Chryssalids are BS

[Charlemagne]

They were quite a menace in Xcom 1 but in 2 they are way overpowered. When they come out of burrow they can move almost across the whole map and still sting your soldier. They can come out of burrow as overwatch reaction after you fire or anything and sting your soldier.

Overwatch is no good against them because it almost never hits, even if it does no weapon even plasma will bring them down in one hit (except by some wild crit or something). So you have to count on your soldiers being stung a lot, needing a lot of healing potions (AKA Medikit). But the sitrep doesn't warn you "expect 'lids". As I understand it, lid poison will cause 10 hits over time, plus 3-5 from the original sting will probably kill any soldier not healed and turn her into a sac.

You can take a lot of healing and mimic and scanners assuming that a mission might have them, but then if it doesn't and it's full of berserkers or robots instead... And anyway, a mission with a lot of lids will usually ALSO have berserkers, robots, faceless, chosen etc.

I can handle sectopods, chosen, andromedons etc. but lids are total BS. They are designed to rub your nose in it.

[Aranador]

You could also take a sparc or a psi op or any of the other ways to be immune to poison. And while overwatch isn't all that and a barrel of nuts, when you know there are buried bugs, moving forward carefully and triggering them on your terms is the way to go. If you have not yet learned the knack of it, save scum through a mission to give you extra opportunities to learn how they work, and how to counter them. Any time you think any part of this game is BS, remember that there are people who have won this thing on legend iron man with one hand tied behind their back and one foot in a bucket of live crabs, or some other insane stunt. It can be done, and it can be done by you, but getting all steamed up about it isnt how you win.

[gimmethegepgun]

They're much stronger than they were in EU, yes, but they're actually much less of a problem. Mainly because of the fact that you encounter them MUCH later and actually have the equipment to deal with the problem immediately.

Also if you can figure out where they're buried explosives will still hit them and force them to surface, albeit at half damage.

[Charlemagne]

I can beat the bugs. It's usually painful but doable. It's only that they are so blatantly cheaty and there's no clean way around them, that makes me mad about them.

[gimmethegepgun]

2 soldiers with Bladestorm (or Skirmisher's renamed version) moving forward next to each other usually does the job. Untouchable and Parry help too.

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

But the sitrep doesn't warn you "expect 'lids".

No, but the Shadow Chamber does. Maybe get that sooner?

[talemore]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

I can beat the bugs. It's usually painful but doable. It's only that they are so blatantly cheaty and there's no clean way around them, that makes me mad about them.

You say you played xcom1 but for some reason you forgotten the basics about scouting with battlescanners. Them not used as often in xcom2, there's no weapon who gain any benefit of battlescanners in xcom2.

Beside these chryssalids only sting and not lethally instant kill everything it touches. Late game in xcom2 chryssalids are just spectators. A tank can be healed and it's not worse than dealing with Thinmen who force us to equip medkit on every soldier. The stunlancers are practically chryssalids with assault rifle since them have the execute ability.

[CloudSeeker]

Yeah no. They are really powerful when they first start to show up, but that goes away pretty fast. However what do you think a Ranger with a Fusion blade, Bladestorm, Implacable and Blademaster will do to a group of Chryssalids? My rangers are always in the front and center of the action and it is not uncommon for one or both of them to completely destory several squads of chryssalids with only using reaction attacks. Even if they miss they will be immune to the next attack so they will not be killed or even hurt.

[Hoot]

When they first showed up in my recent L/I run they were a decent threat, I think I lost a soldier to a pod that I activated by rushing to save a civilian on a retaliation mission (which was a daft risk, but it was the LAST civvie on the map, and I only had 5/6 at that point).

I was building a Templar up from the start that happened to have Bladestorm and as soon as I got a Ranger with it Chryssalids became much less of an issue. On Legend you can't really one shot them with blades (unless you've had breakthroughs and are using the chosen Katana) but their AI is predictable so as long as you could weaken a pod with a nade then rush a soldier with Bladestorm to them you're all good.

[Prometheus]

The issue is not how the Chryssalids perform, but if there are tools and strategies to deal with them. There are plenty, so many that you actually have choices. Seems to me, the OP just isn't making them a priority.

[General.Aubrey.Smith]

*Team lands* The A- Team, locked and loaded. The heat of past battles and fatigue starting to take its toll. They bunker in, move to high cover. I give the order for overwatch EVERY turn. I hear them, I give the order to lay and wait, nobody comes. I move one squar up.

Pod activated! Chryssalids, charge with such a furry of hatered for those who slew their masters before. XCOM Opertaives open hell fire, .... Miss... Miss.... One after another the speed of the Chryssalids dodge every round.

I give the order to advance "We can NOT OUTRUN THEM HOLD YOUR GROUND! " I shout at my troops. They preform with honor, such courage, such bravery. 2 Chryssalids go down, and last move.. move forward with Ranger, sword drawn DASHES IN! *SWINGS* Miss...

Advant hiss and taunts come alive, orders are given... A new pod amerges! ENEMY takes aim...

"XCOM COMMAND TO FIREBRAND, COME IN FIREBRAND!... COME IN.... FIREBR>........"
"This is firebrand, they are dead.... all of them.... "

*Ironman, A - Team, no back ups in line for weeks* Restart, 14 hrs in. I know what happens next with impending missions near, Chosen are on the loose, and only rookies to hold the line....*

Gatecrasher, New team.... Here we go again!

I know your pain my friend, but take heart *glares at the 86% chance miss shots from rookies on gatecrasher WITH rooftop as one gets crit by some measly Advant rookie*...

[Charlemagne]

I guess the chryssies are inspired in the arachnids of Starship Troopers (the movie, not the book). Meant to scare the stuff out of you. Or viceversa, I don't know if original Xcom came before SST the movie. Also the thingies from Half Life 2, what was their name. I think I have chryssophobia (I wonder if the soldiers of Xcom 2 can get that). In Xcom 1 seeing them in a mission sent chills down my spine, and I couldn't bear a soldier to die THAT way. Mutons, sectopods, thin men, etc. was OK but not by chryssalid! Maybe that phobia is coloring my perception of the Xcom 2 critters too.

[talemore]

.

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

I guess the chryssies are inspired in the arachnids of Starship Troopers (the movie, not the book). Meant to scare the stuff out of you. Or viceversa, I don't know if original Xcom came before SST the movie. Also the thingies from Half Life 2, what was their name. I think I have chryssophobia (I wonder if the soldiers of Xcom 2 can get that). In Xcom 1 seeing them in a mission sent chills down my spine, and I couldn't bear a soldier to die THAT way. Mutons, sectopods, thin men, etc. was OK but not by chryssalid! Maybe that phobia is coloring my perception of the Xcom 2 critters too.

It's the digestion sound while watching a chryssalids eating up your soldier from the inside out triggering a horrifying feeling cause the death was unpredictable. The death in a battle or by gunshot is harder to recover than natural causes. The slime drawled from the chryssalid's mouth before gutting someone you known for many missions.