.

===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.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-16T05:02:11Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-16T04:58:52Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Equipment */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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 of 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-16T04:57:35Z

Merlin the Tuna: Sniper update.

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

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:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
This is the biggest trap choice in the game. Take Squadsight in ''all'' circumstances.

'''Squadsight''' is the ability that allows your Sniper to actually snipe. In short, a soldier's ability to target enemies relies on the range of his weapon (100 for sniper rifles), having line of sight to the target, and being within vision range of the target (27). 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.

'''Snap Shot''', in theory, 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. Furthermore, sniper rifles suffer from an additional Aim penalty in close quarters. The result is that you need to position specifically for a mid-range engagement -- imposing its own positional inflexibility -- and forcing you to augment the Sniper's defense accordingly. And even in those ideal circumstances, the Aim penalty means that this is still strictly worse than an Assault with an assault rifle. There are other abilities in the Sniper tree to help him breach with the team. If that's a concern, consider them.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of minimizing weakness or maximizing strength. Damn Good Ground is generally better, but Gunslinger merits consideration.

'''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.

'''Gunslinger''' is the ability you want if you need a Sniper that can scoot and shoot. You won't be a force to be reckoned with in close range, but you'll contribute. The pistol projects in the Foundry can further improve this, making it a fairly effective close range option with the right investment.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Two moderately helpful utility options make this something of a tossup. Go nuts.

'''Disabling Shot''' is a nice option for when blowing a hole out the back of a target's head isn't an option. Be aware that is generally only the case when your weaponry isn't up to the task of the foes you're facing, you're attempting to capture an alien, or one of your units has been mind controlled. There is a small Aim penalty attached to this, and the attack does reduced damage; make sure you don't accidentally kill the target.

'''Battle Scanner''' is the best scouting tool in the game this side of Ghost Armor. Scanning does not trigger enemies to take cover, so you can use this to get the jump on a pack of aliens with a sniper round or rocket to the back of the head. 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 it can be very useful in close quarters, especially with melee enemies afoot.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is something of a toss-up, but Opportunist is generally better.

'''Executioner''' is nice when a wounded enemy absolutely needs to die, but two things hold it back. First, the bonus itself is fairly minor on a class that already has great Aim. Second, snipers are generally able to kill targets in one shot (or Headshot), which will keep the trigger condition from being relevant much of the time. Still, the RNG is fickle enough that this is not a wasted skill. Pushing you up to 100% to hit 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 of 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, which ultimately earns it the nod.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The last level is once again the choice between a great ability and a fairly bad one. You want Double Tap.

'''In The Zone''' is streaky, when conditions are right. The problem is, conditions rarely are. Because your Sniper will be so far back and stationary, he will basically never flank anyone. The only time In The Zone is likely to work is when you destroy a group of enemy's cover with explosives, and in that case, you've already spent explosives on them and can probably finish them off with your rank and file.

'''Double Tap''', conversely, is both powerful and broadly applicable. For comparison, this is Rapid Fire (Assault) with a shorter cooldown, the ability to retarget if your first shot results in a kill, and no Aim penalty. You will never ever regret having it.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' You can technically get by for a little while without upgrading your sniper rifles thanks to their good damage, high crit rate, and Headshot. However, a Sniper that can't kill his 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 benefit the most from a good pistol, so make sure to give them your best for those turns that they can't sit still.

'''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.

'''Item:''' Get a S.C.O.P.E. and call it a day.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T22:44:57Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Equipment */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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.

'''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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T22:38:12Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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.

'''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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and makes them 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T22:35:55Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Abilities */

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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.

'''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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and makes them 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway, especially if a squadmate is in danger. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T22:30:49Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Heavy */ Rewrite of existing content, new format.

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 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:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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.

'''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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and makes them 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

Heavies are the class with the starkest difference between builds. On one hand, you 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. On the other hand, you have a Suppression expert that crowds out the Support for his job.

As for the Heavy himself, he's in an interesting place. Though all soldiers begin with the 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.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
Explosive Heavies should grab Bullet Swarm. Suppression Heavies may prefer Holo-Targeting in the long run, but also benefit from Bullet Swarm.

'''Bullet Swarm''' gives you massive 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, since the machine gun only has 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row. Finally, 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.

'''Holo-Targeting''' is, by itself, not very good. At all. Only take it when you plan on taking Suppression. And even then, don't expect it to do a tremendous amount of work for you until a few promotions down the road.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This is it. This is the choice. Shredder Rocket for Explosive Heavies, Suppression for Suppression Heavies.

'''Shredder Rockets''' are handy throughout the game. On all difficulties except Impossible, they deal enough damage to one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Hoverers, making them essentially just another rocket when you first get them. Rockets are great, so that's fine. Later on, the Shred effect helps with high HP targets. Also, the set damage provided by explosives can help set up aliens for capture, as dubious as "shoot a ''slightly weaker'' rocket at him" seems as a strategy.

'''Suppression''' is a handy utility skill that applies Holo-Targeting and can sometimes convince the AI to sit on its hands and do nothing -- not move, not shoot, not Overwatch, not throw a grenade. Even when the game decides to actually react, it's helpful in dealing with enemies in good cover that the Heavy wasn't going to hit anyway as well as enemies that are about to execute a squadmate or that you intend to capture. Do note that Supports can gain this ability as well.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
Similar to the Corporal choice, both Heavies like HEAT Ammo, but Suppression 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. This is also one of few ways to scale your explosives damage, as the Blaster Launcher cannot be obtained until beating a difficult mission type very late in the game. Also, you get to decide what you think HEAT stands for. Heavy Explodes All Tech? (Doubles as a battle cry.) HEAT Explosives Are Thorough? (Bonus points for recursion.) The power is yours.

'''Rapid Reaction''' is in some respects similar to Holo-Targeting: not very good on its own but useful with the right setup. The trigger being a successful reaction shot hurts this significantly. Reaction shots are made at a 15% penalty to hit, and we've established that Heavies are not good shots to begin with. So, in order for this to actually benefit you, you just need to convince an enemy to move when & where he shouldn't, then hit two low-percentage shots with your least accurate soldier. Yeah. There is, however, room for shenanigans involving the Assault's Flush ability, as well as Danger Zone and Mayhem later in the Heavy's tree. Just make sure you get the Ammo Conservation project done in the Foundry or you will find that this is a fantastic way ineffectively empty your magazine.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. 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. Just make sure you upgrade to Alien Grenades in the Foundry if you go this route. Also 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''', first and foremost, will get the Kenny Loggins song stuck in your head immediately. Beyond that, Explosive Heavies will love having a bigger boom, but it's Suppression Heavies that make out like bandits. AOE Suppression requires on fairly particular enemy positioning, but when you can manage, it's a great boon. Perhaps more importantly, you also get to apply Holo-Targeting and Rapid Reaction to the whole group, turning a pair of not-so-great skills into potentially decent add-ons.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. 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''' is the grand finale for the AOE Suppression show. Suppression becomes a reliable way to damage enemies (which the Heavy otherwise needs to expend rockets for) and makes up for the fact that, face it, you weren't going to hit them anyway. The extra damage on your rockets is a nice side benefit, and it can be a nice consolation prize if you skipped HEAT ammo.

===Equipment===
'''Weapon:''' More than any other class, the Heavy doesn't need primary weapon upgrades. By all means do so if you can spare the resources, but keep in mind that rockets, grenades, and suppression all ignore your machine gun. Moreover, with the high base damage of the weapon, Heavies can one-shot Sectoids, Thin Men, and Floaters on Classic, mitigating the need to upgrade to Laser.

'''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 all mobility issues, with the invisibility from Ghost Armor being particularly helpful in setting up rockets or flanks, counteracting the low Aim. Titan Armor, despite being the "heaviest," is not actually a great choice due to the aforementioned mobility consideration.

'''Item:''' If you went Grenadier, grab a Grenade. Otherwise, S.C.O.P.E.s can offset the Heavy's low Aim if you find that you're using your gun a lot. Heavies also make decent carriers of Medikits if your Supports for some reason don't have enough, as their combat effectiveness drops after they run out of rockets.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T19:15:00Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Assault */ Significant rewording of existing comment; new consistent format.

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons (shotguns vs. assault rifles). 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 lower crit chance -- and with the right abilities can enhance this to make the Assault the most damaging unit 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 2 (or more) will become typical as you expand your squad size.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs 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''''s defense bonus is powerful for both riflemen and shotgunners, and 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 up close and provides a 50% bonus to crit chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. 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''' is an amazing skill, and 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.

'''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. And similar to Aggression, shotguns have high damage, good crit chance, and love flanks by default -- this may prove to be overkill.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
Welcome to the first false choice of the Assault tree. Enjoy your Rapid Fire and have a nice day. Both choices increase your ammo consumption, so if you're using them frequently, consider the Ammo Conservation foundry project.

'''Rapid Fire''' adds tremendous killing power, and as we say in the business, "death is the best debuff." Taking a pair of shots - even at a 15% penalty - will almost always improve your chance to hit the target once, and gives you the possibility of hitting twice. This is one of the most broadly useful skills in the game, and is never a bad pickup.

'''Flush''' is... nuanced. It carries three flaws that make it unusable on most missions:
# 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 will almost always be preferable. (And Rapid Fire may destroy the target's cover with the first shot, improving accuracy on the second.)
# The shot has significantly improved accuracy, but at reduced damage. Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but the two shots afforded by Rapid Fire also offer higher effective accuracy without a damage penalty.
There's still room for Flush to 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.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. 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''' is 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.

'''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}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. 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 make you 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''' is 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.

'''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. Shotgunners in particular will love Ghost Armor's movement speed bonus and invisibility as they charge into the fray.

'''Item:''' Any item is a viable choice on an Assault, excepting the Medikit. Their position at the front line makes them good grenadiers and makes them 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 are great for shotgunners, and riflemen 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.

==Heavy==

The primary weapon of the Heavy is the LMG, and its Laser / Plasma upgrades. The weapon has a base damage of 5, which puts it in the high damage category along with the Sniper Rifle and Shotgun. It has worse critical chance than either, but it doesn't have the severe accuracy drop off that the Shotgun suffers from at any significant range and it doesn't suffer either the close range penalty or full turn cost of the Sniper Rifle. At first glance it is one of the best weapons in the game and in the early game it really is.

There is, as always, a hitch: in this case it is the Heavy himself. Starting Aim of all soldiers is 65 but, unlike his peers, the Heavy only gets 10 more points over the course of his life, with a Colonel capping out at 75. This means that at mid range and under optimal conditions the best Heavy will hit 75% of the time. If the target is in light cover that chance degrades to 55% and under High Cover there is only a 35% chance to deal damage. With a Scope you can improve a Heavy's aim to 85 but compared to the base Colonel accuracy numbers of an Assault, a Support or a Sniper, which are 89, 90 and 105 respectively you can see why the Heavy suffers.

Over a given hundred shots the percentile hit chance is a equal percentile modifier to Damage, meaning that assuming all enemies are in Low Cover, the base Heavy does on average a little more than half his listed Damage. This means that a Heavy at the top of the tech tree is doing the same as a Sniper at the bottom, less when you factor in the massive critical hit chances that the Sniper rifle enjoys, if they are both using weapons of the same tech level. This is discounting special abilities such as the Heavy's power to fire twice in a round, but suffice it to say that for every ability that the Heavy gets the Sniper of equivalent rank will gain an ever more insurmountable advantage. Now compared to a Support whose best weapon caps at 8 damage and who gets only 1 shot in a round the Heavy certainly does do more adjusted damage, but here in lies the problem. In real combat conditions you don't do an average damage based on your aim. You either hit and deal full damage, or miss and do none. If a Sniper did twice as much damage with half the accuracy its use as a unit would go from 'predictable' to 'coin toss' and its usefulness would drop from 'amazing' to 'marginal'.

Here is the thing. In a turn based game, the fundamental risk comes from uncertainty. If you are sure that an attack or ability will trigger then you can plan accordingly. Calculate exactly how much damage you can expect from all your units and use that to plan out a course of action. When abilities fail to trigger you are forced to make plans that accommodate this, namely, you need to devote more resources to a target than would under ideal conditions be needed, lest you whiff a final shot find yourself staring at a Sectopod with 5 hit points and it is now his turn. The binary nature of success and failure of individual actions maps to to the binary success and failure states of each turn. This is the beauty and the folly of a turn based game. The fact that a Heavy dealing with a standard foe in low cover with a 55% chance to hit cannot be relied on to make the shot means that you'll have to choose, both in game and during promotions on how to increase that accuracy or use the Heavy instead to prepare the Alien for the kill.

This is the paradox of the Heavy, they have amazingly high damage weapons but they require careful planning to make it an useful tool, and to be aware of the shortcomings that some choices can have, specially regarding perk selection.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
* Bullet Swarm gives you massive tactical flexibility no matter how you choose to build the Heavy, Holo-Targeting a +10 Aim increase ONLY to other units firing at the same alien.
* Bullet Swarm allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire when high firepower is crucial. The issue, as mentioned above, is the lack of Aim of the Heavy - which makes this ability more useful in close range fights.
* The LMG has only 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row.

A Colonel Heavy with a Scope shooting at an enemy in optimal range in Low Cover has as mentioned above a pathetic 65% chance to hit. If you go with Bullet Swarm and spend a full round trying to make the shot you have a 12.25% chance of missing totally a 42.25% chance of hitting twice and a 45.5% chance of tagging them at least once. Meaning that you will an 88.75% chance of hitting something. At lowest rank this would be a 79.75% chance to hit something, with a 30.25% of hitting twice.

Even though you might feel that there is a good choice here, there isn't. Using your Heavy to set up shots might seem like a good idea, but statistically it does not work. The problem is two fold, first, at the lowest levels when Holo-Targeting could most likely be useful, the power of at most 3 small 10 point bonuses does not produce more hits than an extra attack. Take the above situation. Enemy in Low Cover, Heavy takes the first shot, then one of each class chimes in.

4 shots with Heavy with Holo-Targeting taking the first shot. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 7.487% chance of 4 hits
* 27.422% chance of 0 hits

5 shots with Heavy using Bullet Swarm. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 1.845% chance of 5 hits
* 13.325% chance of 4 hits
* 11.603% chance of 0 hits

As you can see, the extra attack is better in every way. Not only are you going to have a higher chance of getting 4 hits, you will have a golden chance to hit with 5. Furthermore, given the fact that the Heavy has one of the better weapons, capable of killing any low level enemy in one hit the hits that a Heavy can make are worth more. Not to mention, this is a scenario skewed heavily in the favor of the Holo-Targeting Heavy. There are almost no early game circumstances where you will have a reason or the opportunity to make 4 attacks on 1 enemy.

I hope that one thing is very clear: '''NEVER take Holo-Targeting.'''

