Is the Assassin too powerful?

[Zehm]

She doesn't seem to be of the same level as the other two Chosen.

You can't defend against her attacks, so she automatically damages/dazes at least one of your soldiers each turn. On certain maps, she can be impossible to retaliate against because she has "noclip" cheats, four times movement, and always retreats to areas you can't feasibly reach. And you don't get the option to choose your engagement because she comes to you, meaning there's a very high likelyhood she will be supported by mobs.

I've never managed to defeat the Assassin on the first retaliation mission unless she has "Reaper Adversary". With the Reaper, she won't target him/her until you decide to break concealment, meaning you can set up a trap. But if you start with a Templar, Skimisher or don't have either in your squad, there's nothing you can do except let her kidnap one of your troops so she buggers off.

[red255]

no. you are doing it wrong.

Assasin appears, shes probably going to run straight at you, you park your reaper in front so that you can see her because you are flanking the cover she is hiding in, you see her, you nuke her.

no big deal.

if you let her strike first, then sure, she struck first but thats REALLY on you.

[Fringehunter7719]

I've found the warlock to be the worst on the first retaliation, by a significant margin. Since chosen don't abduct soldiers on the first mission I generally just always let him extract info, as to all intents and purposes the only loss is the 5AP for defeating him, which just isn't significant.

In any given campaign whichever chosen you meet first is always the hardest in my experience.
Your squad and options are so limited at the start for about the first 5 missions, fading to a relatively easy difficulty after about 10.

If you don't have a reaper, templar with parry or battle scanner you're probably going to take a hit from the assassin (because you don't have other mitigating abilities like untouchable at that point) since those are the two easy ways to destealth her, or to bait her into attacking an immune target. Knowing you'll take a hit and it could put you in bleedout it's just a question of bringing a medikit. The same applies to the hunter, if he survives a couple of turns he'll get a hit in, but it won't kill a soldier, so it's not too bad, just heal it and move on.

I've never seen the assassin do anything resembling a clipping bug or cheat, but the game is full of bugs, so one never sees all of them. Like all bugs I guess it's pretty sucky when it's happening though.

[talemore]

It's up to each ones preference. Warlock is strong against humans and weak to machines. Assassin is bad against assault and good against campers. Hunter has a rifle but he's only dangerous in close range where he can take shots with the pistol.

[Commander Gorda]

Assassin is probably the most dangerous yes, i try to find him with a concealed reaper before he gets a chance to attack but sometimes i dont find him and he oneshots a soldier in the early game.

[red255]

warlock casts stasis on himself if he drops below 50% health. which breaks mind control.

but yeah I've had a really bad time with him on the first retailation if the AI has soldiers HELPING me, who tend to murder my own guys when they get mind controlled.

in that case just take the hit and let someone get mind drained.

[Perplex]

If you have a templar with you try and bait the attack on him/her when using Parry.

Assasin is the most annoying one as it is a bit tricky to get flawless when she spawn in.

[Fringehunter7719]

Originally posted by Commander Gorda:

Assassin is probably the most dangerous yes, i try to find him with a concealed reaper before he gets a chance to attack but sometimes i dont find him and he oneshots a soldier in the early game.

Isn't it always a one shot to bleed out though? Which means a sergeant specialist can put the soldier back in the fight.

[Commander Gorda]

No sometimes its instant kill but its quite common for bleeding out.

[red255]

she can also chop you off a roof, or thru a car, so don't use roof or car cover when she's coming.

[Abrakadabra]

You can pick the terrain you fight the Assassin in. Shell come to you. Even if you dont start with reaper, a phantom ranger between her probable approach vector (shell come at you in a straight lline, more or less) and your squad, can reveal her on her way in very often.

But its easiest with a reaper, and a phantom ranger. Once she's revealed.....you smash her.

[Stardustfire]

Templar, get parry one a victim alien in the direction from where the assa will come, autowin vs here with parry spam, profit.... , same vs the other 2, but vs them its easyer because you can get your first parry directly from them.

[red255]

Originally posted by Abi-Dalzim:

Once she's revealed.....you smash her.

Pretty sure most people have the Assassin on their Would not smash list.

[Synavix]

I've never had too much trouble with the assassin as long as you have your soldiers fully healed up. Even on Legendary it's pretty rare for her to actually oneshot someone unless you've got rookies or something. Just save one or two grenades to blow up her cover wherever she runs and then shotgun to the face. Her Harbor Wave is pretty underwhelming and the blinding grenade is a joke.

Even though the warlock is the easiest to cheese with mind shields he's miserable to fight on the Haven Assaults. And he'll slow you down a ton on any timed mission cause of those dumb summons.

[Fromage du Mort]

I just made good use of concealed characters... rangers and reapers. She'd sneak up to my main force (of four), only to be spotted by the two stealthers before she could do anything. Then they unload on her as a group and that's that.

She only ever landed a hit on the first mission I fought her in. After that, she was getting destroyed before she could engage.

[Abrakadabra]

Originally posted by red255:

Originally posted by Abi-Dalzim:

Once she's revealed.....you smash her.

Pretty sure most people have the Assassin on their Would not smash list.

You mean cause of her cloak and all that?

She only appears imba cause initially, she seems to come out of nowhere and there doesnt seem to be anything we can do.

I always prefer the Assassin as cosen in any mission cause you get her out of the way much, much quicker than any other chosen. You let her come and even if she doesnt get revlealed, shell only land one strike and then you unload with frost and/or claymore or just standard fragging and shooting. I always prefer her.

Hunter can seriously diminsh your sniper (or othre soldiers but especially the snper) for multiple turns and they have to relocate. You might have to fight several pods/enemies without snipers main gun for instance. That sucks.

Warlock has a good chance to reveal your scouts which can completly mess up your strategy or pull multiple pods.

Assassin is the easiest to deal with and by far, the smallest threat when it comes to chosen.