XCOM 2 SG - It Continues?

[Jowy]

Getting the drop on a Ruler is huge. You get 6 free attacks on it, not to mention that hits from the right soldiers will inflict the status effects right from the get-go.

[WarriorKnight]

No promotions isn't as big of a deal when everyone is Captain or above. Obviously we want to be able to get promotions but on the later stages of the tree we can't expect it to happen as often. We might have been able to send some less experienced troops but didn't want to risk it on a very difficult mission (speaking of which, we need another grenadier as WK is the only one we have atm).

One thing I forgot to report, the 2nd power coil is now shielded. I recommend we build the Shadow Chamber there (once we can afford it of course) to avoid the decent power requirements. If we do that we might be able to get by without needing to build a 2nd power relay.

EDIT:

Getting the drop on a Ruler is huge. You get 6 free attacks on it, not to mention that hits from the right soldiers will inflict the status effects right from the get-go.

Was more like 2-3 in this case, but I guess things just worked out perfectly here.

[Dp101]

Would have grabbed this, but I have had a horrible cold the past few days and don't know when I can get to this.

[WarriorKnight]

- Jowy
- Dp101
- Lewwyn
- Jkaen
- Dreylin
- WarriorKnight

I can give some leeway due to Christmas, but can we aim to get another turn or 2 in before the new year?

[Dp101]

Ahh screw it, I was typing up a post about how I'm still sick and probably shouldn't be playing this due to the increased probability of making mistakes, but how bad can it be? Got it. Edit: Nevermind, it turns out this laptop is too crap for the game to even attempt launching, so I am without a computer that can play the game at the moment. Someone else take this. Edit 2 scratch the scratching, an opportunity has opened up, I have re-got it

[Dp101]

Base management

I start by surveying the stocks, and discover that we have no money to spend, as well as nothing worth selling corpses to buy. I start scanning the alien wreckage since there is nothing better to do. Skullmining comes in, nothing to buy though because no spare elerium cores. Wreckage finishes, gives 31 alloys and 28 crystals. Go back to HQ and start scanning for intel. Get 115 supplies and 21 alloys from clearing the room, I save it for armour in 9 days (didn't upgrade the grenade launcher since we have been doing fine and armour is both expensive and important). Guerrilla ops happens, options are scienist + no fast retaliations, ~100 intel + no  increased detection radius, or 200 supplies + no guaranteed reinforcements on missions. Go for the last one since money is never bad and the dark event sounds horrible. Squad:

Mission:

T1, objective is down a block and across the street. First pod:




Everyone is just across the street to the SE, I overwatch and see if they will come to me. IBT no movement, so I start moving to bypass them.
T2 I use the grapple with lewwyn:




Nasty bunch connected to the same building as lew and above the objective. I will try and grenade the floor under them (spoiler alert, I don't). I move up for now, no engagement. No movement from either pod IBT, going to try and hack before I even activate anything.
T3 Check the hack, jowy has 100% chance to control a random enemy, should be useful.
T4, look at this:




This goddam streetlight is making it impossible for jowy to get to the objective safely, but I don't want to hack it because that will break concealment (due to the temp MC). Looks like I will activate after all. Dreylin long-watches the second squad, jowy and Sareln overwatch, and I use face-off with venom rounds on 4 targets:


(there is another 3 damage that pops up soon on the other muton)




Nice shooting, one of the clones is dead although the camera glitched so you can't see, but the long watch was wasted as the back pod did not move at all. WK throws a mimic and Lewwyn takes out a muton:




Gets a promo and moves  back with implacable. IBT Dreylin goes insane!










I hadn't realised that long watch would keep going, how stupid of me. Only the shieldbearer, a half-health flaming archon, and a mostly-dead codex left:




That codex had teleported to full cover that flanked the whole squad, but of course they moved to the place of uselessness they currently reside. Start out the turn with Jowy's 100% hack:




Got enough to get the other option, but it is crap without psi troops. Found the rest of the map's troops:




-1 officer it seems. I shoot the archon with my pistol, then lightning-hands them, then hit him a third time, but unfortunately there were 2 dodges, so the burning effect might not kill them. Lewwyn axes the codex but destroys a wall in the process:




Jowy could skullmine the shieldbearer, but I value exp more than intel, so WK gets a go instead. He fails his 40% crit, dreylin uses lightning hands to finish the archon, and I have a change of heart and skullmine instead:




Dammit, he takes 3 damage, knew I shouldn't have gone for it. Sareln can either heal jowy or hack the objective, I heal since if the objective is a + hack stat one I want it on the dedicated hacker. I hadn't noticed, but somehow the mec got hacked as well:




Officer takes 6 damage from shieldbearer.
T5 I notice reinforcements coming in right in the middle of the formation, so I prepare with overwatch, although before I realise this I accidently dashed jowy trying to get him in sight of the objective, so unfortunately no guardian. Dreylin hits the shieldbearer in the distance for one less than lethal after mec microrockets, so the officer over there grenades themselves and the mec. Removes all armour from the mec, which was the intended purpose. Everyone overwatches, and I hit end turn:







What the hell is this advent squad comp. Dreylin pops one of the two remaining troopers, and I shadowfall the last one in the back of the head:




Jowy hacks the objective:




I take the money. The mission ends! (but I can't find the screenshot) I thought it would, given that the controlled enemies counted as my troops (except for the purposes of picking up the shieldbearer's loot, but can't have everything) but still nice. They apparently counted as wounded soldiers too!




I can deal with these stats




Nice promos. TIL 3 damage = gravely wounded. Why.




It isn't a bad ability, just a strange target. I want guardian, the other options is trash. Lewwyn has untouchable or deep cover, lean untouchable. Dreylin has aim or steady hands, I like steady hands. Get advanced scope and superior speed PCS! We should definitely consider whose head we jam that one into. Archon autopsy opens up, from the description it sounds like it unlocks T3 melee.

[Dreylin]

Nice smooth mission.

FWIW, I like "Ever Vigilant" and regularly use my Specialists to scout out front - it also lets them make those just-yellow moves that reach full cover rather than half. Not so great for triggering pods though, since the Overwatch is only added at EoT.

For Dreylin, I'll take a look at the options, but may have no strong opinion.

I'm keeping an eye out for an opening, but staying with family for another week and time is scarcer than at home....

[WarriorKnight]

I might've gone for the 2nd Op choice instead of the 3rd personally. Guaranteed reinforcements are only for Guerrilla Op missions, which only happen once a month. Vigilance is more painful in my experience, although maybe that's because I like abusing concealment so much.

Our healer got Hail of Bullets? Interesting... Kinda weird but certainly not bad, guaranteed damage is pretty awesome.

Dreylin gets Steady Hands, Lewwyn gets Untouchable and Sareln gets whatever (leaning on Guardian).

[Dp101]

Anyone going to pick this up?

[Dreylin]

I probably can't until I'm back home and over the jetlag ... at the weekend maybe?

Edit: not New Years weekend, the next one.