UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

XCOM Base Defense (EU2012)

2025-08-17T12:44:05Z

Porch:

{{Ref Open | title = Mission Objectives }}
[[File:XCOM Base Defense Mission Screen (EU2012).png|200px|right]]
The invaders have infiltrated XCOM in unknown numbers. Limited reinforcements, including XCOM Base Security personnel, are available. Failure will mean the end of XCOM.
*Defend our base by all necessary means
*If all soldiers in the combat area are killed, XCOM HQ will fall
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}

'''Notes'''
*This mission is always called: '''Operation Ashes and Temples'''.
*The Aliens can now attack the [[XCOM HQ (EU2012)|XCOM HQ]] once during a game, resulting in a Base Defense mission against the aliens.
*Base Defense always takes place 2-3 weeks after you've assaulted the [[Storyline Missions (EU2012)#Alien Base Assault|Alien Base]].
*While you're scanning for activity the Hologlobe on [[Mission Control (EU2012)|Mission Control]] will start to flicker and there will be a cinematic showing sections of the XCOM HQ exploding or being attacked by mind controlled XCOM personnel. Afterwards [[Bradford (EU2012)|Bradford]] will inform you that alien intruders have been detected and you'll need to defend HQ's Delta Section.
*You'll start with some veteran soldiers and base security personnel (a.k.a. Blueshirts). Delta section has been cut off and you'll have to defend it from the aliens. The aliens will attack in waves.
**The soldiers you get will always be the ones at the top of the list in the "view soldiers" area of the Barracks, which orders your soldiers first by rank, then by missions, then kills and finally arrival date.
**Soldiers that are injured, on covert operations, in psionic testing, in the genetics lab or undergoing cybernetic augmentation at the time that the aliens strike are "unavailable" and will be passed over when the game selects your starting soldiers and reinforcement waves.
*If you lose the mission you'll lose the game.
**You can restart the mission if you lose with a new RNG seed, this will work with Ironman enabled too.
*Your combat soldiers will be equipped with what they have at the moment in the Barracks and the base security will have [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|Assault Rifles]] and [[Frag Grenade (EU2012)|Frag Grenades]].
**Keeping your highest ranked soldiers equipped is one of the most crucial things you can do to make this mission easier.
* You'll get 3 waves of reinforcements each time Bradford informs you that they've managed to reopen the security door.
**Each time you receive reinforcements you'll get 1 of your combat soldiers, plus 0-2 Blueshirts.
**You will only receive reinforcements in the second and third waves if you have taken combat losses, as the game will not allow you to have more than 8 active soldiers at once.
*The Blueshirts will have -1 HP and -10 Will than a Rookie.
**If you get [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Tactical Rigging]], the base security personnel will have 2 grenades instead of one.
**Although Base Security personnel may earn promotions during the mission, you won't get to keep them as soldiers.
*Delta Section has a rectangular design, consisting of 4 linked sections: Rear Guard Station, Command Center, Mech Bay and Forward Access Tunnel.
*At the end of the mission Bradford will comment that "we still need to find how this was possible", although you'll need to play the [[Progeny (EU2012)|Progeny]] campaign to learn about it.
*Depending on game progression, the [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereal]] may be introduced in this mission
<noinclude>
'''Tactics'''
*Expect to be fighting 30+ aliens during the whole mission. You'll face a mix of all types of aliens.
**Naturally, composition will reflect current campaign progress.
*There are no penalties for demolishing the XCOM HQ, so feel free to use explosives.
*Blueshirts have terrible aim and damage with their conventional weapons, but their grenades are very helpful for softening up enemies and removing their cover so your soldiers can get good hits.
**The Blueshirts operate best if placed on the higher ground where they can benefit from the appropriate bonuses, and can also benefit from Holotargeting. Consider using them to finish off enemies with only a few health points left, especially if your field operatives have much stronger weapons you'd rather save for overwatch or more healthy targets.
*Try to get a killing blow with a Blueshirt for the All Hands on Deck [[Achievements (EU2012)|achievement]], if you're playing to get them.
*Blueshirts don't last beyond the end of the mission, so feel free to use them as disposable scouts. You can absorb [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] fire with them, and try to get psionic enemies to waste their Mind Controls on them, at which point you can kill them. Try not to let [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]] zombify them though. If one of your soldiers is in trouble, you can move a Blueshirt out of cover to try to present a more tempting target.
*Falling dirt means that Aliens are about to drop in from the vents, so take a moment to look ahead and see if there's any falling dirt, as it'll give you a turn before they drop, as Bradford may not warn you until ''their'' turn.
*The first wave will drop directly in to the Command Center where your troops start, with some dropping in the Rear Guard Station and a few in the Mech Bay.
**Try to get your soldiers on Overwatch on the elevated platforms in the Command Center for the bonus accuracy from high ground.
**This is probably the most dangerous part of the mission. If you fail to take out the most dangerous aliens on the turn they drop in then they're almost guaranteed to get flanking shots or melee attacks in such an enclosed space.
*A large group of flying units will arrive at the Rear Guard Station. Most will fly in to the Command Center, but some may get "lost" and you'll have to go out and get them.
*After that more units will drop in to the Mech Bay.
**Try to move some troops out early on to the elevated platforms overseeing the Mech Bay, you'll get excellent shots from the high ground.
**If you're still fighting the flyers when the new wave drops in then you may be better off pressing in to the Rear Guard Station to buy time and then fighting the new enemies from across the Command Center.
*Two more waves of aliens will come through the Forward Access Tunnel. Bradford will urge you to go to them, but it's likely a better idea to keep your troops covering the Mech Bay, since it's very defensible. The aliens will eventually come to you.
**It is possible to have reinforcements arriving at the blast door on the junction of the Mech Bay and Forward Access Tunnel if you advance your troops to that area, although the precise conditions are not known.
</noinclude>

 

<gallery widths=180px heights=100px perrow=5>
File:Base Defense 3 (EU2012).png|The Skyranger gets sabotaged
File:Base Defense 2 (EU2012).png|Bradford about to shoot a mind controlled XCOM technician
File:Command Center (EU2012).png|Command Center and Rear Guard Station
File:XCOM_HQ_Assault_2_(EU2012).png|Mech Bay
File:XCOM_HQ_Assault_3_(EU2012).png|Forward Access Tunnel
</gallery>
<noinclude>
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}

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

Assault (EU2012)

