How do i counter mind control?

[CrescentMouse]

It's insanely powerful, I get mind controlled from behind full cover and across the map and immediately it just ruins the whole mission, the soldier will go and grenade themselves next to someone. I'm down a person. And the sectoids tend to have so much health, and shooting them doesn't interrupt it.

[khumak]

Sectoids have a melee weakness so you're better off having a ranger or templar melee them. Usually they have a 100% chance to hit and can 1 shot them. Skirmishers can also melee them in a pinch with their ripjack but it's less of a guarantee. Flashbangs work if you can't kill the alien that did it that turn and it has a huge range in case they MC and then ran off to hide somewhere (flash the alien not your guy).

If your melee type was the one who got MC'd then grenade them to destroy their cover and then take them down with flank shots. It's not as good as melee but it gets the job done.

[Narrowmind]

There are mindshields for that purpose, but I only tend to do it when I have a big fight with thr warlock. An alternative is a psi with with solace.

[CrescentMouse]

Originally posted by khumak:

Sectoids have a melee weakness so you're better off having a ranger or templar melee them. Usually they have a 100% chance to hit and can 1 shot them. Skirmishers can also melee them in a pinch with their ripjack but it's less of a guarantee. Flashbangs work if you can't kill the alien that did it that turn and it has a huge range in case they MC and then ran off to hide somewhere (flash the alien not your guy).

If your melee type was the one who got MC'd then grenade them to destroy their cover and then take them down with flank shots. It's not as good as melee but it gets the job done.

i just started so i don't have a templar or whatever but they sound cool

[Narrowmind]

You aren't using Wotc??

[CrescentMouse]

Originally posted by Ratlegion:

You aren't using Wotc??

uhm.. no, aren't i supposed to play Xcom 2 first? not WotC

[khumak]

Originally posted by CrescentMouse:

Originally posted by khumak:

Sectoids have a melee weakness so you're better off having a ranger or templar melee them. Usually they have a 100% chance to hit and can 1 shot them. Skirmishers can also melee them in a pinch with their ripjack but it's less of a guarantee. Flashbangs work if you can't kill the alien that did it that turn and it has a huge range in case they MC and then ran off to hide somewhere (flash the alien not your guy).

If your melee type was the one who got MC'd then grenade them to destroy their cover and then take them down with flank shots. It's not as good as melee but it gets the job done.

i just started so i don't have a templar or whatever but they sound cool

So if you're just starting out, it's good to take 1 of each of the 4 base classes on each mission. They all have their strengths. Rangers are pretty much a hard counter to sectoids because of their melee weakness. So buy a flashbang and give it to someone other than your ranger. If your ranger gets MC'd, flash bang cancels it. If anyone else gets MC'd ranger 1 shots the sectoid and cancels it.

[Narrowmind]

Originally posted by CrescentMouse:

Originally posted by Ratlegion:

You aren't using Wotc??

uhm.. no, aren't i supposed to play Xcom 2 first? not WotC

Debatable, but I suggest you just put it on easy and play with Wotc. Even the performance is better, bugs fixed. But it's up to you.

[talemore]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=778470963


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=685702241

[Amanoob105]

The same way you can counter most early game problems. Flashbangs.
The list of things this item does to anything caught in its very large area of effect is a long one.
https://xcom.fandom.com/wiki/Disoriented
These things have saved my squads bacon more times than I care to try and count.

Just have one on one team member and hold off on them using their last action point until last in a turn. Is there one or more enemies still alive that you're worried about? Flash 'em.
Also make a point to have the person carrying it hang back a bit as the squad advances, so the enemy are less likely to target them.

Other than that the best option is, target priority. Put more effort into killing the things that feel like they are the bigger threat at that time first.

As for the sectoids health, easiest option is the fact they take extra damage (+3) from melee attacks.
A somewhat better, though more long term, option is the ever sound advice; Always prioritise weapons research.

[Amanoob105]

Originally posted by CrescentMouse:

Originally posted by Ratlegion:

You aren't using Wotc??

uhm.. no, aren't i supposed to play Xcom 2 first? not WotC

Xcom 2 and WotC are basically the same game. WotC just comes with a LOT of new toys to play with (as well as a lot more "toys" that are going to try and play with you).

This technically makes the base Xcom 2 easier, but only in the sense that there's less to be found within it so you have less to juggle while learning how to play. But also less options in how you can play.

[Stardustfire]

Mindshield blocks it, Psi Soldiers Solace blocks/cancel it, and if im not mistaken bondings "stand by me" shoud cancel it (never needed to test the last) ?
Also Flashbanging the caster cancels it, as long the caster isnt the Warlock.
And the last Option: Kill the caster, works even with the warlock :)

[|H|H| Fr3ddi3]

Just a word of warning.

If you flashbang a Sectoid, the only thing they can do (more or less) is shoot you ... which ironically is the worst thing you can invite them to do, because any incoming fire is a bad thing to invite ... and these ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ have a tendency to not just hit someone while flashbanged, they have a really nasty habit of critting and killing through high cover too.

Never just default to flashbang's, try to provide the Sectoid with an advent corpse to waste it's turn on first and make sure to kill it's entourage first.

[psychotron666420]

Originally posted by |H|H| Fr3ddi3:

Just a word of warning.

If you flashbang a Sectoid, the only thing they can do (more or less) is shoot you ... which ironically is the worst thing you can invite them to do, because any incoming fire is a bad thing to invite ... and these ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ have a tendency to not just hit someone while flashbanged, they have a really nasty habit of critting and killing through high cover too.

Never just default to flashbang's, try to provide the Sectoid with an advent corpse to waste it's turn on first and make sure to kill it's entourage first.

I mean... The trade off for flash banging a sectoid is to release the mind control of an ally, who is probably behind your lines or one move away from flanking your guys and almost guaranteeing bad results, as well as the sectoid getting to act.

Having a flash banged sectoid gives them a -20 to aim, while also removing the ally who was going to turn on you, whole simultaneously giving you one extra unit back on your turn.

The choice is pretty black and white. Not flash banging the sectoid (if you can't kill it) is far worse than flash banging it and having a disoriented sectoid and one less enemy in your mind controlled soldier.

[Fuchssprung]

If you build a stun granate you can throw it at the sectoid that ends the mind controll immedietly

[khumak]

Originally posted by |H|H| Fr3ddi3:

Just a word of warning.

If you flashbang a Sectoid, the only thing they can do (more or less) is shoot you ... which ironically is the worst thing you can invite them to do, because any incoming fire is a bad thing to invite ... and these ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ have a tendency to not just hit someone while flashbanged, they have a really nasty habit of critting and killing through high cover too.

Never just default to flashbang's, try to provide the Sectoid with an advent corpse to waste it's turn on first and make sure to kill it's entourage first.

Flashbang shouldn't be the first option in most situations. It's a last resort. I actually almost never use a flashbang to cancel mind control. It's almost always preferable to just send in the ranger or templar to kill it. The scenario where I use flashbangs is when I get unlucky and everyone misses so I still have 3 more more aliens up and ready to return fire next round. Flash bang disables most of their abilities and gives them a large penalty to both movement and aim. So they can't move far enough to flank me and when they shoot at me they're probably going to miss. Most of the time it effectively means the aliens skip their turn.