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This defines your Heavy as either an explosives platform or a Suppression platform. I will make the argument that simply put, Supports are better at Suppression and Heavies should be blowing things up. Yes, Supports can't Suppress an area, yes, they can't use Mayhem to deal damage with Suppression but here is the rub, Supports have higher ammo / lower damage weapons with much greater accuracy. The Reaction Shot movement provokes will much more likely hit, the loss of damage is lower, there is less reloading needed and Supports have much more versatile ability to specialize. A Heavy with a Shredder Rocket has a 4 automatic damage weapon, that will hit exactly where put it (90% of the time, or somewhat close the rest of the time), and will amplify all damage against a target while removing its cover, in a wide area of effect. It is a limited use weapon but it will save you much more consistently than Suppression.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
A clean cut choice, as well. Many people who go the Suppression route think that this is perfect. Suppress an enemy, use Flush to force a move, let the Heavy get 2 free attacks. This is a failure state. First, reaction shots are made at a 15 point penalty and as we have previously stated Heavies have crap accuracy. Second, the only way you get a second shot is if the first hits, combine this with the aforementioned crap accuracy and you will rarely see this promotion trigger and even if it does trigger you still have to hit with it, at a similar penalty. On the other side of the equation HEAT ammo doubles damage against robotic opponents and affects all Heavy class abilities, including Rockets. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. The Cyberdisc and the Sectopod are two of the deadliest enemies you will face, anything that hastens them to the grave is awesome. A Cyberdisc is a deadly early game opponent who can deal 7 damage on a normal attack with a high critical chance, or fling a 5 damage Grenade half way across the map. It can and will one shot your mates, no one below major has a reliable chance of living, and only then if they are at full health. A rocket from a HEAT Heavy will deal 14 damage base, and can crit for more. Shredder Rockets will do 10 and allow your Sniper a good shot at a OHKO. Not to mention, you will blow the drones that hover around the disc or the Sectopod sky high. Choose HEAT, a HEAT Heavy can one shot a Cyberdisc or kill a Sectopod in one turn with Bullet Swarm.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. Danger Zone'''
|}
Less clear cut. In one hand you're holding two Grenades, in the other you have AoE Suppression and 2 tiles extra area on Rockets. Both are good abilities and the question of which you want depends highly. The benefits are more intangible and are linked to your final choice of what you want your Heavy to be doing. I am going to step back from (semi)objective analysis and offer an opinion. I choose Grenadier because by the time you reach this point, no one else on your team should be carrying Grenades. Your Sniper needs his Scope, your Assault needs armor of some type and even if she doesn't cause you are rocking Titan she should be doing a lot more damage with basic attacks than with a Grenade, Supports might be a good choice to heft a Grenade but they generally are better with Arc Throwers, Medikits, armor, or Scope. Heavies get natural damage ablation and multiple use actions. They have such bad accuracy that you aren't losing much by throwing an attack out the window, and the power that Grenades have to damage terrain and remove cover offers a much more powerful buff to accuracy than a Scope. The final argument for Grenadier is simply that Grenades are amazing breaching tools. You don't want to be using your rockets to breech but grenades can be a worthwhile trade. Danger Zone is lessened in value because you aren't, or shouldn't be, picking up Suppression, 2 extra tiles is nice on your rockets and is certainly worth more than a Grenade if it brings another enemy into range, but rockets are inherently less flexible than Grenades as with their full round cost. Don't feel obligated to get Grenadier, it isn't mandatory.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. Mayhem'''
|}
To many this is the a tough choice, but it isn't. Mayhem adds max of 3 damage to Suppression which we don't have and adds 2 damage to your rockets, of which you get only 2 (regular and shredder). Rocketeer on the other hand gives you a second rocket. Assuming that you don't even get the blaster launcher upgrade you are still falling behind by 3 damage, and lose the flexibility of a second rocket. Since we have already decided that the Heavy needs to be blowing things up to be reliable thus, anything that offers him more chances to be reliable is good. Thus, more rockets beat better rockets. With double Grenades you have 5 bombs that can reshape the battlefield in your favor.
Alternatively, consider this: a heavy only has so many opportunities to fire rockets during a given mission. It's tough to set up a shot and securely have enough full turns to yourself to fire off all three you get with Shredder and Mayhem, plus throw two grenades. Thus, it may be better taking Danger Zone and Mayhem even if you don't have suppression, because widened range can really make a huge difference, and 2 extra damage becomes 4 against robots due to HEAT Ammo, which becomes even more effective with a Blaster Launcher. It certainly depends on your play style and whether you want to bother setting up for rocket fire.

===Equipment===
More than any other class, the Heavy shouldn't be worrying about their primary weapon. By all means upgrade the LMG if you can spare the resources, but there is a greater return on investment with other classes. Namely your Sniper and then your Assault need their weapons maxed ASAP, these are the classes that will be dealing your damage and the X-Rays drop Plasma Rifles and Light Plasma Rifles like confetti that your Supports or Assaults can use, thus obliterating the need to buy them. Moreover, the damage scaling is not as significant. With a five damage base a Heavy can reliably kill in one hit Sectoids, thin men and floaters on classic. To one shot the next tier of enemies a Heavy needs to upgrade to Plasma.

Armor is the really deceptive choice for a Heavy. Choosing a Heavy armor for your Heavy may seem right to you, but then you would be wrong. The role that we are looking to give to our Heavy is not that of a walking tank. That is you Assault. He needs to be mobile and capable of placing explosives precisely, while not being left behind. While Carapace Armor for everyone is always a wise choice compared to Body Armor, you should be considering Skeleton Suit and Ghost armor as your primary armors. Heavies don't get any inherent bonus from Heavy armor, unlike the Assault, instead they get a flat 2 point reduction in damage, meaning that they don't require a huge HP pool from Titan or Archangel.

Skeleton Suit / Ghost Armor offer your Heavy a couple amazing bonuses. First is that it gives you 3 extra move and the ability to grapple to the top of structures. Mobility powers are GREAT. Second they give you Defense bonuses, +10 health /+20 defense respectively. A clean miss is much better than more HP. Late game, in low cover, you can get a 40 point defensive shift if you are wearing Ghost Armor. All late game enemies do more than 10 damage a shot, and the 4 lost HP vs Titan or 2 hp vs Archangel or 1 in the case of Skeleton vs Carapace, is compensated by the clean misses. 20% off a 100% attack doing 10 damage is an average 2 HP gain. This makes Ghost even under the worst case scenario better than Archangel flat out and much closer to Titan than it seems. A Heavy in Ghost or Skeleton is more useful and almost as survivable. Psi Armor when appropriate.

Third, for Ghost Armor, the extra movement and the Ghost's unique ability to cloak allows the Heavy to safely get close or even flank a tough opponent in one turn, and then unleash a short range attack at optimum accuracy on the next. Similarly, this can be used to safely position the Heavy for a rocket launch.

Towards the latter part of the game, when it is available, the devastating Blaster Launcher replacement for the rocket launcher will increase the damage output of the Heavy's rockets and allow them to navigate around walls. The Heavy will no longer have to have direct line of sight to the target, but must be within rocket range.

For the Item slot, a Grenade or Alien Grenade is often a good choice for a Heavy. It provides an extra area-effect weapon (or two) that can be used to destroy cover in lieu of using a rocket.

The SCOPE or Chitin Plating are good general purpose items that help the Heavy shoot better or defend against close range attacks. The Heavy can also use other items depending on the Heavy's build or your needs.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Weapons (EU2012)

2012-11-15T16:52:38Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Precision Weapons */ Moved shotgun info adjacent to assault rifle; easier comparison for Assaults

==Weapon Stats==

===Precision Weapons===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Pistols
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]] || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Unlimited ammo
|-
| align="center" |[[Laser Pistol (EU2012)|Laser Pistol]] || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | 3 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Unlimited ammo
|-
| align="center" |[[Plasma Pistol (EU2012)|Plasma Pistol]] || align="center" | 3 || align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Unlimited ammo
|}
* Pistols are secondary weapons, designed to be carried as a complementary sidearm, to be used either in regular fire or in Overwatch mode.
* They have low power and nearly all have a zero chance for critical hits but they don't need to be reloaded.
* Pistol [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_I|Critical Hit chance]], [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_II|Aim Bonus]], and [[Foundry (EU2012)#Improved_Pistol_III|Base Damage]] of can be increased via Foundry research.
* Generally speaking, upgraded Pistols should be given to Snipers then shotgun wielding Assault soldiers (for overwatch at longer ranges).
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Assault Rifles
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifle]]|| align="center" | 3 || align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Assault/Support/Rookie || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA ||align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |[[Laser Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Rifle]]|| align="center" | 5 || align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Assault/Support/Rookie || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |[[Plasma Light Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Light Rifle]]|| align="center" | 5 || align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Assault/Support/Rookie || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Aim +10
|-
| align="center" |[[Plasma Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Rifle]]|| align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Assault/Support/Rookie || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
|}
* Assault Rifles are most common squad weapon, offering medium firepower and versatility.
* They can be used by Rookies, Assault and Support clases, but not Snipers or Heavies.
* They are an upgrade from pistols but their damage ratings are below those of specialized firearms (Shotgun, LMG, Sniper Rifle)
* They are both capable of Overwatch and Suppression, as well as inflicting critical hits.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Shotguns
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]]|| align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | Assault || align="center" | 40 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 360 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited range
|-
| align="center" |[[Laser Scatter (EU2012)|Laser Scatter]]|| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | Assault || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 360 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited range
|-
| align="center" |[[Alloy Cannon (EU2012)|Alloy Cannon]]|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 13 || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | Assault || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 360 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited range
|-
|}
* Shotguns are close-range, high-power firearms capable of inflicting critical hits.
* All shotguns receive a aim penalty if the target is too far. However, they receive a higher aim bonus at closer range relative to rifles.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ LMG and Heavy Rifles
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[LMG (EU2012)|LMG]]|| align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Heavy || align="center" | 60 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |[[Heavy Laser (EU2012)|Heavy Laser]]|| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Heavy || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |[[Heavy Plasma (EU2012)|Heavy Plasma]]|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 13 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | Heavy || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
|}
* Heavy rifles are an upgrade to Assault Rifles on damage capability.
* Due to their size they can only be carried by Heavy troopers.
* In addition to Overwatch, they also offer the possibility of Suppression for soldiers who possess that ability.
* LMG offers significant less ammo before reloading. 3/6 rounds (before/after ammo conversation upgrade), compare to rifle's 4/8 rounds. This means LMG is less efficient at suppression (1/3) compare to support's rifle supression (2/4).
* All tiers of SHIV carry the LMG / heavy laser / heavy plasma with similar stats and ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Sniper Rifles
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Base Damage !! Crit Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Sniper Rifle]]|| align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 25 || align="center" | Sniper || align="center" | 30 || align="center" | 100 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |Limited move
|-
| align="center" |[[Laser Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Laser Sniper Rifle]]|| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 30 || align="center" | Sniper || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 100 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited move
|-
| align="center" |[[Plasma Sniper Rifle (EU2012)|Plasma Sniper Rifle]]|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 13 || align="center" | 35 || align="center" | Sniper || align="center" | 125 || align="center" | 100 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |Limited move
|}
* Sniper rifles have the best damage and critical hit chance (which increases with each tech upgrade) of all non-explosive firearms.
* They also have a range of 100, although it requires for the Sniper to have the Squad Sight ability to shoot targets out of sight.
* Their drawbacks are their restrictions on movement and firing (which can be addressed with the Snap Snot ability with a -20% aim penalty).
* Unlike other weapons (rifle, LMG, shotgun). Sniper rifles will receive a aim penalty if the target is too close. However, this does not mean that sniper rifle will receive bonus against distant targets. It will just receive no penalty.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Other Precision Weapons
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Reaction Angle !! Reaction Range !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]]|| align="center" | 0 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | No reaction shot
|-
| align="center" |Drone Beam|| align="center" | 3 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | [[Drone (EU2012)|Drone]] || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Repair
|-
| align="center" |Death Blossom|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]] || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Suppression +3
|-
| align="center" |Heat Ray|| align="center" | 21 || align="center" | 25 || align="center" | [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]] || align="center" | 801 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |Psi Lance|| align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 25 || align="center" | [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 200 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Large || align="center" |
|-
|}

===Area Weapons===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Launchers
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Blast Radius !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rocket Launcher]]|| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Heavy || align="center" | 500 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 336 || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited move No reload
|-
| align="center" |[[Blaster Launcher (EU2012)|Blaster Launcher]]|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Heavy || align="center" | 500 || align="center" | 100 || align="center" | 336 || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited move No reload
|-
| align="center" |[[Plague (EU2012)|Plague]]|| align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" |[[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Man]]|| align="center" | 801 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 175 || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Suppression 20%
|-
| align="center" |Cluster Bomb|| align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 25 || align="center" |[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]|| align="center" | 250 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 144 || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Limited move No reload
|-
| align="center" |Chest Cannon|| align="center" | 11 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" |[[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopod]]|| align="center" | 801 || align="center" | 27 || align="center" | 144 || align="center" | Large || align="center" | Suppression 40% Overwatch
|-
|}
* Launchers can pack a high explosive charge capable of inflicting damage over a large area and knocking out terrain features.
* They have restrictions on movement and firing and are usually 1 shot weapons.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
|+ Grenades
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Blast Radius !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |[[Frag Grenade (EU2012)|Frag Grenade]]|| align="center" | 3 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 250 || align="center" | 15 || align="center" | 240 || align="center" | Small || align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |[[Smoke Grenade (EU2012)|Smoke Grenade]]|| align="center" | NA || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Support || align="center" | 250 || align="center" | 15 || align="center" | 336 || align="center" | Small || align="center" | Defense +20
|-
| align="center" |[[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenade]]|| align="center" | 5 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" | Any || align="center" | 250 || align="center" | 17 || align="center" | 240 || align="center" | Small || align="center" |
|-

|-
|}

=== Melee Weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Weapon !! Damage !! Critical Chance !! Class !! Terrain Damage !! Range !! Blast Radius !! Size !! Abilities
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" |Chryssalid Claw|| align="center" | 7 || align="center" | 20 || align="center" |[[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | No reaction shot
|-
| align="center" |Zombie Fist|| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 0 || align="center" |[[Zombie (EU2012)|Zombie]]|| align="center" | 1 || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | NA || align="center" | Small || align="center" | No reaction shot
|-
|}

==See Also==
[[Equipment (EU2012)|General Equipment]]

[[Classes (EU2012)|Soldier Classes]]

[[Abilities (EU2012)|Soldier Abilities]]

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]

[[Category: Equipment (EU2012)]]

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-15T16:41:19Z

Merlin the Tuna: Link to Abilities page, chapter title changes, and intro cleanup.