2025-08-11T09:44:50Z

Porch: /* Tactical Advice */

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

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

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

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|center]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown. Does NOT allow use of Arc Thrower but can pick up Meld.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px|center]]'''Tactical Sense''' ''Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20).''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Aggression''' ''Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%).''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px|center]]'''Lightning Reflexes''' ''Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss.''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px|center]]'''Close & Personal''' ''Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target.'' [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|EW DLC]]: ''The first standard shot made within 4 tiles of the target does not cost an action. Cannot combine with Run And Gun.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px|center]]'''Flush''' ''Fire a shot that causes enemies to run out of cover. The shot is easy to hit with, but does reduced damage.'' (+30 Aim, 50% Damage)
| [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Fire''' ''Take two shots against a single target in quick succession. Each shot carries a -15 penalty to Aim.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px|center]]'''Close Combat Specialist''' ''Confers a reaction shot against any enemy who closes to within 4 tiles. Does not require Overwatch.''
| [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px|center]]'''Bring 'Em On''' ''Adds 1 damage on critical hits for each enemy the squad can see (up to 5).''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|center]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px|center]]'''Resilience''' ''Confers immunity to critical hits.''
| [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px|center]]'''Killer Instinct''' ''Activating Run & Gun now also grants +50% critical damage for the rest of the turn.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====
*'''Run & Gun''' could land you in trouble by activating more alien groups, when trying to set up a flanking position.
*'''Run & Gun''' will only allow Fire, [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] and Rapid Fire after dashing. Use any free actions (like Ghost Mode) before.
* '''Close Combat Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the soldier has taken any actions. Useful for setting up multiple shots against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]] or defending from [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] charges.
*'''Rapid Fire''' is not consumed if the alien is killed with the first shot. If the original hit chance is in 34%~96% range, rapid fire offers more chance to land at least one hit.
*'''Flush''' will cause an alien to leave one cover position for another (if available). Make sure to set up Overwatch, [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] or Close Combat Specialist shots beforehand.
* '''Extra Conditioning''' gives +1 health with the starting Body armor, +2 for [[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace]], [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton]] , [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]], and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]], and +4 with [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan]] or [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]].
** In the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] the bonus for Carapace has been increased to +4 HPs.
*'''Killer Instinct''' (+50% crit dmg), may also be combined with Overwatch and Close Combat Specialist shot.
*The Enemy Within DLC version of '''Close And Personal''' functions similar to a Heavy's Bullet Swarm, given that the Assault is within the 4-square range (when this Ability is available, enemies will have an orange ring around them, akin to [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] functions). With Rapid Fire, how one would move, and shoot three times: move to within the ring. Fire a normal shot as the free move. Then use Rapid Fire. Only works once per turn (won't get multiple free shots on enemies with overlapping rings).
**You can't activate Run & Gun after free Close And Personal shot, and you don't get Close And Personal shot after activating Run & Gun.
*'''Lightning Reflexes''' works not only against Overwatch or Suppression shots, but it also forces a miss on '''Covering Fire''' shots.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons ([[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]] vs. [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|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 Rifle (EU2012)|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}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|[[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px]] '''Tactical Sense''' vs '''Aggression''' [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 (EU2012)|cover]], [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|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 [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]] 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 critical chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|[[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px]] '''Lightning Reflexes''' vs '''Close & Personal''' [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px]]
|}
* These skills both address your ability to close in on enemies, either in getting there safely or finishing them once you're there.
* Lightning Reflexes is generally preferable, but shotgunners should consider Close & Personal as well.

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

'''Close & Personal'''
* Continues the trend of making Assaults crit-monsters, and combined with Aggression will give you a 40%-60% bonus to critical 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.
* On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], this ability has been changed, giving the Assault a free shot to any enemy units within close range (marked by a circle around the Assault).
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|[[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px]] '''Flush''' vs '''Rapid Fire''' [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 [[Foundry (EU2012)#Ammo Conservation|Ammo Conservation]] Foundry project.

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

'''Flush'''
* The '''Flush''' ability forces an enemy to move. This can either be the enemy unit moving out of cover or moving to a different cover. This may trigger any available Overwatch and/or Close Combat Specialist.
* The shot costs 3 ammo and has +30 aim and does half damage. The hefty [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] boost and reduced damage can make it useful in niche scenarios, like setting up captures (though generally less useful than other measures since Flush can still crit) or securing a kill.
* Surprisingly, Flush has more of a practical and useful effect against non-cover using ground units (Berserkers and Chryssalids) by driving them away from the shooter, potentially out of melee range for a turn. This positions Flush as the more defensive/cautious option of the two, rather than trying to combo offensively with another squadmate's ability.
* Other uses for Flush can include setting up for [[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]] that don't quite have line of sight or to trigger an Opportunist reaction shot, 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.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|[[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px]] '''Close Combat Specialist''' vs '''Bring 'Em On''' [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px]]
|}
* Continuing the earlier theme, the Assault tree has a lot of great options. This is a choice for both weapon types.

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

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

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|[[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px]] '''Resilience''' vs '''Killer Instinct''' [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 critical hits takes luck out of the equation and put shotgunners at less risk of being taken out in one fell swoop as they charge in for kill shots.
* Remember that you can briefly duplicate the effect (and more!) with [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]], however.

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

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

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

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

===[[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]]===

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

'''Eye'''
Hyper Reactive Pupils will help Shotgunners out when they can't get up close (fire and miss, sure, then get a +10 [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] bonus your next turn). Riflemen will enjoy the added destruction they can cause with Depth Perception. A decent priority, but not insane.

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

'''Skin'''
Since Assaults are usually in and amongst the [[Squads (EU2012)|Squad]], Bioelectric Skin isn't as useful or necessary. Mimetic Skin will help Riflemen if they're able to sit still. Shotgunners usually move around, or are in inopportune positions for it to be of any use. Since your early Shotgunners may often be the first target for [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]], they would benefit from Bioelectric, since the strangle attack can easily overcome the meager HP bonus of starting armor, and keep them in the Infirmary for the Rapid Healing you can't buy yet. Riflemen have more priority here than Shotgunners.

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

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

Assault troopers with rifles will be better served with [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]], plus Crit-chance boosting [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]], and perhaps a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]]. As you will be keeping them just out of range, Close Combat and Close & Personal are less useful to them, and Bring 'Em On helps them get those last few points of damage they'll need to consistently kill aliens.

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

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

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

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

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

Ghost Armor is still probably the armor of choice, especially for Shotgunners. Paired with Bioelectric Skin, this makes them excellent forward scouts, and anti-[[Seeker (EU2012)|Seeker]] units (since they'll then usually be the ones to trigger them-- though be aware: without that skin, if they are the unit the Seeker is attempting to strangle, Close Combat Specialist will not trigger). [[Medals (EU2012)|Medals]] may be more useful for Riflemen Assaults, but redundant for a Shotgunner. Both benefit from [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Tactical Rigging]]: the [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] can either give another boost to a Shotgunner's already high critical hit potential, or both aim and critical chance boot to the Rifleman.

