Best starting perks for IMP?

[brainrotter]

Preferably based on the stats and team in this guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3005227258

Thanks

[Kernest]

Depends on what you're looking to do with your IMP.

Max leadership goes well with Teaching to get Militia training done faster.

Then you could get Auto Weapons if you're looking to run around with an assault rifle.

Heavy Weapons could be good since your suggested team doesn't have one.

CQC Training is pretty good for both melee and Shotgun builds...

But honestly, I wouldn't necessarily follow that guide, since among other things it suggests you hire Fox AND Mouse.

[brainrotter]

Originally posted by Kernest:

Depends on what you're looking to do with your IMP.

Max leadership goes well with Teaching to get Militia training done faster.

Then you could get Auto Weapons if you're looking to run around with an assault rifle.

Heavy Weapons could be good since your suggested team doesn't have one.

CQC Training is pretty good for both melee and Shotgun builds...

But honestly, I wouldn't necessarily follow that guide, since among other things it suggests you hire Fox AND Mouse.

Gotcha, what team comp would you suggest? Fox and Barry both look like solid picks to me

[Kernest]

Originally posted by brainrotter:

Gotcha, what team comp would you suggest? Fox and Barry both look like solid picks to me

Assuming you do the IMP as the guide suggests (and high leadership IMP is probably best choice), and depending on your difficulty (thus your starting funds), I'd consider Grizzly or Wolf right from the start.

One thing that suggested team comp is *severly* lacking is good marksmanship, unless you picked Kalyna (bad mechanic) or Steroid (low agi, low dex, Fox hates him...)

And if you were to pick Wolf, you could risk swapping out your early game mechanic for a marksman/all-rounder like Omryn or Igor.

Keep in mind if you're thinking of hiring Grizzly sooner or later is that he's a racist who doesn't like working with too many non-americans.

EDIT: Just remembered that Fox does have Teaching trait already, and it doesn't stack. She's likely going to be your Militia training helper, so you wouldn't want to pick that for your IMP, probably. Also, personality-wise you're looking to become a Psycho or a Negotiator to have all the personalities covered. Choice should depend on who you intend to hire later (either a Psycho or a Negotiator).

[uncle nick]

If you're going off that guide, i think you need to build melee IMP. Go with 2 Tactical Perks: Hand-To-Hand and either CQC/Martial Arts.

Hand-To-Hand is the only perk in the IMP perk list that can give you free kills after you're out of action points. When you end your IMP turn, any enemy soldier standing next to your IMP will die during the enemy's turn.

[Kernest]

Originally posted by uncle nick:

Hand-To-Hand is the only perk in the IMP perk list that can give you free kills after you're out of action points. When you end your IMP turn, any enemy soldier standing next to your IMP will die during the enemy's turn.

Let's not oversell it.

You take a hit at any enemy attempting to do anything standing next to you as long as you're wielding a melee weapon/empty hand and with CQC or Martial Arts you will probably hit them.

But there's no guarantee you'll kill them with that one hit, even if wielding The Thing.

[uncle nick]

Yeah, well not at the beginning; but after a few level ups and extra perks, the IMP will be able to do it easily. Flay can do it with his extra perks using the sharpened machete. Here, he kills 3 enemy soldiers during the one Enemy Turn.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3102417053

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3102417921

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3102420786

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3102499107

[Kernest]

Originally posted by uncle nick:

Yeah, well not at the beginning; but after a few level ups and extra perks, the IMP will be able to do it easily.

See, if you had originally written "with the right gear and enough perks, you *maybe* can do it", I wouldn't have had an issue.

Never use the word "will", it implies certainty. It confuses less experienced players asking about right perk choices. Then they come back here complaining because someone promised them that some perk will absolutely do something and it didn't work.

[uncle nick]

I used the word 'can' in the previous sentence. I figured it's obvious that op will add additional perks as the imp levels up. With the hand-to-hand perk, this kill will be possible.

What may not be obvious, is that you no longer can get the hand-to-hand perk later on, as you are leveling up.

[Kernest]

Originally posted by uncle nick:

I used the word 'can' in the previous sentence. I figured it's obvious that op will add additional perks as the imp levels up. With the hand-to-hand perk, this kill will be possible.

Originally posted by uncle nick:

When you end your IMP turn, any enemy soldier standing next to your IMP will die during the enemy's turn.

When that is in fact only a possibility if you take the right perks and equip the merc with the right gear. And even then there are enemies that can take more punishment than what you may be able to deal, or you may simply miss.

[sandman25dcsss]

Originally posted by Kernest:

Originally posted by uncle nick:

I used the word 'can' in the previous sentence. I figured it's obvious that op will add additional perks as the imp levels up. With the hand-to-hand perk, this kill will be possible.

