How to Xeno Hunter Guide on Hard - Sinatra Style (working progress)

[mightywombat]

Recruitment Phase 1 finished.

Comments and suggestions here: How to Xeno Hunter Guide Comments

First of all, This guide may not the most efficient way to play this class – its my way, fitting the narrative and my personal current preferential way to play.
I’m doing this on the fly while playing, so changes may be implemented and it will be extended over time.
This is a raw first version, which will be better structured in the future. Screenshots will be added.



Explaining the basic ideas

It will take a longer time for getting going, on hard fighting Xenos isn’t easy.
This style will be massively focused on crew combat, (self) ship repair, exploring and salvaging and xp farming.
Contacts will be obtained by Explorer Skill (Level 5 Unseen Traces).
I aim for the Javat Tiberian Highliner as this style requires mass crew, maybe some pilot modules.
I try to do the Vatborn Monster achievement (support Zette) alongside, but I’m not sure if I’m able to get powerful enough in time to handle it.
Combat: Amor up Talent / Closing Range with Twitch Surge to 1 / mass self Repair and healing up the crew on range one while boarding / destroying enemy weapons with Boarding talents.
Basically heads first diving through enemy fire. Officers expect one will have Xeno-Hunter, Combat Medic and Exo-Scouts Job Combination (yea Pistols are wasted i know)

On hard, you will need more than 1 healer versus xeno.
I will only use the captain and officers to fight. Xeno Hunter + Exo Scout build up enough rifle skill and fighting talents. The pistols are wasted thats true, but 3 of 4 fighters have to be able to heal, otherwise you end up with body bags.
Consider, I have to go through 5 Xeno Fights in a row later, my ship will only have to 2-3 small weapons for crippling.

Grenade Launch and Cleansing Purge wins you every non-Xeno Crew fight without any Weapon or Amor upgrade before you get to Lifeline.

Many Xeno Hunter Talents can be used later for money generation. You cant spend a ton of talents there. I will add crew (e. g. Doctors for saving talents) to fill the skill gaps on the new ship. The female story officer will add up the 7th Officer fighter, since she will board although all cabins are full.

And I will add 6 Engis (XP-Boosting Crew) and 2 Mechanics to become a self repairing Borg
Resistance is Futile!



Added a tiny narrative:

Ryan Mercurys’ family was murdered by xenos while exploring.
Ryan decides to join Agents K ship crew and work himself up to officer status to get revenge in fighting xenos.
Agent K is a former military officer who fought Xenos to protect the Javat worlds. After he lost his ship in a xeno battle he was released from the FDF.
Due to his contacts he managed to aquire a small ship and now Agent K and his crew are on their way to try to crawl back into the xeno fighting business, hence they have no other skills. This time for their own account.

A Attributes
B Skills
C Contacts
D Experience
E Ship

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656988920

Evasion for dodging range and some melee evasion.
Rifle skill will be high enough due to Xeno Hunter and Exo-Scout jobs.
Since I do not wield blades, blade skill won’t improve my melee evasion.
The Explorer should be the fourth Contact and from a foreign Fraction.
Attributes favor high Initiative and Damage Reduction.
Doctor for improved Healing




Starting Faction: Javat

Recommended Storyline: Zette. Pays 600k, very suitable to our setup and best pay.


Getting started / Recruiting Tour 1:
(Time Period till about 222AE, after finishing the Zette storyline)

Check if your 4th contact is from a different faction, if not reload the template

Get a Sure Landfall and land

Fire 2 Gunner (look at the traits to choose which to fire) + 1 Electronics Tech + all fighters

Quartermaster, Engineer Doctor get Commander job and Discerning Glance

Assign talents to all of your crew, proposal below

1 x Daunting presence
1 x Discerning Glance
3 x Safety Protocolls
1 x Storm shielding
1 x Signature Jammer
Gunner Talents remain open until later
1 x Careful Testing
2 x Read Charts
1 x Exacting Design
2 x Expert Maneuver
2 x Sure Landfall

Fly to your spy contact and start gathering intel and credits.
2 Patrol cards with 6-12 Faction Reputation will also help a lot.
The Reputation bonus for your faction will also support the other recruiting
I reloaded and saved a couple of times to get a smooth start, since you need Intel and credits for hiring. Level 5 spies are recommended.


If you have much Intel maybe splitting up between Ex Spy Contact and Salvage Broker is a good idea.


Recruit a crew spy. (talent proposal below) maybe get level 2 edict
Since this will be Combat Officer you will have to reroll a fair bit.
Focus on very high:
Quickness (Defense, Initiative)
Fortitude (Damage Reduction)
Wisdom (Initiative)

I settled for this one:

Officer (Combat Spot 4) : Spy / Combat Medic / Doctor

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656016210

If you are very lucky you get extra doctor skill. Pistols, Tactics, Command Skills are also nice.
My extra skills aren't helpful but the attributes are too good.
(one hidden trait is negative - frail - she will be even better after removing that)

Recruit 2 crew spy

2x Scouring Search
2x Bolt
(+60 escape on turn 2 should ensure never been caught, basically you’re a mouse on crack)


Fly to your Retired Xeno Hunter Contact, do spying until Discerning Glance Cooldown is off.
Recruit 3 Crew Xeno Hunters. As soon you have a very good one, safe.
This will take a while.