__TOC__

''For descriptions of specific skills, see [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]''

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, the fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole? The Assault class is a clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the offensive or the defensive capabilities of the unit. The result of your choices can be a frontal assault & breach unit, a defense-oriented flanking unit, or a blend of the two. Additionally, the unique '''Flush''' ability can force an enemy out of cover, offering some utility to your squad.

Generally, the strength of these options depends on your style and strategy, and individual abilities may be stronger or weaker depending on the map and enemies present. Some of the recommendations provided here are just that: advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some options in the skill tree that are clearly false choices. Though they may seem roughly equivalent, in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Assault==

Next to the Sniper, the Assault is your big damage dealing class. The critical chance of an Alloy Cannon is lower than a Plasma Sniper Rifle but the damage is the same and the Assault has all sorts of tools to enhance their burst damage and given the correct circumstances they can easily do more damage than any other class. On top of this they are tough and mobile. Also, Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons and are perhaps the only class that doesn't have a clear cut build path. So without further ado...

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs Aggression'''
|}
Here starts the divergent path, Defense or Offense. One offers you a mounting defense bonus per enemy in sight, the other a mounting critical chance. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to play the Assault. If you choose the shotgun as your primary weapon you should be taking Defense perks. To put it mildly, shotguns do a ton of damage, you don't need to worry about doing more, you need to worry about surviving the stupidity a combination of run and gun and a short short rang weapon produce. As previously mentioned a 20 point defensive shift is stupendously potent. Furthermore defense bonuses become exponentially more effective as they stack. Low Cover, plus Ghost Armor, plus max Tactical Sense, plus a '''Dense Smoke''' Grenade means that the Assault has a 100 point defense shift, making him effectively invulnerable to any aimed attack. Even negating his cover via flanking means that given the Aim numbers of most enemies he is still invulnerable. Aggression should only be taken when you are using an Assault Rifle as a primary weapon, you need to make up the loss of damage that the weapon entails and you also will be in better cover most of the time with less people trying to murder you, thus needing less defending.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal'''
|}
In a way these skills duplicate each other, and provide one of the only easy choices in the tree. Put simply, Lightning Reflexes is better. Both of them are closing skills. One gives you immunity to an Overwatch shot, which is amazing, the other gives you a 30% critical chance to adjacent foes that degrades with distance. The idea being that with one you can survive to close, with the other you can make the kill once you are there. Needless to say, while combining Aggression and Close & Personal can give you a theoretical 80% critical on basic attacks, the fact is that you are already capable of dealing massive damage with very good critical chance on a basic shotgun (assuming good positioning). '''Not''' getting splattered by a Sectopod Plasma Overwatch is better. Also, since the bonus is contingent on distance you should think twice before getting it for an Assault Rifle build.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
In XCOM, murder is usually the best solution. The major question that needs be asked is 'will this help me kill?' Of these two skills we have a clear winner in the murder category. Taking a pair of shots, even at a 15% penalty will almost always offer not only a statistically greater chance of a hit but will offer you the chance to knock the damage ball out of the park. If you are running a Scoped up Assault Rifle build focusing on high crit, this is a no brain-er. If you want a reliable way to ding an enemy from range then this might be a good idea. Remember, the chance to hit is much higher on a Flush than a basic attack and you can expect a near 100% chance even at extended range. Home run numbers are great but Flush could be a reliable coup de grâce, especially if you are running a lot of Assaults in a squad. Which isn't a bad idea.

Keep in mind, '''Flush''' carries three flaws that make it nearly unusable in a mission:
# It costs 3 ammo: so you can't use it every turn and will reload more often. Ammo Conservation (Foundry) alleviates this a bit.
# While it drives the target out of its current cover, the enemy could go to different cover, or break sight range completely only to attack you next turn from an unexpected direction. Consider Grenades.
# A guaranteed hit, it might be, but at reduced damage! Sure, it will take out an enemy on its last legs, but it is an easily ignored option for most threats (besides Drones and tier one).

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. Bring 'em On'''
|}
This is a choice. If you are planning on a shotgun, Close Combat Specialist is not an ability to skip. It is a godsend against charging melee, the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to, or any close range engagement. In contrast Bring 'em On has no range requirement but, if you aren't rocking the critical side of the tree, it is a very streak dependent talent. Under ideal circumstances, you can get a 14 damage critical from a Plasma Rifle, or two of them if you hit and crit on both of your rapid fire shots. Much more if you get Killer Instinct at Colonel rank. Needless to say, this is an amazing amount of damage, enough to waste near on anything. Critical rates on an Plasma Rifle with a Scope and the critical hit abilities will still hit a flat 80%, 50% if you choose Lightning Reflexes or if you aren't at point blank range. Higher if you flank a foe. As you can see this isn't a cut and dry situation. Both rifleman and shotgun are viable options.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. Killer Instinct'''
|}
On one hand you have immunity to critical hits, on the other hand you have a 50% damage bonus to your critical hits if you trigger your signature ability. If you have chosen to brawl then grab immunity to crits. It means you can't be take out in one round by any single foe and it takes luck out of the equation. Killer Instinct on the other hand only shines if you have been mining the tree for bonus crit chance. That being said, 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===
The answer is always Ghost Armor. Statistically it is just plain better. Now I wouldn't hold it against anyone who chooses Titan, but in the end Titan is just not as good for the up and coming Assault trooper. The Extra Conditioning from the Major promotion gives: 2 extra HP when wearing Ghost, Skeleton, and Psi Armor, and 4 when wearing Carapace, Archangel and Titan. The HP totals are as follows. Skeleton gives 5, Ghost , Carapace and Psi give 8, Archangel give 12 and Titan 14. Now the most bang for your buck early game is obviously Carapace, but once you have the money you should be investing in Ghost Armor. Why? Well for all the previously mentioned reasons plus one. In terms of survival Defense beats HP in smaller amounts, mobility is the bread and butter of an Assault trooper and here is the final reason. Ghost Mode gives a +100% chance to crit. This means that a Ghosted Assault can expect to reliably crit against a Hardened target if they are playing the shotgun game, and the rifleman can be sure of a crit. A massive Killer Instinct enhanced Rapid Fire crit that will level any foe you choose.

In terms of your free slot, the best choice is situational. I personally like Chitin Plating for my CQC troopers and Scopes for riflemen. The extra 4 HP offsets the losses that I sustain from not going Titan and gives you virtual immunity to Chryssalids and Berserkers. For riflemen, the Scope gives you +10 Aim and Crit Chance. Which is peachy. Use Mind Shields when appropriate.

==Heavy==

The primary weapon of the Heavy is the LMG, and its Laser / Plasma upgrades. The weapon has a base damage of 5, which puts it in the high damage category along with the Sniper Rifle and Shotgun. It has worse critical chance than either, but it doesn't have the severe accuracy drop off that the Shotgun suffers from at any significant range and it doesn't suffer either the close range penalty or full turn cost of the Sniper Rifle. At first glance it is one of the best weapons in the game and in the early game it really is.

There is, as always, a hitch: in this case it is the Heavy himself. Starting Aim of all soldiers is 65 but, unlike his peers, the Heavy only gets 10 more points over the course of his life, with a Colonel capping out at 75. This means that at mid range and under optimal conditions the best Heavy will hit 75% of the time. If the target is in light cover that chance degrades to 55% and under High Cover there is only a 35% chance to deal damage. With a Scope you can improve a Heavy's aim to 85 but compared to the base Colonel accuracy numbers of an Assault, a Support or a Sniper, which are 89, 90 and 105 respectively you can see why the Heavy suffers.

Over a given hundred shots the percentile hit chance is a equal percentile modifier to Damage, meaning that assuming all enemies are in Low Cover, the base Heavy does on average a little more than half his listed Damage. This means that a Heavy at the top of the tech tree is doing the same as a Sniper at the bottom, less when you factor in the massive critical hit chances that the Sniper rifle enjoys, if they are both using weapons of the same tech level. This is discounting special abilities such as the Heavy's power to fire twice in a round, but suffice it to say that for every ability that the Heavy gets the Sniper of equivalent rank will gain an ever more insurmountable advantage. Now compared to a Support whose best weapon caps at 8 damage and who gets only 1 shot in a round the Heavy certainly does do more adjusted damage, but here in lies the problem. In real combat conditions you don't do an average damage based on your aim. You either hit and deal full damage, or miss and do none. If a Sniper did twice as much damage with half the accuracy its use as a unit would go from 'predictable' to 'coin toss' and its usefulness would drop from 'amazing' to 'marginal'.

Here is the thing. In a turn based game, the fundamental risk comes from uncertainty. If you are sure that an attack or ability will trigger then you can plan accordingly. Calculate exactly how much damage you can expect from all your units and use that to plan out a course of action. When abilities fail to trigger you are forced to make plans that accommodate this, namely, you need to devote more resources to a target than would under ideal conditions be needed, lest you whiff a final shot find yourself staring at a Sectopod with 5 hit points and it is now his turn. The binary nature of success and failure of individual actions maps to to the binary success and failure states of each turn. This is the beauty and the folly of a turn based game. The fact that a Heavy dealing with a standard foe in low cover with a 55% chance to hit cannot be relied on to make the shot means that you'll have to choose, both in game and during promotions on how to increase that accuracy or use the Heavy instead to prepare the Alien for the kill.

This is the paradox of the Heavy, they have amazingly high damage weapons but they require careful planning to make it an useful tool, and to be aware of the shortcomings that some choices can have, specially regarding perk selection.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
* Bullet Swarm gives you massive tactical flexibility no matter how you choose to build the Heavy, Holo-Targeting a +10 Aim increase ONLY to other units firing at the same alien.
* Bullet Swarm allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire when high firepower is crucial. The issue, as mentioned above, is the lack of Aim of the Heavy - which makes this ability more useful in close range fights.
* The LMG has only 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row.

A Colonel Heavy with a Scope shooting at an enemy in optimal range in Low Cover has as mentioned above a pathetic 65% chance to hit. If you go with Bullet Swarm and spend a full round trying to make the shot you have a 12.25% chance of missing totally a 42.25% chance of hitting twice and a 45.5% chance of tagging them at least once. Meaning that you will an 88.75% chance of hitting something. At lowest rank this would be a 79.75% chance to hit something, with a 30.25% of hitting twice.

Even though you might feel that there is a good choice here, there isn't. Using your Heavy to set up shots might seem like a good idea, but statistically it does not work. The problem is two fold, first, at the lowest levels when Holo-Targeting could most likely be useful, the power of at most 3 small 10 point bonuses does not produce more hits than an extra attack. Take the above situation. Enemy in Low Cover, Heavy takes the first shot, then one of each class chimes in.

4 shots with Heavy with Holo-Targeting taking the first shot. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 7.487% chance of 4 hits
* 27.422% chance of 0 hits

5 shots with Heavy using Bullet Swarm. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 1.845% chance of 5 hits
* 13.325% chance of 4 hits
* 11.603% chance of 0 hits

As you can see, the extra attack is better in every way. Not only are you going to have a higher chance of getting 4 hits, you will have a golden chance to hit with 5. Furthermore, given the fact that the Heavy has one of the better weapons, capable of killing any low level enemy in one hit the hits that a Heavy can make are worth more. Not to mention, this is a scenario skewed heavily in the favor of the Holo-Targeting Heavy. There are almost no early game circumstances where you will have a reason or the opportunity to make 4 attacks on 1 enemy.

I hope that one thing is very clear: '''NEVER take Holo-Targeting.'''

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This defines your Heavy as either an explosives platform or a Suppression platform. I will make the argument that simply put, Supports are better at Suppression and Heavies should be blowing things up. Yes, Supports can't Suppress an area, yes, they can't use Mayhem to deal damage with Suppression but here is the rub, Supports have higher ammo / lower damage weapons with much greater accuracy. The Reaction Shot movement provokes will much more likely hit, the loss of damage is lower, there is less reloading needed and Supports have much more versatile ability to specialize. A Heavy with a Shredder Rocket has a 4 automatic damage weapon, that will hit exactly where put it (90% of the time, or somewhat close the rest of the time), and will amplify all damage against a target while removing its cover, in a wide area of effect. It is a limited use weapon but it will save you much more consistently than Suppression.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
A clean cut choice, as well. Many people who go the Suppression route think that this is perfect. Suppress an enemy, use Flush to force a move, let the Heavy get 2 free attacks. This is a failure state. First, reaction shots are made at a 15 point penalty and as we have previously stated Heavies have crap accuracy. Second, the only way you get a second shot is if the first hits, combine this with the aforementioned crap accuracy and you will rarely see this promotion trigger and even if it does trigger you still have to hit with it, at a similar penalty. On the other side of the equation HEAT ammo doubles damage against robotic opponents and affects all Heavy class abilities, including Rockets. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. The Cyberdisc and the Sectopod are two of the deadliest enemies you will face, anything that hastens them to the grave is awesome. A Cyberdisc is a deadly early game opponent who can deal 7 damage on a normal attack with a high critical chance, or fling a 5 damage Grenade half way across the map. It can and will one shot your mates, no one below major has a reliable chance of living, and only then if they are at full health. A rocket from a HEAT Heavy will deal 14 damage base, and can crit for more. Shredder Rockets will do 10 and allow your Sniper a good shot at a OHKO. Not to mention, you will blow the drones that hover around the disc or the Sectopod sky high. Choose HEAT, a HEAT Heavy can one shot a Cyberdisc or kill a Sectopod in one turn with Bullet Swarm.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. Danger Zone'''
|}
Less clear cut. In one hand you're holding two Grenades, in the other you have AoE Suppression and 2 tiles extra area on Rockets. Both are good abilities and the question of which you want depends highly. The benefits are more intangible and are linked to your final choice of what you want your Heavy to be doing. I am going to step back from (semi)objective analysis and offer an opinion. I choose Grenadier because by the time you reach this point, no one else on your team should be carrying Grenades. Your Sniper needs his Scope, your Assault needs armor of some type and even if she doesn't cause you are rocking Titan she should be doing a lot more damage with basic attacks than with a Grenade, Supports might be a good choice to heft a Grenade but they generally are better with Arc Throwers, Medikits, armor, or Scope. Heavies get natural damage ablation and multiple use actions. They have such bad accuracy that you aren't losing much by throwing an attack out the window, and the power that Grenades have to damage terrain and remove cover offers a much more powerful buff to accuracy than a Scope. The final argument for Grenadier is simply that Grenades are amazing breaching tools. You don't want to be using your rockets to breech but grenades can be a worthwhile trade. Danger Zone is lessened in value because you aren't, or shouldn't be, picking up Suppression, 2 extra tiles is nice on your rockets and is certainly worth more than a Grenade if it brings another enemy into range, but rockets are inherently less flexible than Grenades as with their full round cost. Don't feel obligated to get Grenadier, it isn't mandatory.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Rocketeer vs. Mayhem'''
|}
To many this is the a tough choice, but it isn't. Mayhem adds max of 3 damage to Suppression which we don't have and adds 2 damage to your rockets, of which you get only 2 (regular and shredder). Rocketeer on the other hand gives you a second rocket. Assuming that you don't even get the blaster launcher upgrade you are still falling behind by 3 damage, and lose the flexibility of a second rocket. Since we have already decided that the Heavy needs to be blowing things up to be reliable thus, anything that offers him more chances to be reliable is good. Thus, more rockets beat better rockets. With double Grenades you have 5 bombs that can reshape the battlefield in your favor.
Alternatively, consider this: a heavy only has so many opportunities to fire rockets during a given mission. It's tough to set up a shot and securely have enough full turns to yourself to fire off all three you get with Shredder and Mayhem, plus throw two grenades. Thus, it may be better taking Danger Zone and Mayhem even if you don't have suppression, because widened range can really make a huge difference, and 2 extra damage becomes 4 against robots due to HEAT Ammo, which becomes even more effective with a Blaster Launcher. It certainly depends on your play style and whether you want to bother setting up for rocket fire.

