Do you ever use SHIV?

[Kelloggs]

Honestly, I gave it a try just now...

Doesn't seem worth it...

Ok, it's faster...and you can use them without caring too much if you lose them.

But...

1) Can't take benefit from covers (sure it has a permanent 30 defense - which is worse than regular full cover and hunkered down half-cover - but that doesn't seem enough to make it worth it) .


2) It only has "suppression" as tatical ability.... Sure... suppression is incredibly useful....

But a Lieutenant Support or even a Sergeant Heavy can have this. Not to mention that they will eventually throw smoke granades, rockets, holo-target, heal and other useful acts for the squad.



I'm wondering if people here honestly sacrifice a soldier slot to take a SHIV along the mission.


For now, the next time I build a SHIV will be just to have fun in an All SHIV operation.... or maybe 5 shivs + 1 guy to repair them hahah.

[NorthernDruid]

Well, there's that one that acts as mobile cover isn't it?

And the flying model might have some interesting applications.

To be honest they also come into play a bit late, so when you start having money for them you'll already have one and a half team of colonels (provided no one dies), and be on your way towards psychics.

So while they'd be more than worth putting money into while your building your first team and need the occacional replacement while one of your "stars" is in recovery, by the time getting them becomes viable, you don't need them because armor and more leveled characters means you're already stable without them.

[Bindal]

Personally, I avoid them early on because they are too fragile and too weak to be of any use. And later on, I don't need them because my soldiers are still better armed and have more options.

That might change with EW, when Shivs get some of the MEC-abilities (including being able to punch Aliens in the face - probably not literally but with an alternative melee-attack), so that I might take a few SHIVs with me as scouts for easier missions or addional cover.

[hghwolf]

NotHWPs are useful as "substitute soldiers". They have a usefulness window in the midgame when you have lasers and carapace/skeleton but have`nt gotten the rapid recovery yet, so it`s common for you not to have enough good soldiers for a full team. In the end an alloy notHWP is better than a rookie or support/sniper squaddie so I generally have one or two around for those situations. They obsolete pretty quickly though.

[Garatgh Deloi]

There are some areas of certain maps were shivs are very usefull, since they work as a moveable cover for your soldiers (Better then hiding behind cars or gas pumps that tend to explode, also better then dashing straight into the enemy becuse theres no cover between you and them).

They are great If i know that they will be usefull for that map, or to replace a soldier i know wont be usefull (Thats when i know what a map will look like in advance, for some maps the sniper is useless, sometimes when you refuse to use explosives becuse you dont wanna damage a downed ship then a SHIV can be more usefull then a heavy).

Sometimes i use them just to mix things up, also its extremly easy to flank enemies with the normal or hover SHIV since they move so fast and you dont realy worry to much about losing them. (However the hover SHIV dosent work as moveable cover).

[B0(o)mClickTsick]

One good thing about SHIVs is you dont care much about losing them

[Milk]

The mobile cover one is actually good for tempting the aliens. I tried moving one up to a muton and instead of shooting it he just took cover behind it. Of course next turn...

[hghwolf]

Originally posted by Tiger Woods:

The mobile cover one is actually good for tempting the aliens. I tried moving one up to a muton and instead of shooting it he just took cover behind it. Of course next turn...

...are you serious ? That is... I don`t know what that is. It`s a thing.

[LGear]

Originally posted by hghwolf, no "I" in there:

Originally posted by Tiger Woods:

The mobile cover one is actually good for tempting the aliens. I tried moving one up to a muton and instead of shooting it he just took cover behind it. Of course next turn...

...are you serious ? That is... I don`t know what that is. It`s a thing.

That does happen actually. Sometimes enemies take cover behind Alloy Shivs instead of shooting at it, if said SHIV happens to be better cover. Then you can humiliate them by having the SHIV.... shiv them at point-blank range.

I don't use SHIVs much, though when I do they can be hilarious due to how you don't need to play too tactically with them. Having no need for cover they can get into more ideal flanking positions more easily, and the Hover SHIV makes most Council and Terror missions a breeze.

[P-47 Thunderbolt]

Alloy SHIV rush in month two is unstoppable. 18hp and laser tier damage with default weapon? I'll take that anyday. Once you get a full team SHIVs get assigned to replacement for wounded soldier roles.

[Lensyron]

The other advantage to the SHIV is that it cannot be mind-controlled. If you throw one against an etheriel, they get mind-blasted instead of controlled. I always bring one for the final conflict to draw the etherials out without having to sacrifice one of my soldiers.

[WinterMute 0101]

I use a floater SHIV as a scout for my Squad Sight Snipers later in game, it has lots of fuel and moves really far, I like to pull it forward, take shots with snipers then pull SHIV back.

Otherwise, they can be good to have on impossible when you lose most of your squad and can't have all rookies next mission but are really not worth the $s if you have other needs.

A SHIV can not panic as well, which is a huge bonus on impossible.

[Drunk-Side Jedi]

Alloy SHIV rush in month two is unstoppable. 18hp and laser tier damage with default weapon? I'll take that anyday. Once you get a full team SHIVs get assigned to replacement for wounded soldier roles.

This right here. SHIVs are absolute beasts, but you have to be prepared to divert the resources to get them early. People that find SHIVs underwhelming are often holding off on the Foundry until May or later. Which means they aren't getting SHIVs out until June/July when Alloy SHIVs are beginning to see the end of their period of operational effectiveness.

The sweet spot for SHIVs is April/May/June. Alloy SHIVs in April are borderline broken. They're not just "soldier replacements", they're MVPs.

Basic SHIVs can be useful in early April depending on how you play March. They can sub in for a mission or two if you decided to go Lasers instead of Carapace first before Alloys come online.

Hover SHIVs past June are a matter of taste. I personally find them lacking in hp department against Heavy Plasma and without abilities like Rapid Fire they struggle to kill Heavy Floaters and Elite Mutons. Unparalleled scouts, but I find I can use Mind Control for scouting at that point.

[jeffy]

eventually relalised it was to much of a investment, so no used em only once

[The Faceless Man]

I wish they made the first SHIV automatically available to manufacture. They are great mobile cover, and also act as an extra unit to some degree. They just aren't worth the early-game research.

Last time I played with one, it got caught in a doorway and forced me to abort the mission. :\

[Rufus]

I built a hover SHIV with all the bells and whistles when my one and only heavy (seriously, almost 20 soldiers and I only get 1 heavy) was wounded for 10 days and I needed supression support.

As it turns out I rather liked it. I immediately flew it to the middle of the map, as high as it would go, and then just left it there to blast the crap out of everything on the battlefield.

I would have left it in my squad permanently, but my heavy was my squad leader and there's no way I was kicking Danny Glover out of the squad in favour of a machine.