Or, if you play Assaults as tanks: [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]], [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]], [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vest]]/[[Respirator Implant (EU2012)|Respirator Implant]], and Extra Conditioning means an Health bonus of ''20'', and Second Heart & Adaptive Bone Marrow plus Resilience means you can ''laugh'' at anything and everything thrown at them. Add Neural Feedback, a [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shield]] instead of that +2 health item, and certain medal choices, and high stats from Not Equal/Hidden Potential, you have a soldier that can go toe-to-toe with [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] and not even flinch.

Assaults make for good [[Covert_Operative_(EU2012)|Covert Operatives]]: Lightning Reflexes greatly reduces the risk from EXALT overwatches, using Run & Gun to dash to perform an EXALT transmitter hack can help in a pinch, and the altered Close & Personal combined with Rapid Fire (that's 3 shots total) for flanking shots with a Plasma Pistol will almost certainly kill any EXALT agent. With [[Training Roulette (EU2012)|Training Roulette]], if they get abilities such as Low Profile (to go with Mimetic Skin), Bullet Swarm (as an alternate to Rapid Fire), Sprinter (with Run & Gun), Gunslinger (+2 to the only weapon they can use? Yes, please!), or Grenadier (as Operatives have no armor, lobbing grenades from out of sight is a safe battle option to keep them out of the Med Bay), they can complete anti-EXALT missions with great ease.

==See Also==

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

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

Assault (EU2012)

2025-08-11T06:37:12Z

Porch: /* Gene Mods */

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

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

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

__TOC__

==== Abilities ====
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! width="10%" align="center" | Rank
! width="60%" align="center" colspan="4"| Ability
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK SQUADDIE.png|32px]] '''Squaddie'''
| colspan="2" | [[File:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png|32px|center]]'''Run & Gun''' ''Allows firing or Overwatch after Dashing on the turn Run & Gun is activated. 2 turn cooldown. Does NOT allow use of Arc Thrower but can pick up Meld.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|32px]] '''Corporal'''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px|center]]'''Tactical Sense''' ''Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20).''
| width="30%" | [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px|center]]'''Aggression''' ''Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%).''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|32px]] '''Sergeant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px|center]]'''Lightning Reflexes''' ''Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss.''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px|center]]'''Close & Personal''' ''Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target.'' [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|EW DLC]]: ''The first standard shot made within 4 tiles of the target does not cost an action. Cannot combine with Run And Gun.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|32px]] '''Lieutenant'''
| [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px|center]]'''Flush''' ''Fire a shot that causes enemies to run out of cover. The shot is easy to hit with, but does reduced damage.'' (+30 Aim, 50% Damage)
| [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px|center]]'''Rapid Fire''' ''Take two shots against a single target in quick succession. Each shot carries a -15 penalty to Aim.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|32px]] '''Captain'''
| [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px|center]]'''Close Combat Specialist''' ''Confers a reaction shot against any enemy who closes to within 4 tiles. Does not require Overwatch.''
| [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px|center]]'''Bring 'Em On''' ''Adds 1 damage on critical hits for each enemy the squad can see (up to 5).''
|- align="center"
! rowspan="1" | [[File:RANK MAJOR.png|32px]] '''Major'''
| colspan="3" | [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|32px|center]]'''Extra Conditioning''' ''Confers bonus health based on which type of armor is equipped. Heavier armor increases the bonus.''
|- align="center"
! [[File:RANK COLONEL.png|32px]] '''Colonel'''
| [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px|center]]'''Resilience''' ''Confers immunity to critical hits.''
| [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px|center]]'''Killer Instinct''' ''Activating Run & Gun now also grants +50% critical damage for the rest of the turn.''
|}

==== Tips & Trix ====
*'''Run & Gun''' could land you in trouble by activating more alien groups, when trying to set up a flanking position.
*'''Run & Gun''' will only allow Fire, [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] and Rapid Fire after dashing. Use any free actions (like Ghost Mode) before.
* '''Close Combat Specialist''' will trigger against any hostile unit that closes within four tiles, whether or not the soldier has taken any actions. Useful for setting up multiple shots against [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]] or defending from [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalid]] charges.
*'''Rapid Fire''' is not consumed if the alien is killed with the first shot. If the original hit chance is in 34%~96% range, rapid fire offers more chance to land at least one hit.
*'''Flush''' will cause an alien to leave one cover position for another (if available). Make sure to set up Overwatch, [[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] or Close Combat Specialist shots beforehand.
* '''Extra Conditioning''' gives +1 health with the starting Body armor, +2 for [[Carapace Armor (EU2012)|Carapace]], [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton]] , [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost]], and [[Psi Armor (EU2012)|Psi Armor]], and +4 with [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan]] or [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]].
** In the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] the bonus for Carapace has been increased to +4 HPs.
*'''Killer Instinct''' (+50% crit dmg), may also be combined with Overwatch and Close Combat Specialist shot.
*The Enemy Within DLC version of '''Close And Personal''' functions similar to a Heavy's Bullet Swarm, given that the Assault is within the 4-square range (when this Ability is available, enemies will have an orange ring around them, akin to [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]] functions). With Rapid Fire, how one would move, and shoot three times: move to within the ring. Fire a normal shot as the free move. Then use Rapid Fire. Only works once per turn (won't get multiple free shots on enemies with overlapping rings).
**You can't activate Run & Gun after free Close And Personal shot, and you don't get Close And Personal shot after activating Run & Gun.
*'''Lightning Reflexes''' works not only against Overwatch or Suppression shots, but it also forces a miss on '''Covering Fire''' shots.

<noinclude>


==Tactical Advice==

Assaults are the only class that has a choice between primary weapons ([[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]] vs. [[Assault Rifle (EU2012)|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 Rifle (EU2012)|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}}
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CORPORAL.png|30px]] '''Corporal'''
|[[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|32px]] '''Tactical Sense''' vs '''Aggression''' [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 (EU2012)|cover]], [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|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 [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hits]] 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 critical chance. That large swing has the potential to make this somewhat redundant.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK SERGEANT.png|30px]] '''Sergeant'''
|[[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|32px]] '''Lightning Reflexes''' vs '''Close & Personal''' [[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png|32px]]
|}
* These skills both address your ability to close in on enemies, either in getting there safely or finishing them once you're there.
* Lightning Reflexes is generally preferable, but shotgunners should consider Close & Personal as well.

