The situation is grim, but not out of hand yet; we have 1-2 days of scanning left to contact Western US and then we can assault the Facility; we can't hang around either, because the Facility Construction timer was at 1 week last I checked. If it's still at 1 Week, there might be time to pick up the Supply Drop before hitting WUS - useful for upgrading the Alien Hunter Weapons. We'll also need to build the Shadow Chamber as soon as it's available to get those Avatar-reducing options going (Power & Contacts are OK for now).
We're probably also due for a stop at the Black Market to clear out some corpses.
Tech is a few days into the Alien Data Cache, but that should probably be switched to something more relevant now that we had the Intel boost from the mission.
I did start scanning the Scientist rumour - which has been around for a while - while waiting for the Data Pad research but not more than a day into it.
Also, the new armour has pockets and we have no items to put in most of them. I think I started another Ammo, but that's probably the way to go with the Proving Ground.
I think we should tackle the facility ASAP. Reason being that destroying a facility resets the facility construction timer, and being a week away from completing a new one means this is the ideal time to do so, especially if the new construction dark event hasn't taken place yet.
Sareln gets Threat Assessment but I'm not sure about WK. Chain Shot makes sense for a gunner but it's kinda risky considering the accuracy drop, Volatile mix would see more use all around but +2 damage isn't that much of a boost at this stage of the game. If we can get some accuracy boost then I'd go for chain shot, otherwise volatile mix would be better.
Definitely facility. Dislike threat assessment, and chain shot is something that I've always wanted to try but never have. Edit: actually, I dislike both options for Sareln, I guess threat assessment is less terrible.
On opening I see we have a spare engineer, i allocate them to the room cleaning halving the duration (from 9 days to 5)
Went Chain Shot on WK, we dont have an accuracy PCS right now, but can fit one later, and it fits with the build better than volatile mix
went with threat assessment on Sareln since it seems to be the consensus
Also remembered to rename Johnny 5
We are indeed researching new ammo in the proving ground (3 days to go)
Research wise we have 2 days left of the data cache which i leave active
On the map the scientist scan for 2 days is very tempting, but given where the count down is, I feel I have to push forward full steam into Western America
I sell 7 advent officer and 7 viper corpses, leaving us with 1 of each and netting us $126
I check if any of our main characters have spare weapon upgrade slots, but we seem to have that covered currently
Finally finish playing round and make contact with California
[picture goes here]
Getting the squad sorted, as commented we have a number of item slots empty, and I do consider getting some medpacks built quickly to cover the gaps, but given they will all be filled with ammo types in a bit i decide its a short term waste of money
So the team assembles. note I didnt wait for the others to get fit, decided the squad looks strong enough without them
[picture goes here = its jkaen, jowy, DP, WK, Sareln, J5]
Turn 1
So we are in a wooded wilderness type map, on the initial zoom around I see both a group near the target, and a group out int he trees directly in a path to it, flyby is too fast to see exactly what is in the groups though other than a few humans
Start is tucked into the bottom corner of the map, so dont have to worry about flanking etc
Pushing forward in stealth reveal the first group - 2 sectiods and a codex
IBT
The sighted squad doesnt move at all
Turn 2
Hoping the squad is fixed I decide to push up nearer before losing my stealth
See what appears to be part fo a second squad right next to the first. just 1 human sighted currently
[picture goes here]
Have a brilliant shot lined up to trigger all the overwatch and catch all 4 units in 1 missle.... at its getting stuck on a small rock and wont work!
[picture goes here]
so everybody sits in overwatch and hopes they dont move so i can set up right next turn
IBT
Again nobody seems to move
Turn 3
set up the same but move J5 slightly to get a clearer shot. everybody gets destroyed and codex doesnt even get a chance to split. no sign of the 4th enemy though that i had lost sight on
Turns some
With no turn timer i fully reload and advance super slowly, tot he point its not worth reporting turn by turn on this
Then finally IBT a viper turns up... with its Daddy!
[pic goes here]
My super cautious approach means the viper is shredded by overwatch fire, but i only hit the queen for 2.
So ideal opening shots on the king (which flanks half my team) is either the sniper with fire rounds (41% to hit) or the acid grenade (2 tiles out of range)
King Fight Action 1 - Sarlen ends up taking a 50/50 and hits for 7 and gets it to advance nearer us
King Fight Action 2 - It gets acid grenaded, and responds by freezing J5 & Jkaen
King Fight Action 3 - DP lighting hands it at 41% hitting and burning it then shadowfall its for a guaranteed hit (rather than a 45% sniper shots) which with all the dots takes it down to 1 health, response is to tongue grab sareln and bind her (in the poison cloud)
King Fight Action 4 - Only Jowy left to act, and he is across the other side of the skirmish and has no shot on the king...but does have combat protocol, which is enough to gets its remaining health
So everybody reloads, i heal sareln up to clear the acid damage, then push her forward, triggering a 3 human team when nobody is on overwatch.
no problem, Jowy pushes forward to get a clean shot, and reveals a turret which he has a 74% chance to stun with override
J5 instead overdrives and fires twice at it, shredding 1 armour but only doing 2/6 damage to it
DP then snipes the tower, needing to hit (79%) and do anything but min damage to kill it. The shot hits...for min damage
jkaen runs and guns to where i think i can axe it then shoot at humans...and i cant see anybody so go into overwatch
jowy combat protocals the tower to take it out and WK again with no clean line on the humans goes to overwatch
IBT jowy is marked then hit for 5, the other shot on Sareln missing
Next turn, SArelns advances and grenades the wall of the building the 3 humans are hiding behind out and damages 2 of them
J5 reloads and takes out the advanced trooper now with no cover
Jowy advances and spears the officer through the wall, that clears a shot for DP to snipe at 63% and miss
WK 56% on the officer also misses
leaving jkaen, and officer on 3 health and a trooper on 8. i can safely kill the officer staying in cover, or riskily try to kill both i decide to take the safe kill
IBT the trooper runs and joins a 2 human group that was just moving round the side of the building. the advanced trooper from the new group taking cover behind a fuel tank
sareln runs forward grabbing a scope and a pcs advanced agility from the dead officer, but doesnt have a shot on the tank, so WK takes it blowing up the tank, 6 health of the stupid trooper and the new officers cover
J5 takes out the exposed trooper, and DP the officer earning a promotion
sareln takes the original trooper down to 1 health and jkaen runs in to finish it off
reinfromcenets are announced and some overwatch set as others reload and heal
human squad comes in, officer dies int he barrage but the other 2 live
jkaen plants the C4, and DP grenades the 2 remaining enemies blowing their cover. WK finishes the trooper and J5 the lancer
that done everybody calmly evacs and watches the fireworks
So we just have the 1 promotion for DP, we also have a viper king corpse to autopsy and get the cool armour from
Counter is also reduced by 3, so we can do other stuff like grab the scientist now
Bit difficult to read the full text report, but it sounds like the current crisis is over. Back down to 8/12 and even killed the Viper Queen too.
Dp promo is an interesting conundrum. Normally Steady Hands beats Aim everyday BUT both our sharpshooters got Deep Cover from AWC so if we don't shoot then we're guaranteed the boost from Aim making it a lot more accessible. Dreylin should (eventually) get steady hands since he shouldn't be moving much but idk about Dp101. I kinda want to go with Aim for the novelty but since the pistol guy takes multiple shots per turn (and aim only boosts the 1st), Steady hands is probably best.
We mustn't forget about the regular supply drop; that should probably be the next pickup. As far as chasing Avatar, it'll be the Codex-Shadow Chamber, and we should probably contact Australia to get closer to Chile (will need to upgrade Comms before Chile).
