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Ground Combat Guide For Beginners


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In my opinion, that's would partially true - reaction fire right now is a harsh dose of 'reality' to players. As a game mechanic it's rather unfair though because it is generally useless to players, and only useful to aliens.
Thank you for not dismissing the entire writing. Please note that if you look at the text I specify that HIGH reaction soldiers should be given high reaction fire weapon (perhaps indirectly I will admit), like shotguns and pistols. Reaction fire does work even in the early game IF the soldiers have the good reflex score AND a reaction multiplier weapons like a shotgun or pistol. In the early game an alien that is dumb enough to jump out of his ship WILL be shot by someone with a shotgun or pistol and a good reflex score standing outside the door.
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@EvilEagles

At a measly strength of 51 a soldier can equip 1 precision Rifle in Hand, 1 loaded Rocket Launcher in backpack, Medkit and a spare sniper ammo clip without getting overburdened.

So this combo is good to go even with new recruits - they will just need to drop extra rockets in dropship and come back to it to reload.

@StellarRat - I play with a few mods, but as far as I know non of them modify alien AI. I tried stacking on door at first, but never has an alien jumped out - they open door (game mechanic is opening door does not provoke RF) and than they shoot someone at point blank range. Yes half my guys respond at that point - but quite often 1 of them is already dead. An even bigger issue is that there is always more than 1 alien inside, and anyone not standing to the side of the door is then shot from inside by the others. At a minimum, standing directly in front is a no-no. The alien who opens will usually not have TU to fire twice since they walked up to door and opened it, so if they target a shieldbearer there is a good chance of them just wounding instead of killing - but having 2-3 aliens fire through the doors at those crouching out of cover directly in front like that, if someone doesn't die that is just extremely lucky.

And than later on there are alien soldiers that lob grenades...

In my opinion the better way is to always approach from sides, try to take any positions in cover around UFO from which it's possible to fire inside, and spend a few turns with a fast shieldbearer running up, opening, and letting rest of the team snipe inside at any aliens within first rooms. Only when that area is clear, is stacking in front of door before rush safe because remaining aliens won't have TU to run through half the ship, open door and then do anything.

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  • 2 weeks later...

3) Breach of UFO, picture 3 - positioning before breach: one word suicidal. Also see - "how to lose a mission" Try that in the game, doors open, alien shoots at either shield-bearer from point blank range for a very likely kill shot with either shotgun or rifle burst. Rest of the aliens deeper in the UFO have direct line of sight at the 2 soldiers crouching out of cover directly in front of door. That small distance will not mitigate hit chances at all. Expected casualties when 'End Turn' pressed is at least 3 - get ready to start next turn with 5 panicking soldiers, half of whom will drop their weapons and spread out.

Can't disagree more, I always have 2 shield up front as I breach, well unless I am doing the blow up door method, its never ever caused more than 1 casualty at worst, I can't remember the last time an alien opened the door before me. My preferences in the later game is to have my tank blow the door with snipers/heavys far enough back.

(agree with the rest mind, going to check out the rocket launcher sniper combo tomorrow :P)

Edited by draykorinee
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I would also like to point out how to game the system (you dirty cheaters you :P) for door breaches:

1. Because you are opening the door, no reaction fire may be received due to the mutual surprise mechanic.

2. Grenade tossing animations do NOT freeze the screen, so if you are quick enough, you can issue commands while the solder is taking their time lobbing a grenade.

This means that you can instantly close the door as soon as the grenade passes the threshold and suffer no retaliatory strikes against your solders. Rinse and repeat (while listening to the dirty xenos scum scream about game imba and hax).

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  • 4 weeks later...
New to this. How do I deal with reapers at night?

Rule #1: Never take a night mission unless there is absolutely no choice. You can usually wait (even on a terror mission) to time your arrival at the crack of dawn.

Failing rule #1: Your best bet against Reapers day or night is a vehicle, IMO. They are completely immune to reapers. You just have to keep it alive through the mission. Using a vehicle to spot and possibly kill Reapers is definitely my recommendation.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've dealt with Reapers in the night...landed UFO. My advice, advance VERY carefully, spam flares, and always keep your pointmen at half TU at the end of turn for reaction fire. I've seen Reaper run out of the dark only to eat a couple of rifle rounds and shotgun blast to the face.

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Reapers can be baited by flying soldiers, or soldiers on a roof. The stupid bugs come running to get you even though they can't reach you. If that's not an option, don't spread your soldiers, keep them together and watching all possible directions, sometimes its better to wait for them to show up and take reaction instead of moving forward and find them in a terrible position.

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Reapers can be baited by flying soldiers, or soldiers on a roof. The stupid bugs come running to get you even though they can't reach you. If that's not an option, don't spread your soldiers, keep them together and watching all possible directions, sometimes its better to wait for them to show up and take reaction instead of moving forward and find them in a terrible position.
This is also solid advice. I should point out that flying soldiers aren't available for a while, but you can still put soldiers on a roof the old fashioned way.
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This is also solid advice. I should point out that flying soldiers aren't available for a while, but you can still put soldiers on a roof the old fashioned way.

That makes the soldiers reachable for Reaper, although it can still work to force him to waste whole turn getting to soldier, if it has to go around.

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