Shen's Last Gift is exhausting.

[mitchincredible]

Seriously, how is this DLC worthy, it's a slogfest.

[76561198322429733]

It's not that hard. Just kill Julian and you're done. Easy enough if you can shred armor and focus fire the boss. You have a slightly badass Spark that can shoot the sectopod 3 times in a row from point blank range.

[theworld]

Originally posted by JaegerBane:

Was it just the length that puts people off?

It's the reward.

A very bad class with terrible aim that you cannot fix (No PCS, No Weapon modules) that's supposed to be tanky but cannot tank until late game? Briefly useful, in very late game you don't need a tank - you can annihilate at will with PSI, Blaster Launchers and Shredstorms.

Strategically? A resource sink - separate upgrades for weapons no better than Grenadier's (EnemyWithin MECs were stronger and they could tank) AND armor that only SPARKs can use.

Underwhelming.

[Adeptus Stark]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by JaegerBane:

Was it just the length that puts people off?

It's the reward.

A very bad class with terrible aim that you cannot fix (No PCS, No Weapon modules) that's supposed to be tanky but cannot tank until late game? Briefly useful, in very late game you don't need a tank - you can annihilate at will with PSI, Blaster Launchers and Shredstorms.

Strategically? A resource sink - separate upgrades for weapons no better than Grenadier's (EnemyWithin MECs were stronger and they could tank) AND armor that only SPARKs can use.

Underwhelming.

While true, making one and naming him Julian while using his voice module makes for hillarious gameplay.

I'm playing Long War now and the only mods I use are a ton of voice packs. Works great with having a plethora of units.

[Who trains thy hands for war?]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by JaegerBane:

Was it just the length that puts people off?

It's the reward.

A very bad class with terrible aim that you cannot fix (No PCS, No Weapon modules) that's supposed to be tanky but cannot tank until late game? Briefly useful, in very late game you don't need a tank - you can annihilate at will with PSI, Blaster Launchers and Shredstorms.

Strategically? A resource sink - separate upgrades for weapons no better than Grenadier's (EnemyWithin MECs were stronger and they could tank) AND armor that only SPARKs can use.

Underwhelming.

Aye, Sparks are nerfed across the board compared to MECs. However, we can restore a lot of that lost functionality.

A Threat Assessmented Sacrifice Bulwark Strike Repair SPARK has great synergy with an aggressive team. On Legend

Originally posted by Tom:

While true, making one and naming him Julian while using his voice module makes for hillarious gameplay.

Space Marine pack. The hype is real

[Black Raven]

Considering I play with ABA2 default sparks are way too weak for typical mobs, so I tweaked them to have extra 5 defence and 1 more armour, and have the spark gts upgrades mod which makes them much more viable as a damage soak without being OP as long as you deal with shredder mobs

[PsychoDino]

Originally posted by mitchincredible:

Seriously, how is this DLC worthy, it's a slogfest.

writing is pretty good

[Incunabulum]

Originally posted by mitchincredible:

Seriously, how is this DLC worthy, it's a slogfest.

Only the first time through. Once you know what you're doing its a cakewalk. The first time it took me 57 turns and I killed 54 bots.

Protip: Take AP rounds on all your weapons - standard AR is more than enough to take these guys out once Armor is negated. Take Rangers and Specialists if possible - two shots or a shot and a move work great here.

[Incunabulum]

Originally posted by PsychoDino:

Originally posted by mitchincredible:

Seriously, how is this DLC worthy, it's a slogfest.

writing is pretty good

Its really not. Very cliched and contradicts itsself at a couple of points. And, as usual Bradford is fething annoying. And so is Julian.

[FletchWazzle]

My first campaign in XCOM2, had only lost a pair of people going into this mission, didn't realize what it was. It was awesome! Had a dude run in to the poison when I thought I had the robot selected, then lost a rookie at an elevator exit defending their exit. I gobbled a few loads from quicksaves to escape the roof one soldier almost dead & Shen gravely wounded as well as the shot up robot.

I followed it up with getting the rookies I spent all my supplies on replacing them, all dying in a VIP extract. I panicked to unlock the blackmarket & sold enough stuff to get another squad killed. Healed my OGs & sat on supplys only to have a train job go south.

I'm thinking I'm gonna have to "do-over" & maybe put off the "Last Gift" a little longer next time, now that I realize it's a mofo.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Originally posted by TheWorld:

Originally posted by JaegerBane:

Was it just the length that puts people off?

It's the reward.

A very bad class with terrible aim that you cannot fix (No PCS, No Weapon modules) that's supposed to be tanky but cannot tank until late game? Briefly useful, in very late game you don't need a tank - you can annihilate at will with PSI, Blaster Launchers and Shredstorms.

Underwhelming.

This again...