===Equipment===
More than any other class, the Heavy shouldn't be worrying about their primary weapon. By all means upgrade the LMG if you can spare the resources, but there is a greater return on investment with other classes. Namely your Sniper and then your Assault need their weapons maxed ASAP, these are the classes that will be dealing your damage and the X-Rays drop Plasma Rifles and Light Plasma Rifles like confetti that your Supports or Assaults can use, thus obliterating the need to buy them. Moreover, the damage scaling is not as significant. With a five damage base a Heavy can reliably kill in one hit Sectoids, thin men and floaters on classic. To one shot the next tier of enemies a Heavy needs to upgrade to Plasma.

Armor is the really deceptive choice for a Heavy. Choosing a Heavy armor for your Heavy may seem right to you, but then you would be wrong. The role that we are looking to give to our Heavy is not that of a walking tank. That is you Assault. He needs to be mobile and capable of placing explosives precisely, while not being left behind. While Carapace Armor for everyone is always a wise choice compared to Body Armor, you should be considering Skeleton Suit and Ghost armor as your primary armors. Heavies don't get any inherent bonus from Heavy armor, unlike the Assault, instead they get a flat 2 point reduction in damage, meaning that they don't require a huge HP pool from Titan or Archangel.

Skeleton Suit / Ghost Armor offer your Heavy a couple amazing bonuses. First is that it gives you 3 extra move and the ability to grapple to the top of structures. Mobility powers are GREAT. Second they give you Defense bonuses, +10 health /+20 defense respectively. A clean miss is much better than more HP. Late game, in low cover, you can get a 40 point defensive shift if you are wearing Ghost Armor. All late game enemies do more than 10 damage a shot, and the 4 lost HP vs Titan or 2 hp vs Archangel or 1 in the case of Skeleton vs Carapace, is compensated by the clean misses. 20% off a 100% attack doing 10 damage is an average 2 HP gain. This makes Ghost even under the worst case scenario better than Archangel flat out and much closer to Titan than it seems. A Heavy in Ghost or Skeleton is more useful and almost as survivable. Psi Armor when appropriate.

Third, for Ghost Armor, the extra movement and the Ghost's unique ability to cloak allows the Heavy to safely get close or even flank a tough opponent in one turn, and then unleash a short range attack at optimum accuracy on the next. Similarly, this can be used to safely position the Heavy for a rocket launch.

Towards the latter part of the game, when it is available, the devastating Blaster Launcher replacement for the rocket launcher will increase the damage output of the Heavy's rockets and allow them to navigate around walls. The Heavy will no longer have to have direct line of sight to the target, but must be within rocket range.

For the Item slot, a Grenade or Alien Grenade is often a good choice for a Heavy. It provides an extra area-effect weapon (or two) that can be used to destroy cover in lieu of using a rocket.

The SCOPE or Chitin Plating are good general purpose items that help the Heavy shoot better or defend against close range attacks. The Heavy can also use other items depending on the Heavy's build or your needs.

==Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: '''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Whereas Rifle Suppression can help keep you from being screwed. The choice is elementary, my ''dead'' Watson. If you find yourself favoring Revive, then you might want to have multiple Field Medics instead and keep your soldiers HP topped off at all times. Revive

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat Drugs give +20 Aim bonus too (not listed). So in a tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning +40 Defense shift that turns no cover into High Cover, and High Cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional +20 Aim and +10 crit chance? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, '''Grenades never miss.''' So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in Dense Smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:43:21Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Points by PartisanGerm */

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:42:43Z

Merlin the Tuna: /* Points by PartisanGerm */

__ToC__

Very thorough information, but please keep it with a Neutral Point of View, because there's a lot that I disagree with (not the stats or the explanations) like your personal premise that Lethality is the most important issue regarding perk selection, or that you should choose Bullet Swarm over Holo-Targeting at the beginning, when to me Holo-Targeting is crucial to help rookies (and the whole squad) get kills and promotions. Some other things are incorrect/missing (Mayhem also increases damage from explosives) or it's just a matter of personal playstyle - I love Snap Shot snipers because of their ability to move and fire, it works great on the big UFOs and city maps with a lot of buildings but I also have a Sniper with Squad Sight for some maps.
I think it would be much more useful to have a Guide about when/how to use each perk and let the player decide. Otherwise it's just a matter of personal opinion and that won't be much useful. My suggestion would be to have this content either reworked or moved to another page. And there's also the matter of what this Beginner Guide should have besides perk selection. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:33, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
: Certainly has room for improvement on the NPOV side, but I think that's fine as starting point for an article. It can be reworked. However, I recommend adding a suffix to the page, otherwise it could be a beginner guide for any one of the many games if you came in here through a Google search or via another page. -[[User:NKF|NKF]] 07:37, 21 October 2012 (EDT)
:: I like the stats analysis very much (I haven't had time to do it myself so it's a great read) I just think it needs a more neutral analysis. Some perks are essential like Field Medic, Revive and Savior to have Support Medic right away, I think that one everybody should agree, but as for the rest it's really a matter of playstyle. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:49, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

The one question I have is, what difficulty level(s) were you playing when you came to these conclusions. For me, certain abilities that were previously useless made more sense when switching to Classic and Impossible. ~ [[User:Drakalu|Drakalu]] 13:50, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

== Multiple PoVs ==

While this is a great guide, I feel that this guide is good only for a specific play style-IE, an aggressive one. If you want to be aggressive then that's all well and good, but many people would prefer a more subtle or defensive approach, approaches which are almost completely disregarded in this guide. Perhaps if we had multiple guides, one for each style (I believe this is already in place-isn't there an entire page dedicated to listing all the different guides for the original?) I don't think I would be a good example, but if everyone would like I could make a guide for my style, which is three supports-one a rifleman, two field medics, a heavy, and an assualt (the second field medic can be switched out for a Squadsight sniper) -[[User:Krikit386|Krikit386]]
:That's exactly my point above. Before the game was released I thought that the most important perks were those that expanded your 2 Actions, i.e. Snap Shot allows for Move and Fire with the Sniper Rifle, Bullet Swarm allows the Heavy to shoot twice, etc. After I started playing the game I realized that they are important (the same way that Lethality is) but you need to think about their general effect on the squad's abilities and their uses. Example: lots of people go for Squad Sight instead of Snap Shot. I like to have both, because Snap Shot is great for Abduction missions where most of the time you'll need to move to take the shot. Squad Sight also works for me on those occasions but Snap Shot fits more my style. Another example: UFO missions, I usually take Squad Sight but sometimes I'll switch to the Snap Shot sniper since he's the one more capable of using the Battle Scanner (since you'll usually keep your Squad Sight sniper behind), and you really need the Scanner to avoid unfriendly confrontations. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 10:14, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::I've started rewriting the content to make it NPOV but I only got to the Heavy and Holo-Targeting/Bullet Swarm analysis. Before I continue can everyone please check the page and give some feedback on the part I've rewritten? [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 11:08, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::Great work as ever, Hobbes. Apart from the NPOV improvements, I wonder if the article needs more context at the start though. Or if it needs renaming. It's called a Beginner Guide to the (whole) game but seems to focusing on only one important aspect, how to pick upgrades. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 11:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::I agree, I think a Beginner's Guide should have more tips for overall game play, rather than focusing on Skill choices. I really like this page, I had already thought of something similar that expanded the text on the Classes page. I think it needs to be renamed and possibly we could move it individual pages for each class to better split up all this information. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 12:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::Maybe add in those overall tips. As it stands, this is more of intermediate article rather than a beginner article. It has a lot of analysis which sounds like disputation between experts. So if it's a true beginner article it needs to be simplified I think. Probably just rename it and keep it as it is. [[User:Spike|Spike]] 12:21, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::Meanwhile the original poster just placed again his personal opinion regarding Holo-Targeting, so I've clarified things (I hope) about what NPOV means. My only problem is the size of this article but I think it could be a great guide to help choosing abilities. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:38, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::Hey everyone, the original author here. Sorry about the NPOV, I have a hard time scrubbing it from my style when I am dealing with something I care about. a couple things though. 1. I wasn't really intending to make a begineers guide, I was making a guide that hopefully could be useful to anyone, the begineers guide just had a big red empty spot that I plopped this into. 2. Matters of opinion I try to be honest about, but alot of things are not opinions even if they might seem like it. For example, the bulletswarm vs. holotargetting. I went back and editted your changes hobbes, sorry, I also threw in the probability curve that I was too lazy to add the first time. Or at least a part of it. Showing why the choice is a false dichotomy. Bullet swarm is more likely in a given sequence to produce more hits, period, at least for all the series I ran. 3. I would love for people to chime in about the less mathematically oriented choice and have a divsification of playstyles. I am working on a team composition guide and a guide to the geoscape, but the geoscape especially is not my specialization, I am a tactics and optimization man, and hopefully y'all can throw in. Ps apologies if I stepped on some toes, I don't have any real wiki experience. -Sodiumazide
::::::::Hey, no problem :) I wasn't not questioning the math, although at the end of the stats part you wrote something like: it's highly unlikely that all 4 soldiers will shoot at the alien, which is correct, but IMO, in that case the stats that show that 5 soldiers firing at the same time have better odds than 4 don't really prove anything. The more gung-ho style of writing isn't really a problem (plenty of articles here are written in a more lighter tone) it's really that people will have different opinions. Bullet vs Holo is one example but I'm sure there are plenty more where the choices will be polarized, like Snap Shot vs Squad Sight, which is very good because then you can contrast arguments. To me the correct NPOV is to think 'explain how it works and give the same space to both arguments' (which is easier said than done). About the guide, as Spike said, right now this is an intermediate guide, which is great to have, although we needed something simpler - it could have suggestions for class builds or an initial strategy, but it should be definitely K.I.S.S.
::::::::Here's one example from this wiki for such a guide: [[Starting_Your_Shadowy_Paramilitary_Organization]] [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 15:16, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
::::::::: I was trying to explain why Holo-Targeting is a false choice and why Bullet Swarm will in similar circumstances perform better. The problem is that an extra roll of the die is worth more than a small bonus and that the heavy himself has more valuable hits on a given probability curve. So while giving space for both sides is certainly important, it is also important to distinguish where there is only one side, despite being two choices. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 15:26, 22 October 2012 (EDT)
:::::::::: Actually- I can think of one case where Holotargetting IS a better choice, despite not having the numbers advantage: When you have to move to your target. In your example, the heavy started with vision on the enemy unit, and was given the choice to fire twice. As mentioned in your support section: "mobility is victory". Since firing rockets also consumes both turns, you have a VERY immobile unit, which doesn't alway play well, doublely so in panic missions. --[[User:Theoselk|Theoselk]] 17:40, 23 October 2012 (EDT)

OK, thanks for explaining where the article came from. Maybe a good idea would be to do what we previously had for EU 1994, where there were multiple strategy guides. Multiple strategy guides gives space for more divergent points of view and means we can slightly relax NPOV on those articles where they are flagged as subjective. They also tend to be more advanced in their thinking and factual argument, like this one is - less Keep It Simple Stupid and more analytical.

So we could add a main page link called Strategy Guides and then make this article the first Strategy Guide listed. The current article is better described as a strategy guide than a beginner guide. So I would suggest

*add Strategy Guides link on the main page, beneath Beginner Guide
*rename this page to something else, perhaps Sodiumazide's Strategy Guide? - without any redirect from Beginner Guide
*create the Strategy Guides page with a link to this first Strategy Guide page

Does that make sense for everyone? [[User:Spike|Spike]] 17:49, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

:::I am cool with that. Probably better that way anyhoo. --[[User:Sodiumazide|Sodiumazide]] 21:41, 22 October 2012 (EDT)

==Points by PartisanGerm==

I'm glad I was able to spur on some activity for this guide! This is the first time I have felt passionate enough about a topic in a wiki where I am compelled to add my two cents. At first, I just wanted to correct all the spelling, grammar, and give some spacing.... but I do wish to defend the arguments made in the guide. I happen to agree completely with ''almost'' everything that Sodiumzide wrote, I either already discovered the efficiency of certain abilities or had a hunch some were more effective than others. There are definitely a few begging for dispute as has been discussed:

* '''The Purpose and Style of the Guide'''
I don't think the guide is really gearing for aggressive action, so much as base tactical viability and efficiency. Quite simply, any skill that needs to be triggered is a skill that is potentially unused and not paying for itself (for some turns, or maps with buildings etc.) However, any skill that can literally be used for almost any situation (such as Rapid Fire and Bullet Swarm) are worth more than just the 'extra action' they effectively give. Sure, there are going to be instances when you miss both shots, but the probability to get at least one shot off

Also, I think the name of the guide should be modified to something more accurate like "Abilities Analyzed" or "Promotions Perused". The guide functions great as both a foundation for new players to play smart without experience and thinking about how abilities are used, as well as

The writing style is personal and informal, and that's another reason why I enjoyed reading it and wanted to enhance it. Yes, I would like to make it a bit more 'official-like', but not because the information appears to be an individual opinion. The end results expressed with this guide have a core in logic and logistics, not simply a preferred game play style.

* '''Heavy: Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
Both of these abilities are very useful in a wide range of situations. However, I think Bullet Swarm proves to be more versatile and of guaranteed benefit no matter the results of using it.
:* Holo-Targeting is wasted on enemies that are finished with the attack it is targeted with; Bullet Swarm lets you shoot at another enemy or make a move after a kill.
:* Holo-Targeting allows other units a slightly better chance to hit, but it does not help the Heavy himself to hit; Bullet Swarm
:* Holo-Targeting gives the possibility of more reliable hits; Bullet Swarm always gives you the option to move/attack, attack/attack.
:* Late game enemies with a lot of health could benefit from more chance to his as well as more attacks, but usually the other classes already have good Aim.