Originally posted by uncle nick:

When you end your IMP turn, any enemy soldier standing next to your IMP will die during the enemy's turn.

When that is in fact only a possibility if you take the right perks and equip the merc with the right gear. And even then there are enemies that can take more punishment than what you may be able to deal, or you may simply miss.

Uncle Nick is correct. Main boss died from full HP during his turn in my game just because my IMP was adjacent to him. And no, you cannot miss if taking proper perks.

[Kernest]

Originally posted by sandman25dcsss:

Uncle Nick is correct. Main boss died from full HP during his turn in my game just because my IMP was adjacent to him. And no, you cannot miss if taking proper perks.

If taking proper perks (and a sharpened machete), as if my whole point wasn't that you need those to make it happen

[uncle nick]

I dunno, I read the topic header asking for the 'best'. I recommended hand-to-hand if OP is doing a melee build. Interesting that you did not suggest this perk, then you go on to argue over use of grammar and semantics.

[ROE]

This thread is an epic derailment.

To the OP:

I didn't read the guide, but Uncle Nick's suggestion is the correct one for a melee IMP. You can get The Thing, which is a suped up machete, from The Good Place. You can also get an almost equal machete from Ile De Mort by giving the engineer parts.

Take Hand to Hand. It is mandatory. Next is your choice. Stealthy if you want to sneak kill. Teaching or Martial Arts. I favor teaching since it helps to train militia.

The personality trait is a wash. Physio is fine. Scoundrel gives you a free weapon switch. Negotiator is okay too. Take which ever one fills a hole in your squad. I usually take Scoundrel.

You will gain strength from attacking and agility from moving. Dex is hard to get and Wisdom is really hard. Train and read magazines. Fox is great to teach DEX. Wolf trains health and strength.

Dump marksmanship, mechanics, explosives, meds. You will not need them. Wisdom needs to be high. Leadership above 65. Dex at least 75. Health at least 70. AGI as high as possible.

Str = damage, Dex = to hit, Agl = movement. Movement if life for this build.

Perks

Full Body Contact. Then Hit and Run. Then Fast Runner.

Then Killing Spree, Shock Assault, Sudden strike. Then take True strike and Linebreaker.

Last you can take Frog Leaping or Breach And Clear.

Play style is up to you. This build can sneak kill with stealthy and Camo Armor, or you can just run up into a pack of enemies and stomp their ass. Stay with all light armor. You can put a shotgun in your off hand or grenades.

[brainrotter]

Originally posted by ROE:

This thread is an epic derailment.

To the OP:

I didn't read the guide, but Uncle Nick's suggestion is the correct one for a melee IMP. You can get The Thing, which is a suped up machete, from The Good Place. You can also get an almost equal machete from Ile De Mort by giving the engineer parts.

Take Hand to Hand. It is mandatory. Next is your choice. Stealthy if you want to sneak kill. Teaching or Martial Arts. I favor teaching since it helps to train militia.

The personality trait is a wash. Physio is fine. Scoundrel gives you a free weapon switch. Negotiator is okay too. Take which ever one fills a hole in your squad. I usually take Scoundrel.

You will gain strength from attacking and agility from moving. Dex is hard to get and Wisdom is really hard. Train and read magazines. Fox is great to teach DEX. Wolf trains health and strength.

Dump marksmanship, mechanics, explosives, meds. You will not need them. Wisdom needs to be high. Leadership above 65. Dex at least 75. Health at least 70. AGI as high as possible.

Str = damage, Dex = to hit, Agl = movement. Movement if life for this build.

Perks

Full Body Contact. Then Hit and Run. Then Fast Runner.

Then Killing Spree, Shock Assault, Sudden strike. Then take True strike and Linebreaker.

Last you can take Frog Leaping or Breach And Clear.

Play style is up to you. This build can sneak kill with stealthy and Camo Armor, or you can just run up into a pack of enemies and stomp their ass. Stay with all light armor. You can put a shotgun in your off hand or grenades.

Thanks, very informative

How badly would I be handicapping myself by opting for Martial Arts vs Teaching? And what about CQC Training, how does that stack up vs MA?

[Kernest]

Originally posted by brainrotter:

How badly would I be handicapping myself by opting for Martial Arts vs Teaching? And what about CQC Training, how does that stack up vs MA?

You strictly speaking don't need Teaching on your IMP, since you're planning to take Fox.

Martial Arts adds 15% to your melee hit and lowers enemy melee hit chance by 15%, IIRC.

CQC adds 20% hit chance at 0 tiles (IIRC) and does work with melee attacks as well, so it in fact adds more hit chance, and works with guns as well (less bonus, the further away you are, of course). It does not lower enemy hit chance, however.