Does Overwatch ever hit a target?

[Saryn]

Originally I played XCOM 2 before playing Enemy Unknown and in XCOM 2 the Overwatch ability seemed to hit the target more than in Enemy Unknown! Does Overwatch ever hit in Enemy Unknown?

[NetPCDoc]

While I have seen it do so ... one has to be paying close attention to actually see this! More often than not the only indication that this has succeeded is when you end the round (turn?) with more dead enemies than can otherwise be accounted for.

[Shortylax]

Yes.

[metalofhonor]

Overwatch comes with a severe aim penalty so it's much less likely to hit than a normal attack, with the exception of snipers who have the opportunist ability. So it's probably a combination of the bad odds and bad luck that have caused you to miss so much.

[Pelaf]

Using overwatch is more than just activating the ability. To make it effective, you need to be using it with an objective in mind. Are you in concealment next to a chokepoint? Use overwatch, because something might come rushing through a door 4 tiles away. If you're 20 tiles away from a target and just expect him to move, then it's not much of a surprise when several overwatch shots just don't hit.
Play to your classes' strengths like you would with any other ability. Any time you use overwatch without a focused goal in mind, you're throwing one burst of ammo away for a potential payoff rather than a probable payoff. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can't be a surprise when it doesn't always pay off, if indeed you keep using it that way.

[Beanzoboy]

When you've got Assault people, switch to the pistol before using Overwatch, because the pistol has a longer range and thus better accuracy, unless the enemy is close enough for the shotgun to be viable. At later stages, the pistol can be better than an assault rifle if you keep upgrading it.

[<Username Not Found>]

Opportunist (sniper) and Sentinal (support) are great ideas if you (like me) are an overwatch user.

[Zeonista]

Originally posted by Pelaf:

Using overwatch is more than just activating the ability. To make it effective, you need to be using it with an objective in mind. Are you in concealment next to a chokepoint? Use overwatch, because something might come rushing through a door 4 tiles away. If you're 20 tiles away from a target and just expect him to move, then it's not much of a surprise when several overwatch shots just don't hit.

Pelaf has a good point. Overwatch is designed for the squad to cover an area, so if the aliens randomly enter or move to attack they get shot at. When moving across the map, look for places that seem likely for a pod to be, then blue-move the squad to be able to shoot into that area, and set Overwatch. Ideally, the aliens move in such a way that their being in the open offsets the Overwatch penalty. If the squad is getting ready to enter a building, Overwatch the door and maybe an adjacent window. If the squad is moving down an alley, make sure the squad members are positioned to shoot down it. If a pod of Mutons with Berserker in the lead emerge down the street, make sure the squad is set up so Big Red gets shot at by as many squad members as possible. That sort of thing.

[red255]

Overwatch in XCOM:EW is different than XCOM2.

Rules with overwatch you should be aware of.

Overwatch is a reaction, the first enemy unit the soldier sees that moves one tile in line of sight he will take an overwatch shot against. basically if the enemy runs along a full cover wall or other object where he stops on the tile where the overwatching unit is revealed, there will be no shot. keep that in mind.

the overwatch shot is at a 70% penalty to aim and cannot crit unless the perks are taken (either the MECs advanced firing protocols, or the snipers opportunist, which also cancels the inability to crit with squadsight)

If the unit is running along a low cover wall they will get the defense bonus of low cover.

if you are dashing the chance to hit is reduced further.

basic rule of thumb, is if the enemy is in low cover its better to shoot it, if the enemy is in full cover its probably better to pull back and overwatch (break line of sight)

if the enemy has too many HP to kill with overwatching fire, lack of criticals you should probably persue a better option.

[Onza]

Honestly, they fixed the overwatch issue in XCOM 2. The accuracy is a substantial buff over Enemy Unknown. In this game, overwatch and covering fire tends to waste ammo. Hunkering down is actually the smarter play, especially in the early game.
That being said, the Ayylmaos don't seem to have a problem hitting your soldiers from overwatch. Poor odds are still odds, and RNGesus does not always love you.

[Ashardalon]

they are exactly the same aim penalty
except ambush overwatch

[SpiritxTower]

I also came from XCOM 2 and came here for the same reason. After I had every single person in my squad on overwatch, and only 2 or maybe 3 of them hit. And that was actually a surprise, that anyone did. The target was close too. And my sniper even had a scope. It's so pathetic how bad it is. It really is only a last resort.

[Stardustfire]

ignoring the necro, Supps are the same OW beasts in 1 that they are in 2, and MECs exel real hard in OW Mode. OW penalty is in % in 1, where it was only a hard number in xcom2 when i remember correct. and seriously, basic knowledge? you lament that a sniper dont hit a target near him? there aim gets worse when the enemy is to near and better when the target is more far away.
no problesm with OW in 1, hitrate is more than ok (but than i play with SW Options Not created equiel and hidden potential, so anything under 70 aim gets a place in the first row to protect the important staff)

[SpiritxTower]

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

ignoring the necro, Supps are the same OW beasts in 1 that they are in 2, and MECs exel real hard in OW Mode. OW penalty is in % in 1, where it was only a hard number in xcom2 when i remember correct. and seriously, basic knowledge? you lament that a sniper dont hit a target near him? there aim gets worse when the enemy is to near and better when the target is more far away.
no problesm with OW in 1, hitrate is more than ok (but than i play with SW Options Not created equiel and hidden potential, so anything under 70 aim gets a place in the first row to protect the important staff)

To say this was difficult to read is an understatement.

And the dude wasn’t close close, I’m saying it was within reasonable range. I believe the chance to hit when aiming was 70+, and then in overwatch ofc he whiffed.

Overwatch is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ in Enemy Unknown. And I’m unsure if these are useful and obvious acronyms normally, but to someone who’s never posted here, it just makes communicating a nightmare.

[Amanoob105]

Originally posted by SpiritxTower:

To say this was difficult to read is an understatement.

And the dude wasn’t close close, I’m saying it was within reasonable range. I believe the chance to hit when aiming was 70+, and then in overwatch ofc he whiffed.

Overwatch is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ in Enemy Unknown. And I’m unsure if these are useful and obvious acronyms normally, but to someone who’s never posted here, it just makes communicating a nightmare.

His comments grammar is a bit off, but his message is still perfectly clear.

First things first, saying that the chance to hit ->after<- overwatch was 70% means little as that isn't the full maths. Overwatch in this game comes at a fixed penalty.
https://xcom.fandom.com/wiki/Overwatch_(XCOM:_Enemy_Unknown)
Their chance of landing that 70% shot would have been closer to 49%.

Second up, how close is "within reasonable range" when holding a sniper rifle? If they landed anywhere within 10 tiles of someone with a sniper rifle then they would have had better odds overwatching with their pistol.
For future reference with this game, the reverse is true of anyone with a shotgun and unlike Xcom2 no other guns get any bonuses to hit for being closer, this is now only true for the shotgun.

I do agree that overwatch is a bit crap though. Both games have it in common that it's the option you take only when you don't have anything better to do.

[SpiritxTower]

I don’t remember exactly how close, but the 70% wasn’t in OW, can you even see the % for Overwatch in enemy unknown? My main point here is solely that OW seems much weaker in enemy than 2. That’s all.

The 70% was with the sniper, just as a shot. At least it was on a save before in very similar distances. The overwatch was used this time because I wanted an extra turn to engage, so just moved up to where I was barely out of enemy sight. I’m currently on what of the save the citizens missions, which are such a pain.