* '''Sniper: Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
There is room for Snap Shot to be useful, when you're looking to be moving forward or into building with your Sniper. However, the aim cost of this ability almost negates the benefit and Sniper is literally the only class that wasn't designed for breaching (with the exception of Battle Scanner). I happen to think that Gunslinger gives Sniper all the mobile power he can reasonably make use of. The Sniper is made to be just that, shooting with high accuracy and power from afar. Getting your Sniper into just the right position so that he has line of sight to his targets is exactly what Squadsight allows for, and is just one of the tactics you're meant to be considering. Pulling enemies into his sight by tactical retreat is the other option.

* '''Support: Medic vs. Smoke Specialization'''
Unlike the other classes, which have a distinct preference for their roles, the Support works perfectly well tricked out as a Medic or a defensive/offensive assistant. The guide already says this, but could do with expansion on developing the two roles of Support.
:* Medic really is a required unit, since you're practically guaranteed to have some of your troops shot at some point or another.
:* Combat Support is certainly useful for preventing damage, but it is no guarantee. Having a second Medic instead of a Combat Support is up to preference.
--[[User:PartisanGerm|PartisanGerm]] 16:45, 14 November 2012 (EST)

:For the past two weeks I've been playing Classic Ironman non-stop and a few builds are starting to become my regulars but I think it would be better to have the main points for each choice as bullet for easier reading.
:I currently have a Colonel Heavy with Holo-Targeting, Rapid Reaction, Danger Zone, Suppression and Mayhem - it's a killer build against Mutons/Chryssalids/Floaters/etc - you can suppress whole groups of aliens, get 2 Overwatch shots if they try to move and still help with your soldiers aim. Until now I had focused on HEAT Rounds and Rocketeer by the medium/late game to deal with Sectopods and Cyberdiscs but I switched that role to my Assaults with Alloy Cannons. A killer combination is two Heavies, one of each build working together to take down targets.
:The main difference between Holo-Targeting is about the Heavy playing more of a Support/Ambush role or being a frontline unit. Both can work very well depending on the circumstances.
:Right now Snap Shot is useless due to the feature that allows you to switch weapons after moving and hitting Overwatch with the Sniper's pistol, unless you choose not to use it. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 17:25, 14 November 2012 (EST)

::Agreed on the bullet format -- frankly the first two entries look better than the current content of the guide.
::While I am nowhere near willing to give up my Heavies with Shredder Rockets, HEAT Ammo, and Rocketeer in my Ironman Classic game, we should definitely make a move to point out synergies like the above. There are still some choices that are more or less no-brainers -- mostly for snipers -- but suggested ''builds'' would be really nice additions beyond just the individual skill suggestions. Some of that is implied in the text already but could be made more clear. --[[User:Merlin the Tuna|Merlin the Tuna]] 17:42, 14 November 2012 (EST)

EU2012 Table

2012-11-14T22:15:49Z

Merlin the Tuna: Updating Skills & Equip guide link

<table style="padding-left:20px;">
<tr style="vertical-align: top;">
<td colspan = "4">
{| {{stdTable}} title = "XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)" width = "100%"
|- {{stdTable Heading}}
| colspan = "4" | '''XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)'''
|-
|}
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="vertical-align: top;">
<td style="width:220px; border:1px gray solid;">
{| {{stdTable}} width="100%" style="border:none;"
|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| [[File:Vigilo_Confido_shield.png|20px]] '''XCOM'''
|-
| [[Info (EU2012)|Game Information]]
: [[XCOM (EU2012)|Commander's Briefing]]

: [[Difficulty (EU2012)|Difficulty Levels]]

[[XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)|Headquarters]]

: [[Mission Control (EU2012)|Mission Control]]

: [[Hangar (EU2012)|Hangar]]

: [[Research (EU2012)|Research]]

: [[Engineering (EU2012)|Engineering]]

: [[Foundry_(EU2012)|Foundry]]

: [[Situation Room (EU2012)|Situation Room]]

: [[OTS_(EU2012)| Officer Training School]]

[[Soldiers (EU2012)|Soldiers]]
: [[Classes (EU2012)|Classes]]

: [[Armour (EU2012)|Armour]]
: [[Equipment (EU2012)#Portable Equipment|Equipment]]
: [[Weapons (EU2012)|Weapons]]

: [[SHIV (EU2012)|SHIV]]
|-
|}
</td>

<td style="width: 220px; border:1px gray solid;">
{| {{stdTable}} width="100%" style="border:none;"
|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| [[File:Head red.png|20px]] '''Aliens'''
|-
|[[Alien Artifacts (EU2012)|Alien Artifacts]]

[[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|Alien Life Forms]]

[[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]]

|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| [[File:Xcom_eu_logo.jpg|30px]] '''Missions'''
|-
| [[Gameplay Mechanics (EU2012)|Gameplay Mechanics]]
: [[Cover (EU2012)|Cover]]
: [[Critical Wounds (EU2012)|Critical Wounds]]
: [[Defense (EU2012)|Defense]]
: [[Flanking (EU2012)|Flanking]]
: [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]]
: [[Scouting (EU2012)|Scouting]]
: [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]]

[[Tactics (EU2012)|Combat Tactics]]
: [[Squads (EU2012)| Squads]]

[[Missions (EU2012)|Mission Types]]

[[Maps (EU2012)|Maps]]
|}
</td>

<td style="width:220px; border:1px gray solid;">
{| {{stdTable}} width="100%" style="border:none;"
|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| '''Game Strategies'''
|-
| [[Survival Guide (EU2012)|Guides & Tips]]
: [[Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)|Soldier Skills & Equipment]]
: [[Building Optimization]]
: [[Economy]]
: [[Managing Panic (EU2012)|Managing Panic]]

|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| '''Multiplayer'''
|-
|
[[Multiplayer (EU2012)|Multiplayer]] 
[[Maps (Multiplayer) (EU2012)|Maps]] 
[[Multiplayer Tactics (EU2012)|Multiplayer Tactics]] 
[[Multiplayer Builds (EU2012)|Squad Builds]] 

|- {{stdTable Sub Heading}}
| '''Miscellaneous'''
|-
|
[[Abilities (EU2012)|List of all Abilities]]

[[Game Editors (EU2012)|Game Editors]] 

[[Glossary|Glossary of Terms]] 

[[Patches (EU2012)| Patches]] 

[[Bugs (EU2012)| Bugs]] 

[[Mods (EU2012)| Mods & Suggestions]] 

|}
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Talk:Beginner Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:14:46Z

Merlin the Tuna: moved Talk:Beginner Guide (EU2012) to Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012): More accurately reflects content of page

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)]]

Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:14:46Z

Merlin the Tuna: moved Talk:Beginner Guide (EU2012) to Talk:Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012): More accurately reflects content of page

Beginner Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:14:46Z

Merlin the Tuna: moved Beginner Guide (EU2012) to Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012): More accurately reflects content of page

#REDIRECT [[Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)]]

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T22:14:46Z

Merlin the Tuna: moved Beginner Guide (EU2012) to Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012): More accurately reflects content of page

__TOC__

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, there is a debate about how to choose them and a variety of opinions depending on your personal play style and chosen strategy. The fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole?

The Assault class is the most clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the Offensive or the Defensive capabilities of the unit, either turning it into a frontal assault unit or into a flanking unit. You can mix both, or even give it an unique squad ability by choosing the '''Flush''' perk, which forces the enemy out of cover.

Again, all of these options depend on your style and strategy. Any abilities' effectiveness depends on the map and type of aliens faced. When you're only starting to play, it may be confusing to realize all of the advantages and shortcomings of each class. Take the Heavy, for example. Early on the Heavy can be a major source of damage for your team but, due to the much lower Aim numbers of the class, at higher ranks their ability to be a primary source of direct damage falls off sharply. An inversion would be the Sniper. Early on they are weak and difficult to manage but, once they have some experience under their belt and a good weapon, mid to late game they will carry your squad. The Squaddie abilities and weapon limitations for each class define their general roles

The important thing to remember is that the advice in this guide will fall into two categories. Some of the recommendations are just that, advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some points that are not recommendations per se. Some options in the skill tree exist that are clearly false choices. It seems like they may be equivalent or one is slightly better than the other, but in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Building an Assault==

Next to the Sniper, the Assault is your big damage dealing class. The critical chance of an Alloy Cannon is lower than a Plasma Sniper Rifle but the damage is the same and the Assault has all sorts of tools to enhance their burst damage and given the correct circumstances they can easily do more damage than any other class. On top of this they are tough and mobile. Also, Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons and are perhaps the only class that doesn't have a clear cut build path. So without further ado...

===Abilities===
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs Aggression'''
|}
Here starts the divergent path, Defense or Offense. One offers you a mounting defense bonus per enemy in sight, the other a mounting critical chance. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to play the Assault. If you choose the shotgun as your primary weapon you should be taking Defense perks. To put it mildly, shotguns do a ton of damage, you don't need to worry about doing more, you need to worry about surviving the stupidity a combination of run and gun and a short short rang weapon produce. As previously mentioned a 20 point defensive shift is stupendously potent. Furthermore defense bonuses become exponentially more effective as they stack. Low Cover, plus Ghost Armor, plus max Tactical Sense, plus a '''Dense Smoke''' Grenade means that the Assault has a 100 point defense shift, making him effectively invulnerable to any aimed attack. Even negating his cover via flanking means that given the Aim numbers of most enemies he is still invulnerable. Aggression should only be taken when you are using an Assault Rifle as a primary weapon, you need to make up the loss of damage that the weapon entails and you also will be in better cover most of the time with less people trying to murder you, thus needing less defending.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal'''
|}
In a way these skills duplicate each other, and provide one of the only easy choices in the tree. Put simply, Lightning Reflexes is better. Both of them are closing skills. One gives you immunity to an Overwatch shot, which is amazing, the other gives you a 30% critical chance to adjacent foes that degrades with distance. The idea being that with one you can survive to close, with the other you can make the kill once you are there. Needless to say, while combining Aggression and Close & Personal can give you a theoretical 80% critical on basic attacks, the fact is that you are already capable of dealing massive damage with very good critical chance on a basic shotgun (assuming good positioning). '''Not''' getting splattered by a Sectopod Plasma Overwatch is better. Also, since the bonus is contingent on distance you should think twice before getting it for an Assault Rifle build.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
In XCOM, murder is usually the best solution. The major question that needs be asked is 'will this help me kill?' Of these two skills we have a clear winner in the murder category. Taking a pair of shots, even at a 15% penalty will almost always offer not only a statistically greater chance of a hit but will offer you the chance to knock the damage ball out of the park. If you are running a Scoped up Assault Rifle build focusing on high crit, this is a no brain-er. If you want a reliable way to ding an enemy from range then this might be a good idea. Remember, the chance to hit is much higher on a Flush than a basic attack and you can expect a near 100% chance even at extended range. Home run numbers are great but Flush can be a reliable tool, especially if you are running a lot of Assaults in a squad. Which is always a good idea.

Keep in mind,'''Flush''' carries two flaws that make it nearly unusable in a mission. First, it costs you 3 ammo, meaning you can't use it every turn and have to reload more often, especially before Ammo Conservation (Foundry) is researched. Second, while it does drive the target out of its current cover, that doesn't prevent it from running to different cover, or breaking sight range completely, to attack you next turn from an unexpected direction. It may be a better idea to throw a Grenade to destroy the cover completely, or even just use Rapid Fire - even with low chances to hit the target, you will get two opportunities to destroy cover with the misses.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. Bring 'em On'''
|}
This is a choice. If you are planning on a shotgun, CCS is not a perk to miss. It is a godsend against charging melee, or the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to. Or just in any close range engagement. In contrast Bring 'em On has no range requirement but, if you aren't rocking the critical side of the tree, it is a very streak dependent talent. Under ideal circumstances, you can get a 14 damage critical from a Plasma Rifle, or two of them if you hit and crit on both of your rapid fire shots. Much more if you get Killer Instinct at Colonel rank. Needless to say, this is an amazing amount of damage, enough to waste near on anything. Critical rates on an Plasma Rifle with a Scope and the critical hit abilities will still hit a flat 80%, 50% if you choose Lightning Reflexes or if you aren't at point blank range. Higher if you flank a foe. As you can see this isn't a cut and dry situation. Both rifleman and shotgun are viable options.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. Killer Instinct'''
|}
On one hand you have immunity to critical hits, on the other hand you have a 50% damage bonus to your critical hits if you trigger your signature ability. If you have chosen to brawl then grab immunity to crits. It means you can't be take out in one round by any single foe and it takes luck out of the equation. Killer Instinct on the other hand only shines if you have been mining the tree for bonus crit chance. That being said, 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===
The answer is always Ghost Armor. Statistically it is just plain better. Now I wouldn't hold it against anyone who chooses Titan, but in the end Titan is just not as good for the up and coming Assault trooper. The Extra Conditioning from the Major promotion gives: 2 extra HP when wearing Ghost, Skeleton, and Psi Armor, and 4 when wearing Carapace, Archangel and Titan. The HP totals are as follows. Skeleton gives 5, Ghost , Carapace and Psi give 8, Archangel give 12 and Titan 14. Now the most bang for your buck early game is obviously Carapace, but once you have the money you should be investing in Ghost Armor. Why? Well for all the previously mentioned reasons plus one. In terms of survival Defense beats HP in smaller amounts, mobility is the bread and butter of an Assault trooper and here is the final reason. Ghost Mode gives a +100% chance to crit. This means that a Ghosted Assault can expect to reliably crit against a Hardened target if they are playing the shotgun game, and the rifleman can be sure of a crit. A massive Killer Instinct enhanced Rapid Fire crit that will level any foe you choose.

In terms of your free slot, the best choice is situational. I personally like Chitin Plating for my CQC troopers and Scopes for riflemen. The extra 4 HP offsets the losses that I sustain from not going Titan and gives you virtual immunity to Chryssalids and Berserkers. For riflemen, the Scope gives you +10 Aim and Crit Chance. Which is peachy. Use Mind Shields when appropriate.

==Building a Heavy==

The primary weapon of the Heavy is the LMG, and its Laser / Plasma upgrades. The weapon has a base damage of 5, which puts it in the high damage category along with the Sniper Rifle and Shotgun. It has worse critical chance than either, but it doesn't have the severe accuracy drop off that the Shotgun suffers from at any significant range and it doesn't suffer either the close range penalty or full turn cost of the Sniper Rifle. At first glance it is one of the best weapons in the game and in the early game it really is.