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

'''Close & Personal'''
* Continues the trend of making Assaults crit-monsters, and combined with Aggression will give you a 40%-60% bonus to critical 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.
* On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], this ability has been changed, giving the Assault a free shot to any enemy units within close range (marked by a circle around the Assault).
{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK LIEUTENANT.png|30px]] '''Lieutenant'''
|[[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|32px]] '''Flush''' vs '''Rapid Fire''' [[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 [[Foundry (EU2012)#Ammo Conservation|Ammo Conservation]] Foundry project.

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

'''Flush'''
* The '''Flush''' ability forces an enemy to move. This can either be the enemy unit moving out of cover or moving to a different cover. This may trigger any available Overwatch and/or Close Combat Specialist.
* The shot costs 3 ammo and has +30 aim and does half damage. The hefty [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] boost and reduced damage can make it useful in niche scenarios, like setting up captures (though generally less useful than other measures since Flush can still crit) or securing a kill.
* Surprisingly, Flush has more of a practical and useful effect against non-cover using ground units (Berserkers and Chryssalids) by driving them away from the shooter, potentially out of melee range for a turn. This positions Flush as the more defensive/cautious option of the two, rather than trying to combo offensively with another squadmate's ability.
* Other uses for Flush can include setting up for [[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]] that don't quite have line of sight or to trigger an Opportunist reaction shot, 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.

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK CAPTAIN.png|30px]] '''Captain'''
|[[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|32px]] '''Close Combat Specialist''' vs '''Bring 'Em On''' [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|32px]]
|}
* Continuing the earlier theme, the Assault tree has a lot of great options. This is a choice for both weapon types.

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

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

{| border = "1" {{stdTable}}
|-
| width=110px |[[File:RANK COLONEL.png|30px]] '''Colonel'''
|[[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|32px]] '''Resilience''' vs '''Killer Instinct''' [[File:ASSAULT KILLERINSTINCT.png|32px]]
|}
* 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 critical hits takes luck out of the equation and put shotgunners at less risk of being taken out in one fell swoop as they charge in for kill shots.
* Remember that you can briefly duplicate the effect (and more!) with [[Combat Stims (EU2012)|Combat Stims]], however.

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

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

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

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

===[[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]]===

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

'''Eye'''
Hyper Reactive Pupils will help Shotgunners out when they can't get up close (fire and miss, sure, then get a +10 [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] bonus your next turn). Riflemen will enjoy the added destruction they can cause with Depth Perception. A decent priority, but not insane.

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

'''Skin'''
Since Assaults are usually in and amongst the [[Squads (EU2012)|Squad]], Bioelectric Skin isn't as useful or necessary. Mimetic Skin will help Riflemen if they're able to sit still. Shotgunners usually move around, or are in inopportune positions for it to be of any use. Since your early Shotgunners may often be the first target for [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]], they would benefit from Bioelectric, since the strangle attack can easily overcome the meager HP bonus of starting armor, and keep them in the Infirmary for the Rapid Healing you can't buy yet. Riflemen have more priority here than Shotgunners.

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

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

Assault troopers with rifles will be better served with [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]], plus Crit-chance boosting [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]], and perhaps a [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]]. As you will be keeping them just out of range, Close Combat and Close & Personal are less useful to them, and Bring 'Em On helps them get those last few points of damage they'll need to consistently kill aliens.

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

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

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

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

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

Ghost Armor is still probably the armor of choice, especially for Shotgunners. Paired with Bioelectric Skin, this makes them excellent forward scouts, and anti-[[Seeker (EU2012)|Seeker]] units (since they'll then usually be the ones to trigger them-- though be aware: without that skin, if they are the unit the Seeker is attempting to strangle, Close Combat Specialist will not trigger). [[Medals (EU2012)|Medals]] may be more useful for Riflemen Assaults, but redundant for a Shotgunner. Both benefit from [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Tactical Rigging]]: the [[S.C.O.P.E. (EU2012)|S.C.O.P.E.]] can either give another boost to a Shotgunner's already high critical hit potential, or both aim and critical chance boot to the Rifleman.

Or, if you play Assaults as tanks: [[Titan Armor (EU2012)|Titan Armor]], [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]], [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vest]]/[[Respirator Implant (EU2012)|Respirator Implant]], and Extra Conditioning means an Health bonus of ''20'', and Second Heart & Adaptive Bone Marrow plus Resilience means you can ''laugh'' at anything and everything thrown at them. Add Neural Feedback, a [[Mind Shield (EU2012)|Mind Shield]] instead of that +2 health item, and certain medal choices, and high stats from Not Equal/Hidden Potential, you have a soldier that can go toe-to-toe with [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] and not even flinch.

Assaults make for good [[Covert_Operative_(EU2012)|Covert Operatives]]: Lightning Reflexes greatly reduces the risk from EXALT overwatches, using Run & Gun to dash to perform an EXALT transmitter hack can help in a pinch, and the altered Close & Personal combined with Rapid Fire (that's 3 shots total) for flanking shots with a Plasma Pistol will almost certainly kill any EXALT agent. With [[Training Roulette (EU2012)|Training Roulette]], if they get abilities such as Low Profile (to go with Mimetic Skin), Bullet Swarm (as an alternate to Rapid Fire), Sprinter (with Run & Gun), Gunslinger (+2 to the only weapon they can use? Yes, please!), or Grenadier (as Operatives have no armor, lobbing grenades from out of sight is a safe battle option to keep them out of the Med Bay), they can complete anti-EXALT missions with great ease.

==See Also==

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

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

Sectopod (EU2012)

2025-08-11T06:26:00Z

Porch:

{{OriginalVersion (EU2012)}}
{{BureauVersion (EU2012)}}

[[Image:Sectopod 2 (EU2012).png|right|300px|Sectopod]]

An artificial warrior for the Alien Army, these huge robotic units are a massive threat to your squad members. They are armed with some of the best weaponry the Aliens have. Not only can they use a heavy Plasma Cannon built into its body that can fire twice during a turn but they have a rocket salvo (Cluster Bomb) that they can use to lay waste to large areas. Their Plasma Cannon will also go automatically into [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] mode after it is used and can also fire twice while on reaction fire. Finally, the Plasma Cannon will deal area of effect damage when it hits a target and can be used to destroy terrain (and cover). Their armour is the very best around, it will take a huge deal of focus fire to take down and there is also the [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]] it brings along with it to consider. It can also use both its turn moves for attacking, but only at different targets.

They don't charge as aggressively as [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]] but they are significantly more dangerous. They will usually stay still and destroy your squad from far away.

They are immune to most psionic attacks, with the exception of '''Rift'''.
 

