Is there a way to get the Frost Bomb (grenade) without triggering the rulers?

[Villas]

Title basically. I'm worried about that because I'm a newcomer to the franchise, and I heard that the rulers ♥♥♥♥ people over in their campaigns and make them lose the game.

So I wanted to see the possibility to get it without them showing up until we're ready to deal with them.

Thanks in advance people!

[Valvatorez(Cox Cable = awful ISP]

Don't use ingratiated DLC and turn the mission on before starting the game. You just won't be able to upgrade the Alien Ruler weapons until you beat the Viper King or he retreats.

[HazardHawk]

Playing the game with DLC you should not get a ruler until you face the Viper King at the radio signal mission. In that scenario, get all of your units through the first two chambers and up to the entrance of the third and keep them together moving only within blue and setting over watch as you progress. Hurt him fast and he retreats fast.

A few missions later, the Berserker King is problematic with three rows of hit points. Again, once you find him, focus on hurting him.

Even later archon is tough, but again, focus on hurting him.

They are not impossible even on hardest difficulty though it seems like it and next time you see them they will still be hurt as much as you have already hurt them.

Some advice, make sure everyone has a med kit. Use it only when you are down four or more hit points.

Get the guerilla Tactics shop up and running soonest, autopsy muton as soon as you get one, and grab the squad updates early from guerilla tactics research.

Put radio signal mission and frost grenade off as long as possible. I am over 500 hours and other than to test grenades one time each I only use frags anyway.

[Razorblade]

If you're playing War of the Chosen (which you should be), and you're playing with integrated DLC (the default option), the Hunter weapons are available from the start of the game as a research option, and can be built in the Proving Grounds right after finishing the research.

As for the Alien Rulers, the shouldn't start appearing before the mid to late game with integrated DLC, so they shouldn't pose much of a concern.

[Villas]

Originally posted by Razorblade:

If you're playing War of the Chosen (which you should be), and you're playing with integrated DLC (the default option), the Hunter weapons are available from the start of the game as a research option, and can be built in the Proving Grounds right after finishing the research.

As for the Alien Rulers, the shouldn't start appearing before the mid to late game with integrated DLC, so they shouldn't pose much of a concern.

I did research online and learned that WotC is overwhelming for new players. I pretend to do a vanilla run first with Alien Hunters/Shen Last Gifts plus the Resistance Packs, and some tweak mods to reduce the "That's XCOM, baby" frequency, so I can actually learn and enjoy the game.

[|H|H| Fr3ddi3]

If you have WotC, Turn off integrated, turn on the Alien Ruler DLC.

You get a scan in the 2nd month which will give you the hunter weapons for free, a little while later you get another scan which gives you the alien hunter mission ... which causes the rulers to spawn.

So long as you don't go on that mission, you won't face the rulers, they will remain T1 weapons until you do the mission though, so they will be of limited use.