There is, as always, a hitch: in this case it is the Heavy himself. Starting Aim of all soldiers is 65 but, unlike his peers, the Heavy only gets 10 more points over the course of his life, with a Colonel capping out at 75. This means that at mid range and under optimal conditions the best Heavy will hit 75% of the time. If the target is in light cover that chance degrades to 55% and under High Cover there is only a 35% chance to deal damage. With a Scope you can improve a Heavy's aim to 85 but compared to the base Colonel accuracy numbers of an Assault, a Support or a Sniper, which are 89, 90 and 105 respectively you can see why the Heavy suffers.

Over a given hundred shots the percentile hit chance is a equal percentile modifier to Damage, meaning that assuming all enemies are in Low Cover, the base Heavy does on average a little more than half his listed Damage. This means that a Heavy at the top of the tech tree is doing the same as a Sniper at the bottom, less when you factor in the massive critical hit chances that the Sniper rifle enjoys, if they are both using weapons of the same tech level. This is discounting special abilities such as the Heavy's power to fire twice in a round, but suffice it to say that for every ability that the Heavy gets the Sniper of equivalent rank will gain an ever more insurmountable advantage. Now compared to a Support whose best weapon caps at 8 damage and who gets only 1 shot in a round the Heavy certainly does do more adjusted damage, but here in lies the problem. In real combat conditions you don't do an average damage based on your aim. You either hit and deal full damage, or miss and do none. If a Sniper did twice as much damage with half the accuracy its use as a unit would go from 'predictable' to 'coin toss' and its usefulness would drop from 'amazing' to 'marginal'.

Here is the thing. In a turn based game, the fundamental risk comes from uncertainty. If you are sure that an attack or ability will trigger then you can plan accordingly. Calculate exactly how much damage you can expect from all your units and use that to plan out a course of action. When abilities fail to trigger you are forced to make plans that accommodate this, namely, you need to devote more resources to a target than would under ideal conditions be needed, lest you whiff a final shot find yourself staring at a Sectopod with 5 hit points and it is now his turn. The binary nature of success and failure of individual actions maps to to the binary success and failure states of each turn. This is the beauty and the folly of a turn based game. The fact that a Heavy dealing with a standard foe in low cover with a 55% chance to hit cannot be relied on to make the shot means that you'll have to choose, both in game and during promotions on how to increase that accuracy or use the Heavy instead to prepare the Alien for the kill.

This is the paradox of the Heavy, they have amazingly high damage weapons but they require careful planning to make it an useful tool, and to be aware of the shortcomings that some choices can have, specially regarding perk selection.

===Abilities===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
* Bullet Swarm gives you massive tactical flexibility no matter how you choose to build the Heavy, Holo-Targeting a +10 Aim increase ONLY to other units firing at the same alien.
* Bullet Swarm allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire when high firepower is crucial. The issue, as mentioned above, is the lack of Aim of the Heavy - which makes this ability more useful in close range fights.
* The LMG has only 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row.

A Colonel Heavy with a Scope shooting at an enemy in optimal range in Low Cover has as mentioned above a pathetic 65% chance to hit. If you go with Bullet Swarm and spend a full round trying to make the shot you have a 12.25% chance of missing totally a 42.25% chance of hitting twice and a 45.5% chance of tagging them at least once. Meaning that you will an 88.75% chance of hitting something. At lowest rank this would be a 79.75% chance to hit something, with a 30.25% of hitting twice.

Even though you might feel that there is a good choice here, there isn't. Using your Heavy to set up shots might seem like a good idea, but statistically it does not work. The problem is two fold, first, at the lowest levels when Holo-Targeting could most likely be useful, the power of at most 3 small 10 point bonuses does not produce more hits than an extra attack. Take the above situation. Enemy in Low Cover, Heavy takes the first shot, then one of each class chimes in.

4 shots with Heavy with Holo-Targeting taking the first shot. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 7.487% chance of 4 hits
* 27.422% chance of 0 hits

5 shots with Heavy using Bullet Swarm. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 1.845% chance of 5 hits
* 13.325% chance of 4 hits
* 11.603% chance of 0 hits

As you can see, the extra attack is better in every way. Not only are you going to have a higher chance of getting 4 hits, you will have a golden chance to hit with 5. Furthermore, given the fact that the Heavy has one of the better weapons, capable of killing any low level enemy in one hit the hits that a Heavy can make are worth more. Not to mention, this is a scenario skewed heavily in the favor of the Holo-Targeting Heavy. There are almost no early game circumstances where you will have a reason or the opportunity to make 4 attacks on 1 enemy.

I hope that one thing is very clear: '''NEVER take Holo-Targeting.'''

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This defines your Heavy as either an explosives platform or a Suppression platform. I will make the argument that simply put, Supports are better at Suppression and Heavies should be blowing things up. Yes, Supports can't Suppress an area, yes, they can't use Mayhem to deal damage with Suppression but here is the rub, Supports have higher ammo / lower damage weapons with much greater accuracy. The Reaction Shot movement provokes will much more likely hit, the loss of damage is lower, there is less reloading needed and Supports have much more versatile ability to specialize. A Heavy with a Shredder Rocket has a 4 automatic damage weapon, that will hit exactly where put it (90% of the time, or somewhat close the rest of the time), and will amplify all damage against a target while removing its cover, in a wide area of effect. It is a limited use weapon but it will save you much more consistently than Suppression.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
A clean cut choice, as well. Many people who go the Suppression route think that this is perfect. Suppress an enemy, use Flush to force a move, let the Heavy get 2 free attacks. This is a failure state. First, reaction shots are made at a 15 point penalty and as we have previously stated Heavies have crap accuracy. Second, the only way you get a second shot is if the first hits, combine this with the aforementioned crap accuracy and you will rarely see this promotion trigger and even if it does trigger you still have to hit with it, at a similar penalty. On the other side of the equation HEAT ammo doubles damage against robotic opponents and affects all Heavy class abilities, including Rockets. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. The Cyberdisc and the Sectopod are two of the deadliest enemies you will face, anything that hastens them to the grave is awesome. A Cyberdisc is a deadly early game opponent who can deal 7 damage on a normal attack with a high critical chance, or fling a 5 damage Grenade half way across the map. It can and will one shot your mates, no one below major has a reliable chance of living, and only then if they are at full health. A rocket from a HEAT Heavy will deal 14 damage base, and can crit for more. Shredder Rockets will do 10 and allow your Sniper a good shot at a OHKO. Not to mention, you will blow the drones that hover around the disc or the Sectopod sky high. Choose HEAT, a Heavy who can attack twice can one shot a Cyberdisc or wipe a Sectopod if both attacks hit.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. Danger Zone'''
|}
Less clear cut. In one hand you're holding two Grenades, in the other you have AoE Suppression and 2 tiles extra area on Rockets. Both are good abilities and the question of which you want depends highly. The benefits are more intangible and are linked to your final choice of what you want your Heavy to be doing. I am going to step back from (semi)objective analysis and offer an opinion. I choose Grenadier because by the time you reach this point, no one else on your team should be carrying Grenades. Your Sniper needs his Scope, your Assault needs armor of some type and even if she doesn't cause you are rocking Titan she should be doing a lot more damage with basic attacks than with a Grenade, Supports might be a good choice to heft a Grenade but they generally are better with Arc Throwers, Medikits, armor, or Scope. Heavies get natural damage ablation and multiple use actions. They have such bad accuracy that you aren't losing much by throwing an attack out the window, and the power that Grenades have to damage terrain and remove cover offers a much more powerful buff to accuracy than a Scope. The final argument for Grenadier is simply that Grenades are amazing breaching tools. You don't want to be using your rockets to breech but grenades can be a worthwhile trade. Danger Zone is lessened in value because you aren't, or shouldn't be, picking up Suppression, 2 extra tiles is nice on your rockets and is certainly worth more than a Grenade if it brings another enemy into range, but rockets are inherently less flexible than Grenades as with their full round cost. Don't feel obligated to get Grenadier, it isn't mandatory.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
To many this is the a tough choice, but it isn't. Mayhem adds max of 3 damage to Suppression which we don't have and adds 2 damage to your rockets, of which you get only 2 (regular and shredder). Rocketeer on the other hand gives you a second rocket. Assuming that you don't even get the blaster launcher upgrade you are still falling behind by 3 damage, and lose the flexibility of a second rocket. Since we have already decided that the Heavy needs to be blowing things up to be reliable thus, anything that offers him more chances to be reliable is good. Thus, more rockets beat better rockets. With double Grenades you have 5 bombs that can reshape the battlefield in your favor.
Alternatively, consider this: a heavy only has so many opportunities to fire rockets during a given mission. It's tough to set up a shot and securely have enough full turns to yourself to fire off all three you get with Shredder and Mayhem, plus throw two grenades. Thus, it may be better taking Danger Zone and Mayhem even if you don't have suppression, because widened range can really make a huge difference, and 2 extra damage becomes 4 against robots due to HEAT Ammo, which becomes even more effective with a Blaster Launcher. It certainly depends on your play style and whether you want to bother setting up for rocket fire.

===Equipment===
More than any other class, the Heavy shouldn't be worrying about their primary weapon. By all means upgrade the LMG if you can spare the resources, but there is a greater return on investment with other classes. Namely your Sniper and then your Assault need their weapons maxed ASAP, these are the classes that will be dealing your damage and the X-Rays drop Plasma Rifles and Light Plasma Rifles like confetti that your Supports or Assaults can use, thus obliterating the need to buy them. Moreover, the damage scaling is not as significant. With a five damage base a Heavy can reliably kill in one hit Sectoids, thin men and floaters on classic. To one shot the next tier of enemies a Heavy needs to upgrade to Plasma.

Armor is the really deceptive choice for a Heavy. Choosing a Heavy armor for your Heavy may seem right to you, but then you would be wrong. The role that we are looking to give to our Heavy is not that of a walking tank. That is you Assault. He needs to be mobile and capable of placing explosives precisely, while not being left behind. While Carapace Armor for everyone is always a wise choice compared to Body Armor, you should be considering Skeleton Suit and Ghost armor as your primary armors. Heavies don't get any inherent bonus from Heavy armor, unlike the Assault, instead they get a flat 2 point reduction in damage, meaning that they don't require a huge HP pool from Titan or Archangel.

Skeleton Suit / Ghost Armor offer your Heavy a couple amazing bonuses. First is that it gives you 3 extra move and the ability to grapple to the top of structures. Mobility powers are GREAT. Second they give you Defense bonuses, +10 health /+20 defense respectively. A clean miss is much better than more HP. Late game, in low cover, you can get a 40 point defensive shift if you are wearing Ghost Armor. All late game enemies do more than 10 damage a shot, and the 4 lost HP vs Titan or 2 hp vs Archangel or 1 in the case of Skeleton vs Carapace, is compensated by the clean misses. 20% off a 100% attack doing 10 damage is an average 2 HP gain. This makes Ghost even under the worst case scenario better than Archangel flat out and much closer to Titan than it seems. A Heavy in Ghost or Skeleton is more useful and almost as survivable. Psi Armor when appropriate.

Third, for Ghost Armor, the extra movement and the Ghost's unique ability to cloak allows the Heavy to safely get close or even flank a tough opponent in one turn, and then unleash a short range attack at optimum accuracy on the next. Similarly, this can be used to safely position the Heavy for a rocket launch.

Towards the latter part of the game, when it is available, the devastating Blaster Launcher replacement for the rocket launcher will increase the damage output of the Heavy's rockets and allow them to navigate around walls. The Heavy will no longer have to have direct line of sight to the target, but must be within rocket range.

For the Item slot, a Grenade or Alien Grenade is often a good choice for a Heavy. It provides an extra area-effect weapon (or two) that can be used to destroy cover in lieu of using a rocket.

The SCOPE or Chitin Plating are good general purpose items that help the Heavy shoot better or defend against close range attacks. The Heavy can also use other items depending on the Heavy's build or your needs.

==Building a Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

===Abilities===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

===Equipment===
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Building a Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

===Abilities===
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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
|}
Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: ''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
|}
I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
|}
Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Rifle Suppression can keep you from being screwed. The choice is simple and obvious. Of you find yourself favoring revive then you might instead want to have multiple field medics and just keep your soldiers topped off in terms of health.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
|}
It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat drugs give +20 Aim bonus too(which is not listed). So in tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning 40 point defense shift that turns no cover into High cover, and High cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional 20 aim and 10 critical? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, Grenades never miss. So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in dense smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
|}
Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

===Equipment===
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T18:24:23Z

Merlin the Tuna: Spacing consistency

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T18:15:01Z

Merlin the Tuna: Spacing

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T18:13:17Z

Merlin the Tuna: New headers, merged Smoke & Mirrors comments

Soldier Skills & Equipment Guide (EU2012)

2012-11-14T18:03:24Z

Merlin the Tuna: Skill headers for Heavy, Sniper, & Support

__TOC__

==Introduction==

When choosing abilities, there is a debate about how to choose them and a variety of opinions depending on your personal play style and chosen strategy. The fundamental question that must always be asked when making a promotion is one of specialization vs. variety. Does the ability give you a new skill, improve a skill, or assist the squad as a whole?

The Assault class is the most clear cut example of this: nearly all of its choices are between increasing the Offensive or the Defensive capabilities of the unit, either turning it into a frontal assault unit or into a flanking unit. You can mix both, or even give it an unique squad ability by choosing the '''Flush''' perk, which forces the enemy out of cover.

Again, all of these options depend on your style and strategy. Any abilities' effectiveness depends on the map and type of aliens faced. When you're only starting to play, it may be confusing to realize all of the advantages and shortcomings of each class. Take the Heavy, for example. Early on the Heavy can be a major source of damage for your team but, due to the much lower Aim numbers of the class, at higher ranks their ability to be a primary source of direct damage falls off sharply. An inversion would be the Sniper. Early on they are weak and difficult to manage but, once they have some experience under their belt and a good weapon, mid to late game they will carry your squad. The Squaddie abilities and weapon limitations for each class define their general roles

The important thing to remember is that the advice in this guide will fall into two categories. Some of the recommendations are just that, advice that you may choose to ignore if you so wish. There are in fact many successful ways to run a squad that involve wildly divergent tactics. However, there are some points that are not recommendations per se. Some options in the skill tree exist that are clearly false choices. It seems like they may be equivalent or one is slightly better than the other, but in practice one of the two options is so much vastly better than the other that it changes the situation from a choice to a basic calculation. This guide will outline the different points as well as give approximate weights to the talents where it is not 100% a clear cut choice.

==Building an Assault==

Next to the Sniper, the Assault is your big damage dealing class. The critical chance of an Alloy Cannon is lower than a Plasma Sniper Rifle but the damage is the same and the Assault has all sorts of tools to enhance their burst damage and given the correct circumstances they can easily do more damage than any other class. On top of this they are tough and mobile. Also, Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons and are perhaps the only class that doesn't have a clear cut build path. So without further ado...