== Info ==
{{Unit Stat Box (EU2012)
|picture=[[File:Sectopod 1 (EU2012).png|150px]]
|appears=September February (Marathon) Overseer UFO
|hp=30/30/30/30
|aim=80/80/90/90
|defense=30
|will=0
|move=12
}}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
|+ Sectopod Abilities
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Ability !! Description
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- align="center"
| [[File:ALIEN CANNONFIRE.png|24px]] '''Cannon Fire'''|| ''Beam attack that causes high damage and grants free Overwatch. If the Sectopod does not move, Cannon Fire can be used twice (against different enemies).'' Base Damage: 9-11, Critical Damage: 15 or 16, Critical Chance: 10
|- align="center"
| [[File:ALIEN_CLUSTERBOMB.png|24px]] '''Cluster Bomb''' || ''Mark a large area, and after one turn, saturate it with a barrage of explosive mini-bombs.'' Each mini-bomb deals 6 Damage.
|- align="center"
| [[File:ABILITY_HARDENED.png|24px]] '''Hardened''' || ''Confers extra protection against critical hits. Enemies suffer a -60% chance to inflict critical hits.''
|- align="center"
|[[File:REINFORCED ARMOR.png|24px]] '''Reinforced Armor''' || ''All incoming damage is reduced by 50%'' Enemy Within DLC only.
|-
|}

'''Notes'''
*Sectopods start appearing in September (vanilla) or February (Marathon).
* They also have the '''Robotic''' passive ability, making them immune to stun, poison and most psionic attacks.
* The Sectopod's Cannon Fire will cause damage target to anything within small Area of Effect, and grants free Overwatch. If the Sectopod does not move, Cannon Fire can be used twice (against different targets).
** [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]]: Sectopod's Cannon Fire lost the AoE damage, but can now attack same target twice if there is only a single target within firing range.
** Cannon Fire can also be used to free target terrain by the Sectopod.
* The Cluster Bomb attack marks a large area, and after one turn, saturate it with a barrage of explosive minibombs. It finishes the Sectopod's actions for that turn. It enters a special deployed state and aims at the target location; on the following turn, it bombards the target area with many small explosives (6 damage each).
**While it is targeting an area to use the Cluster Bomb ability the camera will briefly zoom on that area, allowing you to know where the rockets will hit.
**There are a few odd terrain/cover situations where the targeted soldier doesn't even need to move, such as being indoors (roofs are indestructible, intercept missiles), or lack of floors (in flight, balconies at certain angles: the bombs don't even damage directly, it's the ''splash damage'' that brings the hurt)
*If killed during a successful mission a [[Sectopod Wreck (EU2012)|Sectopod Wreck]] will be recovered.
** Researching Sectopod wrecks will unlock the [[Foundry (EU2012)#Advanced Construction|Advanced Construction]] Foundry project.
*Suppressing them disallows their reaction fire that they get (even if not on Overwatch).
*An excellent strategy (for EU only) exploits their beam weapons' splash damage: Mind Control an alien, and have them stand right next to the Sectopod. When they are fired on, it will likely be for Critical damage, which will then also hit ''them.''
*[[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] changes:
**The 'nerfing' they endure, that their beam weapons no longer have an AoE effect, actually helps them in that the above strategy no longer works at all.
**Reinforced Armor ability reduces all damage by 50%.
**Their death explosion is now essentially an (slightly larger) Alien Grenade going off, 5 Damage included to anything standing near it (about the range of the Assault's modified Close and Personal, for example).
**Sectopods can detect cloaked soldiers and will either use their cannon to destroy their cover (and reveal the soldier if it has [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Mimetic Skin|Mimetic Skin]]), or they will target the ghosted soldier's location with their Cluster Bomb barrage.
**There is some good news: Disabling Shot now actually disables the Sectopod's weapon for a turn (a previous bug would cause it to continuously fire while on Overwatch).

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

Sectopod (EU2012)

2025-08-11T06:25:32Z

Porch:

{{OriginalVersion (EU2012)}}
{{BureauVersion (EU2012)}}

[[Image:Sectopod 2 (EU2012).png|right|300px|Sectopod]]

An artificial warrior for the Alien Army, these huge robotic units are a massive threat to your squad members. They are armed with some of the best weaponry the Aliens have. Not only can they use a heavy Plasma Cannon built into its body that can fire twice during a turn but they have a rocket salvo (Cluster Bomb) that they can use to lay waste to large areas. Their Plasma Cannon will also go automatically into [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] mode after it is used and can also fire twice while on reaction fire. Finally, the Plasma Cannon will deal area of effect damage when it hits a target and can be used to destroy terrain (and cover). Their armour is the very best around, it will take a huge deal of focus fire to take down and there is also the [[Drone (EU2012)|Drones]] it brings along with it to consider. It can also use both its turn moves for attacking, but only at different targets.

They don't charge as aggressively as [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdiscs]] but they are significantly more dangerous. They will usually stay still and destroy your squad from far away.

They are immune to most psionic attacks, with the exception of '''Rift'''.
 

== Info ==
{{Unit Stat Box (EU2012)
|picture=[[File:Sectopod 1 (EU2012).png|150px]]
|appears=September February (Marathon) Overseer UFO
|hp=30/30/30/30
|aim=80/80/90/90
|defense=30
|will=0
|move=12
}}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
|+ Sectopod Abilities
|-
! width=""50px" align="center" | Ability !! Description
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- align="center"
| [[File:ALIEN CANNONFIRE.png|24px]] '''Cannon Fire'''|| ''Beam attack that causes high damage and grants free Overwatch. If the Sectopod does not move, Cannon Fire can be used twice (against different enemies).'' Base Damage: 9-11, Critical Damage: 15 or 16, Critical Chance: 10
|- align="center"
| [[File:ALIEN_CLUSTERBOMB.png|24px]] '''Cluster Bomb''' || ''Mark a large area, and after one turn, saturate it with a barrage of explosive mini-bombs.'' Each mini-bomb deals 6 Damage.
|- align="center"
| [[File:ABILITY_HARDENED.png|24px]] '''Hardened''' || ''Confers extra protection against critical hits. Enemies suffer a -60% chance to inflict critical hits.''
|- align="center"
|[[File:REINFORCED ARMOR.png|24px]] '''Reinforced Armor''' || ''All incoming damage is reduced by 50%'' Enemy Within DLC only.
|-
|}