Man, I´m sorry but that´s just gibberish, and the lack of any patch buffing Sparks speak volumes about the state it is in. Maybe you suck in using it or calculating the time to get it, but it is NOT bad. Of COURSE it will be bad if all your guys are already lieutenants with PCS and weapon upgrades, but that´s because they SHOULD be because they WERE so much expensive to get.

Remove PCS, weapon upgrades and compare the Spark gotten by early mid game with a corporal or sergeant of ANY class and the SPARK is a totally viable choice to pick on missions and level up.

[KRON]

Originally posted by Incunabulum:

Originally posted by mitchincredible:

Seriously, how is this DLC worthy, it's a slogfest.

Only the first time through. Once you know what you're doing its a cakewalk. The first time it took me 57 turns and I killed 54 bots.

Protip: Take AP rounds on all your weapons - standard AR is more than enough to take these guys out once Armor is negated. Take Rangers and Specialists if possible - two shots or a shot and a move work great here.

Bluescreen rounds are far more useful than AP and cheaper to make.

[Incunabulum]

Originally posted by KRON:

Originally posted by Incunabulum:

Only the first time through. Once you know what you're doing its a cakewalk. The first time it took me 57 turns and I killed 54 bots.

Protip: Take AP rounds on all your weapons - standard AR is more than enough to take these guys out once Armor is negated. Take Rangers and Specialists if possible - two shots or a shot and a move work great here.

Bluescreen rounds are far more useful than AP and cheaper to make.

No doubt, but . . .

If you're doing the mission when you have researched BS rounds - it can be done with a half-trained team (on Commander at least) as soon as it pops up if you have AP rounds (which are an early research item).

[JaegerBane]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

Originally posted by TheWorld:

It's the reward.

A very bad class with terrible aim that you cannot fix (No PCS, No Weapon modules) that's supposed to be tanky but cannot tank until late game? Briefly useful, in very late game you don't need a tank - you can annihilate at will with PSI, Blaster Launchers and Shredstorms.

Underwhelming.

This again...

Man, I´m sorry but that´s just gibberish, and the lack of any patch buffing Sparks speak volumes about the state it is in. Maybe you suck in using it or calculating the time to get it, but it is NOT bad. Of COURSE it will be bad if all your guys are already lieutenants with PCS and weapon upgrades, but that´s because they SHOULD be because they WERE so much expensive to get.

Remove PCS, weapon upgrades and compare the Spark gotten by early mid game with a corporal or sergeant of ANY class and the SPARK is a totally viable choice to pick on missions and level up.

I do have to admit that I've never really sided with the idea that SPARKs are genuinely useless, but I would agree they're overly niche. TheWorld has a bit of a track record for questionable/minmax stances but in this case, I'd probably 80% agree with him.

Having said that, the Metal Over Flesh mod addresses pretty much every shortcoming they have, so not sure it's a real problem. Certainly not something that would cause people to hate the *actual level*.

[theworld]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

This again...

Man, I´m sorry but that´s just gibberish, and the lack of any patch buffing Sparks speak volumes about the state it is in. Maybe you suck in using it or calculating the time to get it, but it is NOT bad. Of COURSE it will be bad if all your guys are already lieutenants with PCS and weapon upgrades, but that´s because they SHOULD be because they WERE so much expensive to get.

Remove PCS, weapon upgrades and compare the Spark gotten by early mid game with a corporal or sergeant of ANY class and the SPARK is a totally viable choice to pick on missions and level up.

Your entire premise is flawed.

I have an old Legend campaign where I have saves after each mission.

Earliest possible attempt for Shen's DLC is after 6th mission, where I already have a Lieutenant.

After 7th mission I already have Shard guns for Rangers.

Your meager Spark pales before a LT. Ranger with 2 Shadowstrike shots per mission which almost always crit flankable targets at this point.

And soon the gap grows even furher. Astonishingly so.

After 10th mission there appears a Ranger Captain - that means crucial GTS upgrades.

Squad size 2 allows to play 3 Rangers/3 Grenadiers and take care of all cover and get flanking shots on anyone that can be flanked (95% of all enemies at this point in game)

Hunter's Instincts is +15% Crit forever and +3 damage on flanked targets. What that means is that Shard gun is 9-11 with +4 Crit damage on crit.

Crits are 100% guaranteed here with only a Laser Sight: 40% Flank + 15% Weapon + 15% Hunter's Instinct + 25% Shadowstrike + 5% Laser Sight.

So at 13 damage (9 base minimum + 4 crit) Ranger oneshots everything that can be flanked at this point of the game. Muton is 11+2 armor on Legend. Oneshot. Advanced Officer 13 HP - also Oneshot. Shieldbearer 9 + 3 armor, etc.

Then there's also AWC perks like Rupture, Death From Above, Serial.

Your near-sighted tin can simply cannot compete with that much lethal firepower.

[BrowneHawk]

Not sure how people have trouble with this mission. Shen has a 100% chance to hack. A medicore specialists can hack the old mechs. It a fun easy mission that goes pretty quick.