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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Tactical Sense vs Aggression'''
|}
Here starts the divergent path, Defense or Offense. One offers you a mounting defense bonus per enemy in sight, the other a mounting critical chance. Which one you choose should be dependent on how you are planning to play the Assault. If you choose the shotgun as your primary weapon you should be taking Defense perks. To put it mildly, shotguns do a ton of damage, you don't need to worry about doing more, you need to worry about surviving the stupidity a combination of run and gun and a short short rang weapon produce. As previously mentioned a 20 point defensive shift is stupendously potent. Furthermore defense bonuses become exponentially more effective as they stack. Low Cover, plus Ghost Armor, plus max Tactical Sense, plus a '''Dense Smoke''' Grenade means that the Assault has a 100 point defense shift, making him effectively invulnerable to any aimed attack. Even negating his cover via flanking means that given the Aim numbers of most enemies he is still invulnerable. Aggression should only be taken when you are using an Assault Rifle as a primary weapon, you need to make up the loss of damage that the weapon entails and you also will be in better cover most of the time with less people trying to murder you, thus needing less defending.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Lightning Reflexes vs. Close & Personal'''
|}
In a way these skills duplicate each other, and provide one of the only easy choices in the tree. Put simply, Lightning Reflexes is better. Both of them are closing skills. One gives you immunity to an Overwatch shot, which is amazing, the other gives you a 30% critical chance to adjacent foes that degrades with distance. The idea being that with one you can survive to close, with the other you can make the kill once you are there. Needless to say, while combining Aggression and Close & Personal can give you a theoretical 80% critical on basic attacks, the fact is that you are already capable of dealing massive damage with very good critical chance on a basic shotgun (assuming good positioning). '''Not''' getting splattered by a Sectopod Plasma Overwatch is better. Also, since the bonus is contingent on distance you should think twice before getting it for an Assault Rifle build.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
In XCOM, murder is usually the best solution. The major question that needs be asked is 'will this help me kill?' Of these two skills we have a clear winner in the murder category. Taking a pair of shots, even at a 15% penalty will almost always offer not only a statistically greater chance of a hit but will offer you the chance to knock the damage ball out of the park. If you are running a Scoped up Assault Rifle build focusing on high crit, this is a no brain-er. If you want a reliable way to ding an enemy from range then this might be a good idea. Remember, the chance to hit is much higher on a Flush than a basic attack and you can expect a near 100% chance even at extended range. Home run numbers are great but Flush can be a reliable tool, especially if you are running a lot of Assaults in a squad. Which is always a good idea.

Keep in mind,'''Flush''' carries two flaws that make it nearly unusable in a mission. First, it costs you 3 ammo, meaning you can't use it every turn and have to reload more often, especially before Ammo Conservation (Foundry) is researched. Second, while it does drive the target out of its current cover, that doesn't prevent it from running to different cover, or breaking sight range completely, to attack you next turn from an unexpected direction. It may be a better idea to throw a Grenade to destroy the cover completely, or even just use Rapid Fire - even with low chances to hit the target, you will get two opportunities to destroy cover with the misses.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Close Combat Specialist vs. Bring 'em On'''
|}
This is a choice. If you are planning on a shotgun, CCS is not a perk to miss. It is a godsend against charging melee, or the poor fool that wanders through a door you are next to. Or just in any close range engagement. In contrast Bring 'em On has no range requirement but, if you aren't rocking the critical side of the tree, it is a very streak dependent talent. Under ideal circumstances, you can get a 14 damage critical from a Plasma Rifle, or two of them if you hit and crit on both of your rapid fire shots. Much more if you get Killer Instinct at Colonel rank. Needless to say, this is an amazing amount of damage, enough to waste near on anything. Critical rates on an Plasma Rifle with a Scope and the critical hit abilities will still hit a flat 80%, 50% if you choose Lightning Reflexes or if you aren't at point blank range. Higher if you flank a foe. As you can see this isn't a cut and dry situation. Both rifleman and shotgun are viable options.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''
'''Resilience vs. Killer Instinct'''
|}
On one hand you have immunity to critical hits, on the other hand you have a 50% damage bonus to your critical hits if you trigger your signature ability. If you have chosen to brawl then grab immunity to crits. It means you can't be take out in one round by any single foe and it takes luck out of the equation. Killer Instinct on the other hand only shines if you have been mining the tree for bonus crit chance. That being said, 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.

'''Equipping an Assault'''
The answer is always Ghost Armor. Statistically it is just plain better. Now I wouldn't hold it against anyone who chooses Titan, but in the end Titan is just not as good for the up and coming Assault trooper. The Extra Conditioning from the Major promotion gives: 2 extra HP when wearing Ghost, Skeleton, and Psi Armor, and 4 when wearing Carapace, Archangel and Titan. The HP totals are as follows. Skeleton gives 5, Ghost , Carapace and Psi give 8, Archangel give 12 and Titan 14. Now the most bang for your buck early game is obviously Carapace, but once you have the money you should be investing in Ghost Armor. Why? Well for all the previously mentioned reasons plus one. In terms of survival Defense beats HP in smaller amounts, mobility is the bread and butter of an Assault trooper and here is the final reason. Ghost Mode gives a +100% chance to crit. This means that a Ghosted Assault can expect to reliably crit against a Hardened target if they are playing the shotgun game, and the rifleman can be sure of a crit. A massive Killer Instinct enhanced Rapid Fire crit that will level any foe you choose.

In terms of your free slot, the best choice is situational. I personally like Chitin Plating for my CQC troopers and Scopes for riflemen. The extra 4 HP offsets the losses that I sustain from not going Titan and gives you virtual immunity to Chryssalids and Berserkers. For riflemen, the Scope gives you +10 Aim and Crit Chance. Which is peachy. Use Mind Shields when appropriate.

==Building a Heavy==

The primary weapon of the Heavy is the LMG, and its Laser / Plasma upgrades. The weapon has a base damage of 5, which puts it in the high damage category along with the Sniper Rifle and Shotgun. It has worse critical chance than either, but it doesn't have the severe accuracy drop off that the Shotgun suffers from at any significant range and it doesn't suffer either the close range penalty or full turn cost of the Sniper Rifle. At first glance it is one of the best weapons in the game and in the early game it really is.

There is, as always, a hitch: in this case it is the Heavy himself. Starting Aim of all soldiers is 65 but, unlike his peers, the Heavy only gets 10 more points over the course of his life, with a Colonel capping out at 75. This means that at mid range and under optimal conditions the best Heavy will hit 75% of the time. If the target is in light cover that chance degrades to 55% and under High Cover there is only a 35% chance to deal damage. With a Scope you can improve a Heavy's aim to 85 but compared to the base Colonel accuracy numbers of an Assault, a Support or a Sniper, which are 89, 90 and 105 respectively you can see why the Heavy suffers.

Over a given hundred shots the percentile hit chance is a equal percentile modifier to Damage, meaning that assuming all enemies are in Low Cover, the base Heavy does on average a little more than half his listed Damage. This means that a Heavy at the top of the tech tree is doing the same as a Sniper at the bottom, less when you factor in the massive critical hit chances that the Sniper rifle enjoys, if they are both using weapons of the same tech level. This is discounting special abilities such as the Heavy's power to fire twice in a round, but suffice it to say that for every ability that the Heavy gets the Sniper of equivalent rank will gain an ever more insurmountable advantage. Now compared to a Support whose best weapon caps at 8 damage and who gets only 1 shot in a round the Heavy certainly does do more adjusted damage, but here in lies the problem. In real combat conditions you don't do an average damage based on your aim. You either hit and deal full damage, or miss and do none. If a Sniper did twice as much damage with half the accuracy its use as a unit would go from 'predictable' to 'coin toss' and its usefulness would drop from 'amazing' to 'marginal'.

Here is the thing. In a turn based game, the fundamental risk comes from uncertainty. If you are sure that an attack or ability will trigger then you can plan accordingly. Calculate exactly how much damage you can expect from all your units and use that to plan out a course of action. When abilities fail to trigger you are forced to make plans that accommodate this, namely, you need to devote more resources to a target than would under ideal conditions be needed, lest you whiff a final shot find yourself staring at a Sectopod with 5 hit points and it is now his turn. The binary nature of success and failure of individual actions maps to to the binary success and failure states of each turn. This is the beauty and the folly of a turn based game. The fact that a Heavy dealing with a standard foe in low cover with a 55% chance to hit cannot be relied on to make the shot means that you'll have to choose, both in game and during promotions on how to increase that accuracy or use the Heavy instead to prepare the Alien for the kill.

This is the paradox of the Heavy, they have amazingly high damage weapons but they require careful planning to make it an useful tool, and to be aware of the shortcomings that some choices can have, specially regarding perk selection.

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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Bullet Swarm vs. Holo-Targeting'''
|}
* Bullet Swarm gives you massive tactical flexibility no matter how you choose to build the Heavy, Holo-Targeting a +10 Aim increase ONLY to other units firing at the same alien.
* Bullet Swarm allows for Fire and Move, Fire and Reload or Fire and Fire when high firepower is crucial. The issue, as mentioned above, is the lack of Aim of the Heavy - which makes this ability more useful in close range fights.
* The LMG has only 3 rounds, even if you take Suppression, you need Bullet Swarm to Suppress two rounds in a row.

A Colonel Heavy with a Scope shooting at an enemy in optimal range in Low Cover has as mentioned above a pathetic 65% chance to hit. If you go with Bullet Swarm and spend a full round trying to make the shot you have a 12.25% chance of missing totally a 42.25% chance of hitting twice and a 45.5% chance of tagging them at least once. Meaning that you will an 88.75% chance of hitting something. At lowest rank this would be a 79.75% chance to hit something, with a 30.25% of hitting twice.

Even though you might feel that there is a good choice here, there isn't. Using your Heavy to set up shots might seem like a good idea, but statistically it does not work. The problem is two fold, first, at the lowest levels when Holo-Targeting could most likely be useful, the power of at most 3 small 10 point bonuses does not produce more hits than an extra attack. Take the above situation. Enemy in Low Cover, Heavy takes the first shot, then one of each class chimes in.

4 shots with Heavy with Holo-Targeting taking the first shot. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 7.487% chance of 4 hits
* 27.422% chance of 0 hits

5 shots with Heavy using Bullet Swarm. All Rookie Soldiers:

* 1.845% chance of 5 hits
* 13.325% chance of 4 hits
* 11.603% chance of 0 hits

As you can see, the extra attack is better in every way. Not only are you going to have a higher chance of getting 4 hits, you will have a golden chance to hit with 5. Furthermore, given the fact that the Heavy has one of the better weapons, capable of killing any low level enemy in one hit the hits that a Heavy can make are worth more. Not to mention, this is a scenario skewed heavily in the favor of the Holo-Targeting Heavy. There are almost no early game circumstances where you will have a reason or the opportunity to make 4 attacks on 1 enemy.

I hope that one thing is very clear: '''NEVER take Holo-Targeting.'''

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Suppression vs. Shredder Rocket'''
|}
This defines your Heavy as either an explosives platform or a Suppression platform. I will make the argument that simply put, Supports are better at Suppression and Heavies should be blowing things up. Yes, Supports can't Suppress an area, yes, they can't use Mayhem to deal damage with Suppression but here is the rub, Supports have higher ammo / lower damage weapons with much greater accuracy. The Reaction Shot movement provokes will much more likely hit, the loss of damage is lower, there is less reloading needed and Supports have much more versatile ability to specialize. A Heavy with a Shredder Rocket has a 4 automatic damage weapon, that will hit exactly where put it (90% of the time, or somewhat close the rest of the time), and will amplify all damage against a target while removing its cover, in a wide area of effect. It is a limited use weapon but it will save you much more consistently than Suppression.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''HEAT Ammo vs. Rapid Reaction'''
|}
A clean cut choice, as well. Many people who go the Suppression route think that this is perfect. Suppress an enemy, use Flush to force a move, let the Heavy get 2 free attacks. This is a failure state. First, reaction shots are made at a 15 point penalty and as we have previously stated Heavies have crap accuracy. Second, the only way you get a second shot is if the first hits, combine this with the aforementioned crap accuracy and you will rarely see this promotion trigger and even if it does trigger you still have to hit with it, at a similar penalty. On the other side of the equation HEAT ammo doubles damage against robotic opponents and affects all Heavy class abilities, including Rockets. Put simply, in XCOM, robots are the devil. The Cyberdisc and the Sectopod are two of the deadliest enemies you will face, anything that hastens them to the grave is awesome. A Cyberdisc is a deadly early game opponent who can deal 7 damage on a normal attack with a high critical chance, or fling a 5 damage Grenade half way across the map. It can and will one shot your mates, no one below major has a reliable chance of living, and only then if they are at full health. A rocket from a HEAT Heavy will deal 14 damage base, and can crit for more. Shredder Rockets will do 10 and allow your Sniper a good shot at a OHKO. Not to mention, you will blow the drones that hover around the disc or the Sectopod sky high. Choose HEAT, a Heavy who can attack twice can one shot a Cyberdisc or wipe a Sectopod if both attacks hit.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Grenadier vs. Danger Zone'''
|}
Less clear cut. In one hand you're holding two Grenades, in the other you have AoE Suppression and 2 tiles extra area on Rockets. Both are good abilities and the question of which you want depends highly. The benefits are more intangible and are linked to your final choice of what you want your Heavy to be doing. I am going to step back from (semi)objective analysis and offer an opinion. I choose Grenadier because by the time you reach this point, no one else on your team should be carrying Grenades. Your Sniper needs his Scope, your Assault needs armor of some type and even if she doesn't cause you are rocking Titan she should be doing a lot more damage with basic attacks than with a Grenade, Supports might be a good choice to heft a Grenade but they generally are better with Arc Throwers, Medikits, armor, or Scope. Heavies get natural damage ablation and multiple use actions. They have such bad accuracy that you aren't losing much by throwing an attack out the window, and the power that Grenades have to damage terrain and remove cover offers a much more powerful buff to accuracy than a Scope. The final argument for Grenadier is simply that Grenades are amazing breaching tools. You don't want to be using your rockets to breech but grenades can be a worthwhile trade. Danger Zone is lessened in value because you aren't, or shouldn't be, picking up Suppression, 2 extra tiles is nice on your rockets and is certainly worth more than a Grenade if it brings another enemy into range, but rockets are inherently less flexible than Grenades as with their full round cost. Don't feel obligated to get Grenadier, it isn't mandatory.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Flush vs. Rapid Fire'''
|}
To many this is the a tough choice, but it isn't. Mayhem adds max of 3 damage to Suppression which we don't have and adds 2 damage to your rockets, of which you get only 2 (regular and shredder). Rocketeer on the other hand gives you a second rocket. Assuming that you don't even get the blaster launcher upgrade you are still falling behind by 3 damage, and lose the flexibility of a second rocket. Since we have already decided that the Heavy needs to be blowing things up to be reliable thus, anything that offers him more chances to be reliable is good. Thus, more rockets beat better rockets. With double Grenades you have 5 bombs that can reshape the battlefield in your favor.
Alternatively, consider this: a heavy only has so many opportunities to fire rockets during a given mission. It's tough to set up a shot and securely have enough full turns to yourself to fire off all three you get with Shredder and Mayhem, plus throw two grenades. Thus, it may be better taking Danger Zone and Mayhem even if you don't have suppression, because widened range can really make a huge difference, and 2 extra damage becomes 4 against robots due to HEAT Ammo, which becomes even more effective with a Blaster Launcher. It certainly depends on your play style and whether you want to bother setting up for rocket fire.