'''Notes'''
*Sectopods start appearing in September (vanilla) or February (Marathon).
* They also have the '''Robotic''' passive ability, making them immune to stun, poison and most psionic attacks.
* The Sectopod's Cannon Fire will cause damage target to anything within small Area of Effect, and grants free Overwatch. If the Sectopod does not move, Cannon Fire can be used twice (against different targets).
** [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]]: Sectopod's Cannon Fire lost the AoE damage, but can now attack same target twice if there is only a single target within firing range.
** Cannon Fire can also be used to free target terrain by the Sectopod.
* The Cluster Bomb attack marks a large area, and after one turn, saturate it with a barrage of explosive minibombs. It finishes the Sectopod's actions for that turn. It enters a special deployed state and aims at the target location; on the following turn, it bombards the target area with many small explosives (6 damage each).
**While it is targeting an area to use the Cluster Bomb ability the camera will briefly zoom on that area, allowing you to know where the rockets will hit.
**There are a few odd terrain/cover situations where the targeted soldier doesn't even need to move, such as being indoors (roofs are indestructible, intercept missiles), or lack of floors (in flight, balconies at certain angles: the bombs don't even damage directly, it's the ''splash damage'' that brings the hurt)
*If killed during a successful mission a [[Sectopod Wreck (EU2012)|Sectopod Wreck]] will be recovered.
** Researching Sectopod wrecks will unlock the [[Foundry (EU2012)#Advanced Construction|Advanced Construction]] Foundry project.
*Suppressing them disallows their reaction fire that they get (even if not on Overwatch).
*An excellent strategy (EU only) exploits their beam weapons' splash damage: Mind Control an alien, and have them stand right next to the Sectopod. When they are fired on, it will likely be for Critical damage, which will then also hit ''them.''
*[[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] changes:
**The 'nerfing' they endure, that their beam weapons no longer have an AoE effect, actually helps them in that the above strategy no longer works at all.
**Reinforced Armor ability reduces all damage by 50%.
**Their death explosion is now essentially an (slightly larger) Alien Grenade going off, 5 Damage included to anything standing near it (about the range of the Assault's modified Close and Personal, for example).
**Sectopods can detect cloaked soldiers and will either use their cannon to destroy their cover (and reveal the soldier if it has [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Mimetic Skin|Mimetic Skin]]), or they will target the ghosted soldier's location with their Cluster Bomb barrage.
**There is some good news: Disabling Shot now actually disables the Sectopod's weapon for a turn (a previous bug would cause it to continuously fire while on Overwatch).

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

Squads (EU2012)

2025-08-11T05:40:38Z

Porch: /* Squad Leader */

[[image:XCOM Squad.png|500px|right]]Squads composed of up to 6 units are the standard tactical unit deployed by XCOM in the battlefield. All squads have a [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldier]] designated as the squad leader and it is possible to only bring 1 trooper to missions. The starting squad size will be of 4 units, although it is possible to increase this number through the [[Officer Training School (EU2012)|Officer Training School]]. Squads can be composed of any soldier [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] or even only 1 class and may also include [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]].

== Squad Size & Deployment ==
During the mission loadout screen it is possible (and advisable) to determine the starting position of the soldiers assigned to the squad. The below chart shows how the slots on the loadout screen correspond to tactical deployment. This setup applies to most [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]], although there will be exceptions.

{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
! width="20%" align="center" | Squad Types
! width="55%" align="center" | Notes
! width="25%" align="center" | Deployment
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
| align="center" | '''Default Squad''' [[image:Squad 4 units.png|300px|right|Default Squad mission and tactical screens]] || The four-man squad is the default squad size. The majority of your units this early will be rookies and therefore not have a class. Once you obtain sufficient ranked soldiers, you can start adjusting your squads for the missions you're embarking upon. The standard "one of each class" is a typical approach here. || align="center" | '''Equip Screen''' 2 3 4 5 '''Mission Start''' 3 4 2 5
|-
| align="center" | '''Squad Size I''' [[image:Squad 5 units.png|300px|right|Squad Size I mission and tactical screens]] || The squad can be added with a 5th slot after purchasing the Squad Size I ability from the [[OTS_(EU2012) | Officer Training School]]. Besides the additional firepower adding the 5th squad member also makes it safer to bring a rookie/squaddie for training, in addition to the four classes. There are several possible deployment patterns using 5 unit squads. || align="center" | '''Equip Screen''' 1 2 3 4 5 '''Mission Start''' 3 4 1 OR 3 5 4 2 5 ---- (2) 1
|-
| align="center" | '''Squad Size II''' [[image:Squad 6 unit.png|300px|right|Squad Size II mission and tactical screens]]|| The final six-man squad is unlocked after purchasing the Squad Size II ability from the [[OTS_(EU2012) | Officer Training School]]. Besides the additional number, The sixth soldier makes it safer to split the squad into two similar elements with separate roles during a fight. For instance, while one element of three soldiers keeps a pack of aliens pinned down, the second element maneuvers itself for a close assault or flanking shots.|| align="center" | '''Equip Screen''' 1 2 3 4 5 6 '''Mission Start''' 3 4 1 2 5 6
|-
|}
===Squad Leader===
[[image:Squad Leader.png|100px|right]]
One of the squad's soldiers will be assigned the leader, and will have a yellow star imposed upon its rank icon. Its importance on during missions is that soldiers will have a lesser chance of panicking as long as it remains alive and uninjured.
The leader is selected according to the following criteria:
# Rank - the highest ranking soldier will always be selected, regardless of position or stats
# Mission Loadout slot - if there are two (or more) soldiers of the same highest ranking, the one closest to the front will be selected.
# Kills/Will - if the foremost position is occupied by a lower rank, then the number of missions/kills and/or the Will stat seem to determine the squad leader.
 
[[File:ABILITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE (EU2012).png|75px|right]]
On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]], you'll be able to see who the squad leader is for the mission after you've purchased the [[OTS (EU2012)|OTS]] '''Lead By Example''' upgrade. During the pre-mission loadout screen, the current squad leader will have the Lead By Example icon on its list of abilities.

==Squad Types==
The composition of a squad will depend on its number of [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]], their [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]], individual soldier [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] and any [[Equipment (EU2012)|equipment]], as well as the presence of [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.]] units, as well as the [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]] type and objectives.

The starting squad composition is the [[Assault (EU2012)|Assault]], [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]], [[Heavy (EU2012)|Heavy]], [[Support (EU2012)|Support]] combination, although it can be a rare occurrence during the early game stage due to combat losses and injuries. It is usually required to build the [[Officer Training School (EU2012)|OTS]] to increase the squad size and enlarge the pool of trained soldiers before more specialization is possible. After that the differences will be on the number of soldiers of each class present.

Since each squad may have up to 6 soldiers, it is possible to combine the squads described below, by fielding an Assault/Heavy squad or a Sniper/Assault squad, whichever suits better your playstyle.

