Just finished vanilla XCOM 2, need help with Squad comps for WOTC.

[Despicable]

.

[StormRangerX]

2 units going on a side mission shouldn't hurt if you have enough units to go around, and provide many extremely useful boons. Grenadiers are still king in WOTC, and you should definitely try to put at least 1 in every squad. Melee Rangers can still do well but you should spec them more aggressively, as Reapers can fill the stealthy role much better. You can't really control who bonds together, but ideally units that can afford to sacrifice an action point to buff their partner are best. Sharpshooters are honestly pretty weak, definitely the weakest of the base classes. Specialists are kinda a mix of useful and useless, early game healing doesn't really matter when nobody survives a direct hit, and hacking doesn't matter when you can barely manage a 50% to succeed. You typically want to focus Specialists to use more broad actions that don't involve percentages, like debuff removal with revival protocol and liberal use of scanning protocol.

Reapers are the weakest of the three new classes, except for when they reach max level and unlock Banish, which is a 1-hit kill on any target assuming it hits. Skirmishers are very all-rounder characters, they don't fill any one role but can fill a gap in your squad quite well. Templars are fun psychic stabby boys. None of them should really have a guaranteed spot of a squad, except for maybe the Templar. Reapers are only situationally useful, and again Skirmishers can fill a gap but don't bring enough to warrant consistent use. SPARKS are kinda garbage, especially compared to the MECs of last game.

My personal team comp for the ideal mission is 2 Grenadiers, 2 Rangers, a Specialist, and a Skirmisher. Skirmisher can sub out for either a Sharpshooter or a Templar, it all depends on the type of mission. I mainly use Reapers to solo Alien Facilities or send them on covert ops, rarely use them in actual combat. Bladestorm Rangers are god-mode, explosive-focused Grenadiers win battles.

[bureau44]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

I mainly use Reapers to solo Alien Facilities

Solo? Are you playing with S/L?
For L/I the Ranger is the main salvation, to scout and to spot targets for the sharpshooter (who is also valuable for L/I, as a safety measure).

@Despicable
what are you afraid of? just check the things yourself
I bought WOTC, started commander, found it too easy, and have switched to L/I
The game have brutaly owned me for three campaings in a row, but the fourth is going OK so far, as soon as I made it to 6.
Why rush story missions? They just make things complicted. I won't risk the facility mission with 5 ballistic sergants (at least on L/I)... Just take your time to upgrade.

[Perplex]

Use whatever is not "tired".

[StormRangerX]

Originally posted by bureau44:

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

I mainly use Reapers to solo Alien Facilities

Solo? Are you playing with S/L?
For L/I the Ranger is the main salvation, to scout and to spot targets for the sharpshooter (who is also valuable for L/I, as a safety measure).

You literally have to be right next to someone to get detected as a Reaper, they're practically invisible. You can easily sneak through the whole mission, wait for an opening at the X4 target, plant, call the Skyranger, go back into Shadow, and sneak out.

[bureau44]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

Originally posted by bureau44:

Solo? Are you playing with S/L?
For L/I the Ranger is the main salvation, to scout and to spot targets for the sharpshooter (who is also valuable for L/I, as a safety measure).

You literally have to be right next to someone to get detected as a Reaper, they're practically invisible. You can easily sneak through the whole mission, wait for an opening at the X4 target, plant, call the Skyranger, go back into Shadow, and sneak out.

Yes, I understand. That's why reaper is useful on all kinds of timed missions, to get faster to the objective.
But I guess I will just smear my pants if I go solo))) Does the Chosen show at all in this case?

[Perplex]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

Originally posted by bureau44:

Solo? Are you playing with S/L?
For L/I the Ranger is the main salvation, to scout and to spot targets for the sharpshooter (who is also valuable for L/I, as a safety measure).

You literally have to be right next to someone to get detected as a Reaper, they're practically invisible. You can easily sneak through the whole mission, wait for an opening at the X4 target, plant, call the Skyranger, go back into Shadow, and sneak out.

No need to re-stealth. Plant X4 on first action, drop the evac close and run to it and evac out the same turn you planted the X4.

[StormRangerX]

Point is, Reapers make Alien Facilities into a joke. Rangers used to be able to do it before WOTC, but now Reapers can do it much more efficiently. As for Chosen, no, I at least haven't had the Chosen show up but that could just be dumb luck. Alien Rulers however can show up if it's one of the guarded facilities, but you can avoid them and still get out.

[bureau44]

Originally posted by StormRangerX:

Point is, Reapers make Alien Facilities into a joke. Rangers used to be able to do it before WOTC, but now Reapers can do it much more efficiently. As for Chosen, no, I at least haven't had the Chosen show up but that could just be dumb luck. Alien Rulers however can show up if it's one of the guarded facilities, but you can avoid them and still get out.

At least at the first facility the Chosen spawns 100% of the time, but I guess only after a few kills.
Then this tactic does not even summon the chosen.

On the other hand, as soon as you are upgraded, the alien facility is a nice chance for farming XPs and APs, since there is no timer and the layout is quite predictable.

[CloudSeeker]

I am no fan of the reapers actually. Sure, they are extremely useful as scouts. The problem with them is that they encourage you to not break stealth and use them to fight with. So in a lot of fights, you end up fighting with just 5 squad members instead of 6. I rather just put another Ranger on my team most of the times. They have great mobility. Can become practically immune to damage and you have no reasons to stay hidden all of the time.

The really big use I have for them is the special alien killers. Nothing can beat a superior repeater max shot banishment from a Reaper.

[StormRangerX]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

I am no fan of the reapers actually. Sure, they are extremely useful as scouts. The problem with them is that they encourage you to not break stealth and use them to fight with. So in a lot of fights, you end up fighting with just 5 squad members instead of 6. I rather just put another Ranger on my team most of the times. They have great mobility. Can become practically immune to damage and you have no reasons to stay hidden all of the time.