'''Equipping a Heavy'''
More than any other class, the Heavy shouldn't be worrying about their primary weapon. By all means upgrade the LMG if you can spare the resources, but there is a greater return on investment with other classes. Namely your Sniper and then your Assault need their weapons maxed ASAP, these are the classes that will be dealing your damage and the X-Rays drop Plasma Rifles and Light Plasma Rifles like confetti that your Supports or Assaults can use, thus obliterating the need to buy them. Moreover, the damage scaling is not as significant. With a five damage base a Heavy can reliably kill in one hit Sectoids, thin men and floaters on classic. To one shot the next tier of enemies a Heavy needs to upgrade to Plasma.

Armor is the really deceptive choice for a Heavy. Choosing a Heavy armor for your Heavy may seem right to you, but then you would be wrong. The role that we are looking to give to our Heavy is not that of a walking tank. That is you Assault. He needs to be mobile and capable of placing explosives precisely, while not being left behind. While Carapace Armor for everyone is always a wise choice compared to Body Armor, you should be considering Skeleton Suit and Ghost armor as your primary armors. Heavies don't get any inherent bonus from Heavy armor, unlike the Assault, instead they get a flat 2 point reduction in damage, meaning that they don't require a huge HP pool from Titan or Archangel.

Skeleton Suit / Ghost Armor offer your Heavy a couple amazing bonuses. First is that it gives you 3 extra move and the ability to grapple to the top of structures. Mobility powers are GREAT. Second they give you Defense bonuses, +10 health /+20 defense respectively. A clean miss is much better than more HP. Late game, in low cover, you can get a 40 point defensive shift if you are wearing Ghost Armor. All late game enemies do more than 10 damage a shot, and the 4 lost HP vs Titan or 2 hp vs Archangel or 1 in the case of Skeleton vs Carapace, is compensated by the clean misses. 20% off a 100% attack doing 10 damage is an average 2 HP gain. This makes Ghost even under the worst case scenario better than Archangel flat out and much closer to Titan than it seems. A Heavy in Ghost or Skeleton is more useful and almost as survivable. Psi Armor when appropriate.

Third, for Ghost Armor, the extra movement and the Ghost's unique ability to cloak allows the Heavy to safely get close or even flank a tough opponent in one turn, and then unleash a short range attack at optimum accuracy on the next. Similarly, this can be used to safely position the Heavy for a rocket launch.

Towards the latter part of the game, when it is available, the devastating Blaster Launcher replacement for the rocket launcher will increase the damage output of the Heavy's rockets and allow them to navigate around walls. The Heavy will no longer have to have direct line of sight to the target, but must be within rocket range.

For the Item slot, a Grenade or Alien Grenade is often a good choice for a Heavy. It provides an extra area-effect weapon (or two) that can be used to destroy cover in lieu of using a rocket.

The SCOPE or Chitin Plating are good general purpose items that help the Heavy shoot better or defend against close range attacks. The Heavy can also use other items depending on the Heavy's build or your needs.

==Building a Sniper==

The Sniper is the primary damage class that you will employ and suffers from a small problem of feast and famine. Snipers depending on the level will either be an unstoppable murder engine snuffing out at least one enemy every round, or they will spend most of the time running around useless trying to get a line of sight. Now building a sniper depends greatly on managing this problem, maximizing the good times and minimizing the bad. Snipers have the best basic aim progression of any class, reaching 105 at Colonel. With a Scope and high ground you can expect at have 98% or greater accuracy against an enemy in high cover and you can make the shot from across the map in a position of perfect safety. How can we assure this? Well lets go into the skills.

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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Snap Shot vs. Squadsight'''
|}
DO NOT BE FOOLED! There is almost no circumstance under which you should '''ever''' be taking Snap Shot. To do so is a waste of epic proportions and you might as well be using another class instead of a Sniper. Now this being said, if you are trying some weird 6 Sniper team there is a possibility that this might be okay but lets examine. First, Snap Shot applies a 20 point penalty to any single action shot. Early game, this makes your shots untenable. A Corporal Sniper firing at mid range against an enemy in Low Cover has a 28% chance to hit. A Colonel has 65% chance, but good luck getting there. Second, a Sniper who wishes to have options in terms of close range engagement has other talents that can be used to do so. The gunslinger perk can give you a base damage of 6 with no aim penalties with a Plasma Pistol if you have a terrible need to move and shoot. Squadsight on the other side of the coin essentially defines a Sniper. Sniper rifles have a range cap of 100 which roughly translated is 4 times your vision range, or most of the map. Only thing is that you will never get this range unless you have squad sight. A Squadsight Sniper doesn't need to be right behind to your Assault to cover them. They can do that from the spawn.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground'''
|}
This is a question of enhancing strength vs. minimizing weakness, only I put the order wrong. Gunslinger covers your weakness at close range and inability to scoot and shoot. Damn good ground makes you better at sitting on to of the world sniping the hell out of people. With a Scope and maximum elevation, damn good ground offers perfect chance to hit opponents in high cover. Without this perk you are slightly less than perfect but gunslinger makes it so that you can actually fight at close range and not fail. This is a toss up depending on your style. Just keep in mind that Archangel Armor '''does''' trigger Damn Good Ground, giving you slightly better than Low Cover worth of defense for free and an enhanced chance to hit.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner'''
|}
Of all the choices that you will make as a Sniper this matter the least. Disabling Shot is for the most part patently inferior to blowing someones head off. It is harder to make, does less damage and is on a cool down. That being said, it can be very useful in capturing enemies and can once in a blue moon save your butt if you don't have the firepower to kill a Sectopod or a Cyberdisc. Battle Scanner on the other hand gives you intel, which is invaluable, but cannot be thrown far from the Sniper who likely will be in the back. Still, it can find enemies without triggering them thus allowing a sucker punch. Neither one of these perks will define your Sniper and you should feel free to choose them depending on your mood. One notable point however is if for some insane reason you are building a front line Snap Shot Sniper get battle scanner. You don't need squad sight to see through the scanner and it is the only way you can extend your vision. Also you will be close in and will have the proximity to throw it.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Executioner vs. Opportunist'''
|}
This is another non choice. Executioner is a piddling 10% bonus that only triggers on low HP enemies. Snipers should be one shot-ing high HP enemies and pretty much the only people this will apply to are Sectopods, who already we have ways of dealing with. Opportunist on the other hand means that your Overwatch will do just as much damage at the same hit chance as your normal attacks and given the insane range on Sniper Overwatch allows you to protect soldiers all across the map.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''In the Zone vs. Double Tap'''
|}
The Colonel level talent of a Sniper is pretty much godlike no matter what you choose. In the Zone is streaky, and maybe you're able to kill 8 aliens in a turn. But you should be aware of its conditions, to trigger In the Zone you must hit and kill an enemy out of cover or flanked. Practically speaking, your Sniper will never be flanking anyone, he will be well behind your entire line. So you'll have to destroy cover or target exposed aliens, like melee or flying units(flying units looks like to be in cover, but they're exposed units in terms of ITZ). Another way to trigger is Overwatching and killing a alien in move(which is exposed obviously), it'll give you bonus action next turn. As for the other choice, Double Tap is reliable. DT gives you second shot even if you unluckily miss first shot, every other round. And helps killing alien with large HP pool, like Sectopods.

'''Equipping a Sniper'''
This is really simple. Give him a Scope, give him Archangel, get him the biggest gun you can get as fast as you can get it. For a Sniper, an upgraded weapon is your first combat priority. If he is above the tech curve the rest of your squad could be carrying pea shooters for all that it matters.

==Building a Support==

If you want to double up on a class, Supports should be your first choice. Sure they aren't as ''sexy'' as some of the others but they bring a lot more to the table than most suspect. First of all, Supports can shoot. They have great base Aim and full HP progression. Even without a Scope, a Support has a 90 aim. Beyond that they get to have 2 Item slots once they hit Major, allowing unparalleled customization. Furthermore they are fast, unless you have a stroke while promoting them and accidentally click the covering fire button they will be the quickest unit on the map. This along with their solid offensive and defensive abilities makes them the most reliable unit that you have. A team of all Supports would be a bit less than optimal, but is entirely possible to play.

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|[[File:Corporal icon.jpg|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|'''Sprinter vs. Covering Fire'''
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Now I know, I said you had to be having a stroke to choose Covering Fire and might be a little harsh, but I stand by the statement. The issue is simply this: Covering fire will '''''never''''' help you. Why? Well, lets look at the ability. It grants you a Reaction Shot any time a unit under your Overwatch or Suppression fire. Sounds good right? No, its '''not'''. You just took a shot against a unit in Cover, that you could have fired on your turn, at a -15% penalty. It is nice if you are Suppressing an enemy, and it is also decent if you have the Sentinel ability, but the truth is that as Genghis Khan proved: ''mobility is victory'''. The ability to choose your ground is vital.

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|[[File:Sergeant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|'''Field Medic vs. Smoke and Mirrors'''
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I'm not gonna lie here. Smoke is awesome. Once upgraded it has all sorts if nifty perks and even in its base form a free 20 point defense shift is great. Still med kits are great too, and having 3 instead of 1 is also awesome. So this is a choose your awesome moment. As you always should have minimum 2 Supports you can grab one of each. As a personal preference I tend to favor field medic, but a med kit is an inventory slot you have to spend and field medic tends to mandate one. Now having more options is good, but so is having more healing. A pure utility Support can have Chitin Plating and an Arc Thrower, or Nano-Fiber Vest and a Scope. Thus make your choice not based on smoke alone, but on flexibility.

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|[[File:Lieutenant (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|'''Revive vs. Rifle Suppression'''
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Chances are that you are screwed if you are relying on Revive. Rifle Suppression can keep you from being screwed. The choice is simple and obvious. Of you find yourself favoring revive then you might instead want to have multiple field medics and just keep your soldiers topped off in terms of health.

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|[[File:Captain (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Captain'''
|'''Dense Smoke vs. Combat Drugs'''
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It is another Defense/Offense choice. Combat drugs give +20 Aim bonus too(which is not listed). So in tough situation will you protect you soldiers with a stunning 40 point defense shift that turns no cover into High cover, and High cover into immunity to being shot? Or annihilate X-rays with additional 20 aim and 10 critical? Tough choice, but I prefer not getting hit. One thing to keep in mind is aliens benefit from smoke too, so don't let melee aliens get all up in your smoke business.

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|[[File:Colonel (EU2012).jpg|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|'''Savior vs. Sentinel'''
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Do you want to heal or harm? What kind of question is that! This is XCOM. You want to harm those X-Ray scum. Now don't get me wrong, healing 10 points in one charge is awesome, but shooting twice on Overwatch is even better. With Improved Medikits you should be healing 6 per charge anyways, and if you went with the medical route you can still top off the squad without worry. One of the most important things about sentinel is that it solves the problem of Overwatch overkill. The ability triggers a second Overwatch attack only if the first fails to kill the target, thus preventing those embarrassing moments where your squad all open fire on a floater and blow him to the moon, only for a Muton to wander unchecked into High cover and crit your prized soldier in the face.

'''Equipping a Support'''
Simple enough. Get Skeleton Suit first, then upgrade to Ghost or Psi depending. I have already gone into a lot of detail as to why Ghost Armor is the best armor. A Support wearing it can traverse 13 squares on one move. A dash from another class in Heavy armor is 14. This is silly amounts of mobility. In terms of guns you have the choice of Plasma or Light Plasma. I find that while Light Plasma and a Scope is great early and can be obtained fast, it is offensively too inferior to use. Go for the big numbers and get a Plasma Rifle. Still one thing should be mentioned. Supports get a great return on investment in terms of lasers. The basic Assault Rifle allows them to one shot all the low tier enemies. In terms of secondary items go with what you feel. Medikit, Scope, Chitin Plating, Arc Thrower. The important thing about Supports is that they are flexible and should never be bound to a single setup.

'''Beware of the Dense Smoke Trap!'''
While '''Dense Smoke''', maybe combined with '''Smoke and Mirrors''', might seem like a near-immunity to the aliens' Plasma blasts, it carries a catch. Starting from the 3rd month and the appearance of Mutons, aliens will carry Grenades. Every alien that can throw a Grenade (with the sole exception of the regular Muton) also has the '''Bombard''' ability, meaning it can throw it real far and get you nearly everywhere. The thing is, Grenades never miss. So, when the X-Rays see their chances to hit are too low for their liking (like trying to hit someone standing behind full cover and in dense smoke), they will lob Grenades at you. This may not be a problem on Easy or Normal difficulty, as they will rarely do that on those, but on Classic and Impossible, you can expect Grenades flying your way pretty much at every opportunity.

So what, you say, that's just 5 damage, as opposed to taking 10+ from a Heavy Plasma crit? Yeah, sure... but think about this: Mutons and Heavy Floaters come in packs. If one thinks you're too hard to hit, so do the others probably. Well, 5 damage from one Grenade suddenly turns to 10 or 15. Of course they will try to catch as many of your soldiers in the blast radius as possible. Another point is that one Grenade-lobbing alien can set up perfect shots for its pals. Grenades destroy cover. Meaning after the first blast your +80 defense falls to +40, which is a pretty easy shot for any high-tier X-Ray. The only cover elements that an withstand an Alien Grenade blast are some of the objects inside UFOs. The perfect disaster scenario here is when two of you agents have taken cover on the sides of a single doorway, covered with smoke. A Grenade flies in and blam! - they are suddenly out in the open, with only the smoke providing protection, plus they've got 5 fewer HP each. In the mid-game on Classic or Impossible, this can mean assured death from Plasma crits for both of them.

This, by the way, is true for any AoE attack, like the Cyberdisc's Death Blossom, the Ethereal's Rift, or the Sectopod's cluster bomb (at least you can run away from that).

This taken into account, it may be a better idea to take '''Combat Drugs''' instead, and have a better chance of picking the aliens off with increased Aim and crit chance.