Abilities (EU2012)
Your soldiers' actions on the battlefield can influenced by their individual abilities, which are given by their rank, class, equipment and/or perks purchased through the Officer Training School.
Class & Rank Abilities
These are special perks available to each class and rank. Up reaching a certain rank a soldier has to choose exclusively between two abilities. Click on each column to sort contents alphabetically.
| Ability | Class | Rank Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run & Gun | Assault | Squaddie | Allows to move and make a shot, including at the end of dashing, can't use equipment, cooldown 3 turns. |
| Tactical Sense | Assault | Corporal A | Confers +5 Defense per enemy in sight (max +20). |
| Aggression | Assault | Corporal B | Confers +10% critical chance per enemy in sight (max +30%). |
| Lightning Reflexes | Assault | Sergeant A | Forces the first reaction shot against this unit each turn to miss. |
| Close & Personal | Assault | Sergeant B | Confers +30% critical chance against adjacent targets. The bonus declines with distance from the target. |
| Rapid Fire | Assault | Lieutenant A | Allow for two shots, with potentially twice the damage inflicted but at a lower accuracy |
| Unknown | Assault | Lieutenant B | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Assault | Captain A | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Assault | Captain B | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Assault | Major | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Assault | Colonel A | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Assault | Colonel B | Not yet revealed |
| Rushing? | Assault | Unknown | Mentioned in one video? |
| Fire Rocket | Heavy | Squaddie | Fire a rocket using an equipped launcher. This ability can not be used after moving, nor more than once per mission. |
| Bullet Swarm | Heavy | Corporal A | Firing the primary weapon as the first action no longer ends the turn. |
| Holo-Targeting | Heavy | Corporal B | Shooting at or suppressing enemies also confers a +10 Aim to any allies' attacks on those enemies. |
| Shredder Rocket | Heavy | Sergeant A | Fire a rocket that causes all enemies hit to take +33% damage from all sources for the next 4 turns. The rocket's blast is weaker than a ??? |
| Suppression | Heavy | Sergeant B | Can fire a special shot that grants reaction fire at a single target. The target also suffers a -30 Aim penalty. |
| HEAT Rounds | Heavy | Lieutenant A | +100% to damage against robotic enemies |
| Rapid Reaction | Heavy | Lieutenant B | Gives a second reaction fire if the first one was successful |
| Grenadier | Heavy | Captain A | Allows to carry 2 grenades instead of 1, if grenades are carried |
| Danger Zone | Heavy | Captain B | Increases hit area of rockets and suppression by 2 spaces |
| Survival | Heavy | Major | No details available |
| Focused Suppression | Heavy | Colonel A | Reduce target Aim by 65% and free shot if the target moves |
| Tracer Beam Rounds | Heavy | Colonel B | If hit alien takes extra damage from entire squad |
| Headshot | Sniper | Squaddie | Fire a shot with +30% critical chance and extra damage on critical hits based on the tech level of the sniper rifle. 2 turn cooldown. |
| Snap Shot | Sniper | Corporal A | Removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty. |
| Squad Sight | Sniper | Corporal B | Allows firing at targets in any ally's sight radius. |
| Battle Scanner | Sniper | Sergeant A | Scanning device, when thrown creates a new source of vision for 2 turns. Can only be used 2 times per battle |
| Gunslinger | Sniper | Sergeant B | Confers 2 bonus damage with pistols |
| Opportunist | Sniper | Lieutenant A | Unit continues firing on Overwatch as long as it hits the target |
| Disabling Round | Sniper | Lieutenant B | Shot to disable alien's main weapon, alien may to fix the weapon, no critical hits, 2 turn cooldown |
| Damn Good Ground | Sniper | Captain A | +10% Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation in addition to the usual elevation bonuses |
| Executioner | Sniper | Captain B | +10% Aim against targets with less than 50% Health |
| Low Profile | Sniper | Major | Makes partial cover count as full cover |
| Double Tap | Sniper | Colonel A | Both actions can be used for Standard/Precision/Disabling Shot |
| In The Zone | Sniper | Colonel B | Additional shot after a critical hit |
| Smoke Grenade | Support | Squaddie | Deploy a smoke grenade once per mission. The smoke confers +20 defense to all units, not just allies, and lasts during the enemy turn. |
| Sprinter | Support | Corporal A | Allows the support to move 3 additional tiles. |
| Covering Fire | Support | Corporal B | Allows reaction shot to trigger on enemy attacks, not just movement. |
| Field Medic | Support | Sergeant A | Gives 3 Medikits, if the support is carrying them. |
| Unknown | Support | Sergeant B | Not yet revealed |
| Revive | Support | Lieutenant A | Allows Medikits to revive critically wounded Soldiers at 33% of maximum health instead of just stabilizing them. |
| Rifle Suppression | Support | Lieutenant B | Fires a barrage that pins down a target, granting reaction fire against it and imposing a 30 penalty to aim. |
| Unknown | Support | Captain A | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Support | Captain B | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Support | Major | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Support | Colonel A | Not yet revealed |
| Unknown | Support | Colonel B | Not yet revealed |
| Combat Stims | Support | Unknown | Temporarily increase squad mates' stats and reduce damage taken |
| Mind Merge | Psionic | Unknown | Speculated - There are 4 specific Psi icons visible on the demos |
| Panic | Psionic | Unknown | If successful targeted unit panic and either will be unable to move and fire or run or go bezerk |
| Mind Control | Psionic | Unknown | Control of enemy for 5 turns |
| Rift | Psionic | Unknown | Creates a devastating psionic storm |
(ingame descriptions appear on Italic text)
Officer Training School Abilities
These abilities can be obtained/purchased through building an Officer Training School. They have a monetary cost and require specific ranks to be purchased/activated.
| Ability | Rank Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Work | Sergeant | +25% experience gained from kills |
| Squad Size I | Sergeant | Squad size increased to 5 soldiers |
| Rapid Recovery | Lieutenant | Soldiers heal twice as fast from wounds taken in combat |
| Squad Size II | Captain | Squad size increased to 6 soldiers. |
| Iron Will | Major | Soldiers receive a larger Will bonus each time they are promoted |
| New Guy | Major | New soldiers are automatically promoted to the "Squaddie" rank |
| Don't Die On Me | Colonel | The higher the rank, the more likely the soldier will be critically wounded instead of killed |
Equipment Abilities
These are specific abilities provided by the presence or use of selected equipment.
Stabilize| Ability | Equipment Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heal Wound | Medikit | Use the Medikit to heal up to 4 Health Points or 8 points if the soldier is Support class |
| Stabilize | Medikit | Prevents a critically injured soldier from bleeding out. |
| Grapple Hook | Skeleton Suit Ghost Armor | Use the grappling hook to reach high locations |
| Stealth? | Ghost Armor | Use the stealth function of the Ghost armor to move undetected |
| Stun | Arc Thrower | Can incapacitate enemy targets. Higher chance if the target's health is at 3 HP or below. |