Exactly why I don't use them for combat roles. Anything they can do in combat, outside of Banish, really any other class can do better, especially the Ranger. Only thing I personally find them good for is sneaking through Alien Facilities.

[StormRangerX]

Originally posted by Despicable:

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

I am no fan of the reapers actually. Sure, they are extremely useful as scouts. The problem with them is that they encourage you to not break stealth and use them to fight with. So in a lot of fights, you end up fighting with just 5 squad members instead of 6. I rather just put another Ranger on my team most of the times. They have great mobility. Can become practically immune to damage and you have no reasons to stay hidden all of the time.

The really big use I have for them is the special alien killers. Nothing can beat a superior repeater max shot banishment from a Reaper.

Is it better to have a Scout Ranger and Blademaster Ranger? I keep reading that Reapers are the OP class of the game.

I'm not really sure where you've read that. Banish is very powerful but that's about it, Reapers are decent in the early game but don't even remotely keep up with the other classes. As for your question, honestly, both. If you have to choose one I'd go for Blademaster as they can really control the battlefield.

[Martialis]

I've been real unimpressed with reapers, skirmishers, or templars. My last campaign, I ran most of the time with 2 of each grenadiers (blast specced with shred armor), blademaster rangers, and healbot specialists. Sharpshooters are okay once they are colonels and get the chosen hunter weapon. In fact, I took one on the final mission. Nice to have heavy, guaranteed damage when and where you want it, and they rule overwatch.

If you play the Legacy missions, you are forced to think out of the box a lot. You have to use reapers, skirmishers and templars, and can really find out what they can and cannot do. In one of the mission sets, you don't get a grenadier, and in the last two, the only specialist you get is Shen, who is definitely NOT a heal-bot.

My go-to and favorite class is ranger, even over templar. Just having the flexibility to either hit hard with a shotgun or slash with a sword (often with other effects as you upgrade them), is key.

Plus, using my strategy, if you only focus on three classes, you save a ton of research time and supplies, especially early in the campaign when both are at a premium. BTW, I research mag weapons first before plate armor. A dead alien is the only sure way to ensure you don't take enough damage to kill you, or any damage at all, for that matter.

[StrayedKatz]

Ok so this is my take on it.........
I mostly play on Commander difficulty setting and have almost 400hours (not braggin) :P


Vanilla WotC plays a lot like Xcom2 not gona lie
So in my opinion just play what you like mate

Also dont rush the story....you don't have to be scared of them timers
The game is actually quite forgiving and will give you opportunities to remove AVATAR progress
And there are more ways to remove progress in WotC


OK so here goes.......Outside the main game we have the Avenger and all that stuff


Rush a Resistance Office thing (I forgot the name :P) this allows you to have resistance operations and orders....which ARE SO GOOD BTW
Rush the Chosen ops to have more influence, this should give you more resistance orders to select at the end of each month

Resistance orders are a priority for me cuz of the bonusses they give......there are some situational ones that help out like bonus avenger power and extra resistance contacts

But there are some, my favorite one's btw, that are really good
There should be one called

Between the Eyes which lets you one-shot all the zombie/lost enemies that come IN HuGE NUMBERS BTW (the most I have had to kill in one mission was 100, but I often have 30-50 kills per mission that has them as I use explosives a lot hehe)

Rapid Collection - lets you have intant supply drops every month, that way you don't have to fly to them and wait for 3 days to get resourses

Volunteer Army - chance that an extra soldier will join the squad

Mental Fortitude - ALL MENTAL EFFECTS ONLY LAST ONE TURN, panic, obsessed and things of the sort...no more stunned soldiers for more than one turn

Machine Learning - Research breakthrough occur more often
(btw, these basically give small bonuses and replace some of the old global bonuses. so there are good too)

and more.....I just got tired and didn't want to spoil much


Now the Chosen......don't take them lightly
They ARE the thoughtest enemies the game has, besides the DLC boss units from ALIEN HUNTERS,
Do not understimate them....take a lot of explosives against them even if they are resistant to explosives.....Do not let them have cover so they are easier to kill XD
im not gona spoil their ablities more since they all are actually really fun to learn how to play against

but imo, they go like this Assasin > Warlock > Sniper dud who is actually pretty chill and is
actually pretty likeable

The 3 new classes are so good too, and all of them are good for different play styles

The Reaper complements a balanced team, as she can provide really good explosive support, spotting, and occasional assasinations

The Skirmisher is good frontline unit, and can shoot multiple times so I often use them to get really important enemies out of position and to flank enemies

and finally, The Templar, the one, the only.......this guy can kill anything with meele hits (that is not inmune to meele) they are also good at fronlining, but they are also really good at killing one unit and moving around the enemy, they are basically a Ranger that can only meele but on steroids
just be careful.....DO NOT meele mutons and Chosen with meele invulnerability, or do it.....so you can figure out what happens hehe

I have more to lay out but I feel this is already too much XD
GL BTW

at least Bradford speaks less than the Chosen XD

[StrayedKatz]

OOOOH btw....one last thing

The funniest ♥♥♥♥ in this game was when one of my Specialist shot 4ish overwatch shots in a row XD

I had him with covering fire, Opportunist upgrade, and that one abilty I forgot the name of that lets you have a 50% to roll more overwatch shots on successful overwatch shots XD

I think he killed a Sectopod if im correct, in one turn btw XD

[StormRangerX]

Some crazy ♥♥♥♥ can happen. I once got an execution on an overwatch shot against the Berserker Queen showing up for the first time in the campaign. Repeaters may not be consistent but damn if they aren't effective.