Spark units: Waste of a squad slot.

[fenlander]

I always seem to find them to be a liability when on missions their low percentage chance to hit and lack of ability to take cover just makes them to be a huge walking target. Which is often ignored by most aliens.

A waste of a solider slot when a heavy weapons specialist can out match them any day of the week.

[gimmethegepgun]

One note is that though they don't take cover, they have an inherent 15 defense (which the game doesn't tell you about), and don't get flanked, so they're nearly as good as being in low cover all the time.

[talemore]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

One note is that though they don't take cover, they have an inherent 15 defense (which the game doesn't tell you about), and don't get flanked, so they're nearly as good as being in low cover all the time.

Specialist can do that too, stand in the open using aidprotocol = 20 defence, then you can make another move. It's better to avoid taking damage than having a damage reduction. The AI wants your units being killed individual and if one takes a hit, the rest will mob the unit.

[GUA]

add the mods to make them worthy.

[orion winterfire]

^^

[fenlander]

I will take a look at some of the mods to make them better.

As a note I did like the cyborgs in Xcom 1 and would often take one or two with me on missions also their classes matched those of the soliders. They seemed to have more flavour to them, out of the two (spark and the mech/cyborgs) I would take the cyborg anyday of the week.

[MisterDuch]

just mod them, pretty sure you could add Aim, DMG and Defense trough INI files if you find them lacking in these aspects, and mods like
moddable spark rifles or metal over flesh are a must imo

[learnedhand]

People just don't know how to use them. They are a support class. Let me put it this way. If you had an ability that reduces enemy crit chance and an ability to control who the enemy targets, that would be a pretty good ability, no? That is what the Spark offers.

The 15 defense might seem low (and I would bump it to 20) but because it is lower than low cover bonus, it means enemies will almost always target the Spark if it is closest to them and everyone else is in partial or full cover. So the spark is easy to use as an enemy magnet. Plus, the ability not to be flanked and therefore low chance of crits means the Spark can absorb a hit or two with little danger. I use the Spark as a spotter (for snipers, specialist hacks) and crowd director.

Like any support class, they won't be the star of the show, but they definitely add some distinctive tactical options.

[SaintKnave]

It seems to me that the Spark's jump jets are also often underrated. It's trivial to give them the high ground advantage when they don't need ladders or drainpipes.

[talemore]

Is xcom 2 a dungeon and dragons game?, is that sparks purpose: to be a monk for the final mission.

[Ghost]

Spark, tip of the spear, like the center on your basketball team

[red255]

Don't have this DLC but if sparks seem weak you likely are using them incorrectly.

[Döktor Jönes]

Originally posted by red255:

Don't have this DLC but if sparks seem weak you likely are using them incorrectly.

How would you know that?

Their aim is bad.
You can repair only one Spark at a time.
They can't use any upgrades or items, only heavy weapons
They only got slightly more HP and armour as your average soldier, but this trait is really quick negated, because they can't use cover and will always be under fire. Once their armour is shredded, they're screwed

They are too mediocre. The building and upgrade costs are to high to justify the use in the field. A upgraded Psi-Ops is a real game changer, while a Spark is more like... meh.

[fenlander]

Originally posted by Spiked-Wall Man:

Originally posted by red255:

Don't have this DLC but if sparks seem weak you likely are using them incorrectly.

How would you know that?

Their aim is bad.
You can repair only one Spark at a time.
They can't use any upgrades or items, only heavy weapons
They only got slightly more HP and armour as your average soldier, but this trait is really quick negated, because they can't use cover and will always be under fire. Once their armour is shredded, they're screwed

They are too mediocre. The building and upgrade costs are to high to justify the use in the field. A upgraded Psi-Ops is a real game changer, while a Spark is more like... meh.

Exactly my point. Between a spark unit and psi op I would take the psi-op everytime.

I liked Shen's DLC mission, but the reward is very lack luster and only gets better after a file tweek?

Just seems to me they missed a trick there when doing the DLC when you look at the older Xcom game with the cyborgs you could make.

[discodog]

Sparks require different tactics. Even though they have high armor and hitpoints I like to leave them towards the back of my squad with my (left side) snipers and (healer) support. Once we engage with the enemy overdrive to get a flank shot and give them aid protocol to shield them.

Sparks don't really come into their own until the healing ability. Then they can do some tanking. If you have two high level sparks on a mission you can combine healing with the spark top level AOE attack (I forget what it is called) which can be spammed multiple times in a turn.

[Khan, Binary of None]

I run 5 Sparks and a Specialist for fun and never have any issues with enemy combos, most everything dies fairly fast.

Still think people don't get the learning curve.