===Heavy Squad===
Heavy squads have two or more Heavy soldiers and are useful on missions facing superior [[Aliens (EU2012)|Alien]] firepower/numbers. They are focused on deploying their weapons, specially the [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rocket Launcher]] against packs of enemies and dealing massive damage or removing their cover and leave the kill for the rest of the squad.
The Heavy's primary weapons can be very useful for Overwatch ambushes against the weaker aliens, with the Rapid Reaction perk, or for close combat with the Bullet Swarm ability. It is also possible to bring two Heavies and combine together the Holo-Targeting and Bullet Swarm abilities if they are both present.

'''Tactical Use'''
*When tougher aliens are expected or encountered for the first time.

===Sniper Squad===
These squads are built around the principle of Scout and Snipe - scouting units move ahead to spot alien packs and remove their cover for the Snipers on the back to take out using the Squad Sight ability. They can be very powerful in open maps, specially if the Snipers are equipped with Archangel Armor.
With two Snipers, both can either have the Squad Sight ability and be in safe positions, or, 1 has Squad Sight and the other Snap Shot, and most important, Battlescanner. Until you've researched and built [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]], Battlescanner is simply a life saver since it allows the Commander to quickly assess the situation ahead, without alerting the aliens to XCOM's presence, and determine the best way to engage alien pods.

'''Tactical Use'''
*Open maps, without the need for close range fighting.

===Assault Squad===
With two or more Assaults, this squad is good for maps with cover that require/allow [[Flanking (EU2012)|Flanking]] maneuvers or for fighting inside the larger [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFOs]]. The Assaults can be used as a pair or separately, allowing for more pincer movements, although at a loss of firepower.
Assault squads are also very useful on Bomb Disposal missions due to the Assault's Run & Gun ability - they can Dash, disarm a node and Fire/Overwatch, allowing for quick movement.

'''Tactical Use'''
* Assaults can be used as Rifleman (with Assault Rifles) or Breachers (with Shotguns) or a mix.
* Usually in maps that allow for wide flanking movements, with cover.
* Enclosed maps like the large UFOs or urban areas.

===Support Squad===
This squad is built upon the principle of squad endurance, with the Support soldiers responsible for injury/poison recovery (Field Medic) and squad security (Sprinter for Scouting, Covering Fire/Sentinel for sentries, Smoke and Mirrors/Dense Smoke for cover, etc.).
Support squads usually have lesser firepower than any of the others but their advantage is that they are built to keep the squad fighting as long and effective as possible. They can also be fast squads for use on Council missions after Laser/Plasma weapons are developed and deployed since the firepower/armor isn't anymore an issue when facing the lower tier aliens.

'''Tactical Use'''
* In prolonged fights (large maps/UFOs).
* On Council missions after advanced weapons/armor are developed and deployed.

===Combined Squad===
Finally this squad is a mixture of two of the squads listed above, by adding 2 soldiers of different classes to the basic four. There's several different combinations possible, depending on the player's choices. These are the most common squads fielded because of their versatility.

==Squad Formations==
These formations are used specially on open [[Maps (EU2012)|maps]] where there's more freedom of movement. Some sort of cover is usually required but that depends on the tech disparity between both sides - it's quite possible to deploy your [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] out in the open and not risk KIAs, depending on the battlefield circumstances. There are three main types of formations: '''Wedge, Line/File and Fire Teams'''.

===Axis of Movement===
The squad axis of movement is the general direction(s) which the squad is moving within the mission's Area of Operations (AO). The axis is one of the main factors to consider when moving your squad in formation. It can be useful to set the game camera pointing upwards towards the axis to help remember the main route the squad is following. When deciding which axis should be set for a unit or the whole squad, there are different types of areas spread around the map to consider.
[[Image:Area Operations (EU2012).png|right|300px|Red = Danger, Yellow = Unknown, Blue = Safe]]
* '''Safe''' (blue area): these are areas scouted recently and clear of [[Aliens (EU2012)|aliens]]. It is always necessary to keep track of the Squad's safe areas since they can provide concealment and avoid activating more packs of X-Rays. Safe areas with full [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]] available are the best one since they all for soldiers to set [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] traps, conduct flanking maneuvers, reload their [[Weapons (EU2012)|weapons]], [[Medikit (EU2012)|heal]] themselves, or pull back to avoid being crushed by the aliens.
* '''Unknown''' (yellow area): all out of sight areas of the map where aliens might be present, either dormant or active. As the squad moves away from the [[Skyranger (EU2012)|Skyranger]] it will start revealing more of the unknown part of the Area of Operations and risk either activating dormant aliens or run into their Overwatch traps.
* '''Danger''' (red areas): locations where they aliens can target any allied units and hit/kill them during their turn. As the aliens move during their turn or are activated during XCOM's turn they'll create new danger zones.
====Other Areas====
[[Image:Other Areas (EU2012).png|right|300px|Skyranger EVAC Area with Sniper in position]]
* '''Fall Back''': the rectangle close to the Skyranger that allows evacuation of any squad units present on it.
* '''Objective(s)''': these are areas that need to be defended/captured, as required the [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]]'s objectives. Examples are the [[Bomb Disposal (EU2012)|Bomb Disposal]] Council missions, where it is required to reach the bomb's location, or the bridge chamber on the [[Storyline Missions (EU2012)#Alien Base Assault|Alien Base]] mission. However, a squad can also set short-term tactical objectives such as capturing/securing good map positions for a [[Sniper (EU2012)|Sniper]] or to secure a particular position to outflank an enemy.
 

=== Wedge ===
[[Image:Wedge (EU2012).png|right|300px|Wedge formation]]
* This are the starting squad positions and they are usually used at the start to advance the [[Soldiers (EU2012)|soldiers]] all together and try to kill [[Aliens (EU2012)|alien]] patrols with combined [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] shots.
* It's a typical formation as the XCOM squad moves away from the Skyranger and starts exploring the AO to find the aliens.
* This formation can be used over and over, as long as there aren't any active aliens (i.e. that have seen you and made the "run for cover" animation). It is also possible to use this formation against 1 or 2 active aliens if the soldiers have enough [[Armor (EU2012)|armor]] to prevent being killed from 1 or 2 alien shots.
 
==== Scouting ====
[[Image:Scouting (EU2012).png|right|300px|Scout advances]]
* The basic movement is for 1 high movement unit to advance 1 action for scouting and then the rest of the squad rejoins it and all units end their turn in [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] for the reaction shots in case an alien patrol wanders by.
* The key is to coordinate the squad's movement as one. All members use 1 action to move, one by one, then the whole squad Overwatches together.
* Some units best used on this role include:
** [[S.H.I.V. (EU2012)|S.H.I.V.s]] because of their durability.
** [[Support (EU2012)|Supports]] with Sprinter ability or [[Sniper (EU2012)|Snipers]] equipped with Battle Scanner;
** Supports/Heavies with Suppression to suppress any discovered alien and restrict its movements;
** After contact with the aliens is initiated the squad usually switches to the Line formation.
 
