New to enemy within. Questions about Exalt

[kreight]

So I've done three exalt missions where I had to extract the soldier I had sent before. Now after doing this third mission I had to send another soldier to canada to do his thing.

Now I got the option to raid an exalt base, which there says 'exalt cell present'. It also says that description in two other countries with a yellow eye symbol. So when I click on attempt raid it says 'raiding a country that is not harboring the exalt base will cause the country to leave xcom.

So my questions are: 1. How do I know for sure that that will be the exact location of the exalt base? 2. Can there be more than one base? 3. What happens if I don't raid a 'exalt cell present' country?

Thanks

[Dr Duh]

You keep getting clues as to where the (one and only) Exalt base is NOT every time you run a successful covert mission against a cell. This is summarized on your map as Xs next to all the countries where you now know it is not present. Until you get down to only one country where there is not an X next to its name, you take a chance of picking wrong and pissing people off if you conduct a raid and it turns out the base isn't there.

If you don't run covert ops to kill cells you find they will have time to start sabotaging your operations.

[kreight]

Originally posted by Dr Duh:

You keep getting clues as to where the (one and only) Exalt base is NOT every time you run a successful covert mission against a cell. This is summarized on your map as Xs next to all the countries where you now know it is not present. Until you get down to only one country where there is not an X next to its name, you take a chance of picking wrong and pissing people off if you conduct a raid and it turns out the base isn't there.

If you don't run covert ops to kill cells you find they will have time to start sabotaging your operations.

Thanks for the reply

[frdnwsm]

In vanilla EW, you can often let the attack on the EXALT base ride for a while, while you research better tech. You want to be well equipped when attacking their base, and also, I used covert ops against EXALT as an experience mill for my lower rank recruits.

I believe that wiping EXALT out is also what triggers the alien all-out assault on XCOM's home base. Considering that losing the Base defence scenario = loss of game, you want your core defenders as well equipped as possible.

[qb.-]

Answearing questions:

1. Do scans for cell presence and send operatives untill there is only one country possible left. You should make at least two scans a month - at the begining and around 15th. Remember each sweep is more expensive, but the cost resets with new month. EXALT cells show up in time - if you sweep and there is no cell it does not mean there will be no cells in few days.
2. There is only one EXALT base. Success on raiding it ends EXALT threat and everything related to EXALT.
3. EXALT will sabotage you by stealing your money or bumping the panic level in one country to max level.

Tip: Raid the country only after you're 100% sure what country it is in. It will also unlock an achivement for you.

@up: wiping EXALT base doesn't trigger XCOM base assault mission. Wiping alien base (story related) does.

[kreight]

Originally posted by quborg:

Answearing questions:

1. Do scans for cell presence and send operatives untill there is only one country possible left. You should make at least two scans a month - at the begining and around 15th. Remember each sweep is more expensive, but the cost resets with new month. EXALT cells show up in time - if you sweep and there is no cell it does not mean there will be no cells in few days.
2. There is only one EXALT base. Success on raiding it ends EXALT threat and everything related to EXALT.
3. EXALT will sabotage you by stealing your money or bumping the panic level in one country to max level.

Tip: Raid the country only after you're 100% sure what country it is in. It will also unlock an achivement for you.

Thanks for the reply!

[kreight]

Originally posted by frdnwsm:

In vanilla EW, you can often let the attack on the EXALT base ride for a while, while you research better tech. You want to be well equipped when attacking their base, and also, I used covert ops against EXALT as an experience mill for my lower rank recruits.

I believe that wiping EXALT out is also what triggers the alien all-out assault on XCOM's home base. Considering that losing the Base defence scenario = loss of game, you want your core defenders as well equipped as possible.

Thanks!

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by frdnwsm:

In vanilla EW, you can often let the attack on the EXALT base ride for a while, while you research better tech. You want to be well equipped when attacking their base, and also, I used covert ops against EXALT as an experience mill for my lower rank recruits.

I believe that wiping EXALT out is also what triggers the alien all-out assault on XCOM's home base. Considering that losing the Base defence scenario = loss of game, you want your core defenders as well equipped as possible.

In my experience the event that triggers the attack on XCOM HQ has nothing to do with EXALT, but rather assaulting the alien base.

[frdnwsm]

AH, forgot which base raid triggered the alien response. OK, might be the alien base assault then that provokes the attack on XCOM. I still liked to farm covert ops missions for experience, though.

Similar warning then, before raiding alien base.