How does Base Defense Work

[Kordanor]

I am currently playing on Iron Man, so I don't exactly have option to test that out: I am wondering how base defense works.

You can build defense buildings in your base which have a defense value. I also know that you can fight a ground combat with all your available troops.

So...can you secure your base enough with defense buildings so it never comes to a fight on the ground?

Is the base automatically lost if the Ufo makes it past the defense building and you have no ground troops?

Does it mean that you have to have ground troops in every base? Or will it work if you put a couple of defense buildings there?

[kabill]

If base defense buildings destroy the attacking UFO, then it's obliterated and there's no defense mission.

Otherwise, yes, you need to make sure you have soldiers defending the base.

[Prudent Viper]

Also, apparently if they damage but not destroy the ufo, you face fewer enemies on the ground. I think that's an excellent feature.

[Solver]

Defense buildings attack the incoming UFO and can destroy it. If it's not destroyed, it still gets damaged, meaning fewer aliens get through to the base.

Once aliens are in the base, yes, it's lost automatically if there are no soldiers. Or if all your soldiers are currently on a chopper flying somewhere!

[Theon Greyjoy]

- all bases can be attacked by aliens, but they prioritize the older ones (unless you are unlucky I guess)

- you can secure your base with defense buildings alone. They have a % chance to hit and damage the attacking ufo... and if enough hits are scored - to destroy it. Now Im not sure how many defenses you need....and there is also the chance that they will miss the target.

- if the ufo is damaged some of the invading crew will be dead.

- if your base has no xenonauts and the ufo was not destoyed = base lost.

- you can deploy max 16 xenonauts (actually they will be auto-deployed, you can't chose), be sure to arm your troops BEFORE the attack occurs, the game won't let you chose once the invade screen occurs.

As for my advice: If you have enough xenonauts in your main base, well - don't build defenses for some time (just remember to upgrade their equipment every now and then; remember that ppl comming out of the hospital will have an m16 only).

For the other bases, build some defenses and guard them with just a few xenonauts to prevent losing a base to 3 left over ceasans. And isn't it fun to send your experienced captains and lieutenants on retirement? (guard duty). And then join up with their adventures when they need to survive a swarm attack of unexpected androns :]

[Jean-Luc]

be sure to arm your troops BEFORE the attack occurs, the game won't let you chose once the invade screen occurs.

Wasn't this changed?

[Theon Greyjoy]

So it was!

patch 1.0 notes:

- When a Xenonaut Base mission happens, the player is now taken to equip their soldiers before the mission begins.

Thanks for pointing it out. Good to know they fixed it.

[kabill]

Wow, completely missed that. That's really good.

[Kordanor]

Cool, thanks for the explanations!

[Shadow86]

So does anyone know more or less how many batteries I need to reliably protect a base from hostile UFOs?

Defense emplacements seem like the only reasonable choice to protect secondary bases, given how expensive it is to maintain and properly outfit even a modest garrison.

[Irishguy117]

Well so far the only time I've had a base attack two plasma batteries failed to shoot down the UFO. That's all the information I've got.

[kabill]

So does anyone know more or less how many batteries I need to reliably protect a base from hostile UFOs?

Defense emplacements seem like the only reasonable choice to protect secondary bases, given how expensive it is to maintain and properly outfit even a modest garrison.

While messing around doing some testing, I've found that 10 missile batteries (the regular, un-upgraded ones) is enough to stop just about anything (I had a battleship slip through once, mind, but I don't think battleships can assault your base in vanilla).

Plasma turrets provide twice the defence of a missile turret, so that would imply that 5 plasma turrets would make a base pretty safe. Might be wise to have a few soldiers to defend just in case, though.

[Kordanor]

Well so far the only time I've had a base attack two plasma batteries failed to shoot down the UFO. That's all the information I've got.

Did the number of attacking aliens decrease?

I mean if there are just 3 Aliens left who attack the base, 5 defending soldiers would be sufficient, even if they don't have equipment. (just equip everyone with rocket throwers)

[Shadow86]

According to a loading screen tip, I believe defense batteries can reduce the alien assault complement down to a minimum of 50%. I figure they'd attack in significant numbers, so even at half strength they could pose a significant threat to a small/ill-equipped garrison.

Alternatively: tanks. They're cheap to maintain but expensive to build post-Hunter, so not a perfect solution either.

[Sapare]

I can add that 2 turrets(even plasma) certainly won't shoot down a UFO reliably, out of 4(maybe 5) times they have never done it... I am considering going with 3 this game and hoping for the best.(problem is, even if you got a good squad in your main base and it gets attacked, aliens in base attack missions tend to be really well equiped and you'll losses will stagger and throw you off your game.(that is on insane)

[Sandyxx]

from the game files:

if i'm understand correctly then only landship and carrier will do base attack

m:airplane.alien.corvette 0

m:airplane.alien.landingship 350

m:airplane.alien.carrier 600

e:airplane.alien.fighter 0

e:airplane.alien.heavyfighter 350

e:airplane.alien.interceptor 600

HP

airplane.alien.landingship 2300

airplane.alien.carrier 4000

each turret do damage with 60% chance

PlasmaTurret 900

MAGTurret 1200

to protect ourselves from landship, we need, at least 3 plasma turrets or 2 mag turrets.

with MAG turrets, chance to protect base will be 36%. with three turrets - 64.8%

actually we can come to an desired threshold (e.g. attacking ufo is destroyed with 90% chance, but we can never guarantee that every attacking ufo will be destroyed: with three turrets there is still 35% chance, that two or more turrets will miss)

[Commissar Pancakes]

According to a loading screen tip, I believe defense batteries can reduce the alien assault complement down to a minimum of 50%. I figure they'd attack in significant numbers, so even at half strength they could pose a significant threat to a small/ill-equipped garrison.

Alternatively: tanks. They're cheap to maintain but expensive to build post-Hunter, so not a perfect solution either.

Hunters with the laser cannon upgrade might work pretty well.

[Irishguy117]

Does anyone know if the defense mission will trigger if you have only tanks in a base or do you need to have actual human soldiers there as well?

[Commissar Pancakes]

If it's in the same vein as the original, you probably need troopers. Though that was mainly because the tanks in the OG were remote controlled.

Would it be equivalent to sending only a vehicle on a UFO retrieval mission?

[Irishguy117]

Also aren't rooms supposed to have to be repaired if they take damage during a base defense? I had a couple rooms get pretty well trashed last time but nothing happened.

[Kordanor]

Also aren't rooms supposed to have to be repaired if they take damage during a base defense? I had a couple rooms get pretty well trashed last time but nothing happened.

Yep, made the same experience.