=== Line ===
[[Image:Line (EU2012).png|right|300px|After contact squad breaks into a Line]]
* After contact with the enemy is established, the line is used to secure the squad's location and prevent the aliens from advancing or flanking your units. Your soldiers will be spread in a line behind cover and with enough space between them to avoid several units being hit by [[Alien Grenade (EU2012)|Alien Grenades]] or [[Thin Man (EU2012)|Thin Man]] poison.
* The Line allows flexibility to deal with threats from multiple directions and to perform frontal assaults.
* However, it may not be possible to establish a line if the whole squad finds itself on the middle of a danger zone or if the aliens are threatening to outflank it. In those situations the squad may switch into a '''File'''.
* If frontal advances are too costly, the File may instead break itself into two semi-independent '''Fire Teams'''.
 
====Choosing Cover====
[[Image:Good Cover (EU2012).png|right|300px|Soldier in good cover]]
The cover locations should also not danger zones. In order to determine if a tree, van or wall is safe, consider the following:
* How many aliens can presently see the soldier behind [[Cover (EU2012)|cover]];
* How many more will be able to see him/her if they advance on the next turn;
* If your Overwatch fire can bring any advancing enemies down;
* If the unit is at a risk of being [[Flanking (EU2012)|flanked]] and receiving a [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|critical hit]];
* If the object proving cover can be destroyed by gunfire or explosives;
* If the object can explode by its own (usually cars).
 
====Rules of Engagement====
When moving or firing a unit you should always consider the same principle defined in the Scouting section: your squad should move and fight as one. There are exceptions to this rule, but the key aspect is that all the moves should be coordinated and the 2 actions of a unit shouldn't be used one after the other. As an example with a 4 soldier squad (Heavy, Assault, Sniper, Support):
* Assault moves and spots enemy, stops moving;
* Heavy (with Bullet Swarm) fires and misses;
* Sniper (with Squad Sight) also fires and misses;
* Support moves to a position with full cover but has a low Aim probability;
* Assault either fires, goes on Overwatch or retreats;
* Heavy advances to a better position for the next turn;
* Support uses Smoke Grenade to cover either Assault or Heavy, if required, or also goes to Overwatch;
* Turn ends.
This way you can combine the synergy of the different [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] and their [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] together more efficiently, without taking unnecessary risks.
===File===
[[Image:File (EU2012).png|right|300px|Squad pulls back into a File to reach a safe area]]
A File is used to retreat from a bad position or to quickly reach a map position.
* The main emphasis of a file is to avoid contact/engagements with the aliens, by moving/dashing through secure locations, with 1 or more units moving ahead of everybody else to scout the path to the rest of the squad.
* [[Assault (EU2012)|Assaults]] can be one of the best units for this role since their '''Run & Gun''' ability allows them to respond to any threats found within the axis of advance. Assaults are also typically found on the flanks of a squad to try to outflank the aliens and can switch quickly to this role.
* A squad can usually quickly switch between a File and a Line.
 
====Tactical Retreats====
[[Image:Retreating (EU2012).png|right|300px|Should this soldier retreat?]]
Many times the question is "when to retreat" after you've encountered several aliens or started suffering casualties. To evaluate the situation you should consider how many enemies will be left standing, after you've played your turn, according to the the following guidelines :
* A single Alien that needs 2 shots to kill one of your soldiers is a nuisance.
* 2 or more Aliens that need 2 shots to kill one of your soldiers are a threat.
** The same for 1 Alien that only needs 1 shot and has your soldier on its sights.
* 2 or more Aliens that need only 1 shot each to kill a soldier is risking disaster for the entire squad.
 

===Fire Teams===
[[Image:Fire Teams (EU2012).png|right|300px|Squad breaks into two fire teams]]
* Another possibility is to divide your squad into two separate teams, each fulfilling a different role while moving and [[Aim (EU2012)|firing]] in coordination. A fire team's composition is usually made up on the occasion and largely depends on its role.
* This formation is used to advance by flanking the enemies's position, with 1 fire team holding the aliens in position while the other advances through a different direction, or to draw the aliens to Overwatch traps, with 1 team withdrawing to draw the aliens into the sights of the second team.
* While this formation allows great flexibility for a squad, its main drawback is that a player will be splitting its firepower and risking that the aliens overcome either team.
 
====Bounding Overwatch====
[[Image:Bounding Overwatch (EU2012).png|right|300px|Rear element on Overwatch try to kill a Sectoid]]
Use of Fireteams also provides the opportunity to catch advancing enemies on Overwatch traps while retreating. While the forward element of the Squad dashes to safety, the rear element can set itself in positions where it can safely Overwatch without the risk of drawing fire from several enemies.
This tactic can be difficult to master because it will also depend a lot on the characteristics of the aliens encountered. [[Sectoid (EU2012)|Sectoids]], for instance, will usually retreat if they are fired upon while advancing, but [[Muton (EU2012)|Mutons]] will play more aggressively and melee/robotic units like [[Chryssalid (EU2012)|Chryssalids]], [[Berserker (EU2012)|Berserkers]], [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]] or [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]] will simply advance or fire upon the rear element.
 

==See Also==
* [[Missions (EU2012)|Mission Types]]

{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

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

Gas Grenade (EU2012)

2025-08-11T02:10:35Z

Porch:

{{Ref Open | title = Description }}
[[File:Gas Grenade (EU2012).png|right|100px|Gas Grenade]]
Our advanced research in alien physiology has allowed us to synthesize a modified version of the poison projected by the Thin Man, and containerize it in grenade form.
*Creates a poison gas cloud at impact site
*Affects all targets in blast radius
*Poison lasts 1-3 turns, doing 1 damage each turn. It also reduces Aim by 20 points.
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}
'''Notes'''
{{Item Data Box (EU2012)
|requires=[[Thin Man Autopsy (EU2012)|Thin Man Autopsy]]
|costs= §35 2 [[Thin Man Corpse (EU2012)|Thin Man Corpses]] 7 Engineers
|abilities/stats=Poison Cloud
}}
*Robotic units, Thin Men, and MECs are immune.
*The poison cloud will still affect your soldiers moving through it, unless they have a Respirator Implant, Titan Armor, or Medikit.
**As opposed to the fairly low damage over time, it's probably better to use this for the -20 Aim that poison status inflicts.
 

<noinclude>
{{Equipment (EU2012)}}

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