My rolls were:

Officer: Xeno - Hunter / Combat Medic / Exo-Scout or Bounty Hunter

Extra Evasion + Doctor + Moral loss reduced

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656034756


Officer: Xeno Hunter / Exo-Scout or Bounty Hunter / maybe Soldier

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656048472

Officer: Xeno Hunter / Tbd / Tbd

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1656974573



Fire the Commanders and promote the Combat Spy, a Navigator and one Xeno Hunter to Officers.



Recruit 3 crew scavengers at Highest Level possible. Look for a long lasting rumor near you

SAVE THE GAME - you need a fall-back position, since you will most likely screw up.
(possible factors: low money, salvage greed, arbiter not in time)


Recruit 2 Explorer
One positve Patrol Patrol result enables you to recruit 2 of them (Talents remain open)


Don’t forget to bring the arbiter in time onboard. You need the Storyline for money creation.


Thats all for Recruitment Phase 1




Talents and further Progress:

Scavengers get Careful EVA and Picky Looters
As soon as your gunners get the level 5 Supremy of Firepower you’re good to go.

Don’t forget to use Unseen Tracers the get your contact network going. On planets with population and wilderness, you can slide back and forth till the talent proccs (if you have the money for the fuel)

You need to find a contact for Engineers which buys Intel and a Contact which recruits Military Officers before you go for a new ship.

You have now a very strong Patrol, Spy, Salvage cycle almost without cooldowns.
Search for Salvage Objects near you at the Salvage Broker.



Salvaging Loots (don’t get greedy):

Level 6-7 Weapons
Level 6 Amor
Officer Gear
Cargo Missions (new)
Credits
Traits
Reputation



Reputation:

Constantly sell Intell to foreign factions, to repair Reputaion or to get in the "acknowledge" zone, when Unseen Trace starts to kick in.
Counterfeit Identity can be used "offensively" on cautious ships to generate Reputation.



If you feel to have enough money while Phase1:

Possible Ship Ugrades:
Dual Arc Signal Array ~ 18k
Fuel Upgrade ~20k



Which Amor (starting Contact sells Combat Amor):

Xenos mostly rely on melee attacks, while other Crew fights mostly rely on ranged attacks
Meshplate Weave soaks melee, no initiative debuff, more dogde
Keepers Plate good vs ranged, -4 initiative

Crew Fights mostly takes 2-3 Turns, Keepers Plate useful
Xeno fights takes longer, so here the Keepers Plate isn’t the choice.

To accomplish the final step of the Zette storyline you need:

2 Keepers Plate
2 Meshplate Weave
at least 3 level 6 weapons, better a level 7 LMG
2-3 Lifeline Talents

Costs: Amor 80k, Weapons depending on your salvage luck
Pays: 600k
No more Info here to avaoid Spoilers.

Going in underequipped will result in body-bags



Further leveling:

Later with Engineers and Scavengers you will be able to repair your ship while salvaging or Exploring.

That’s all what I have for now - it should be enough for getting started and building a bank for the new ship.
I’m quite busy currently, but I hope to be able to continue my first guide soon. It’s quite an amount of work but it has been fun so far.

Appeal:

If you like this guide and / or you are interested in more Achievements for the Hard mode plz contribute to my achievement collection thread.

Finished and Revised for Phase 1

[Trese Brothers]

Love to see a guide for Xeno Hunter coming out so quickly! Can't wait to see this posted into the guide section <3

[mightywombat]

My Talent Built Order for Phase 1 (chronologically listed as you pick them)

Crew

Crew Dog 1

Saftey Protocols (T1)
Scrap Procedures (T5)
Talk in the Hall (T5)
Battle Damage Repair (T8)

Crew Dog 2

Saftey Protocols (T1)
Talk in the Hall (T5)
Relaxing Leave (T1)
Battle Damage Repair (T8)

Crew Dog 3

Saftey Protocols (T1)
Talk in the Hall (T5) or Relaxing Leave (T1)
Scrap Procedures (T5)
Battle Damage Repair (T8)



Electronics Tech 1

Hotwire (T1)
Static Talk (T5)
Alert Scanner (T1)
Weakened System (T5)
Clink of Credits (T11)

Electronics Tech 2

Hotwire (T1)
Storm Shielding (T1)
Alert Scanner (T1)
Clink of Credits (T11)
Weakened System (T5)

Electronics Tech 3

Signature Jammer (T1)
Static Talk (T5)
Alert Scanner (T1)
Clink of Credits (T11)
Weakened System (T5)



Explorer 1+2

Unseen Traces (T5)
Reduced Exposure (T5)
Legacy Seeker (T8)



Gunner 1+2

Supremecy of Firepower (T5)
Orbital Guard (T5)
Disarming Sabotage (T5)
Loot Amory (T1)



Mechanic

Careful Testing (T1)
Repurposed Parts (T5)
Entropic Delay (T1)



Navigator 1

Exacting Design (T1)
Efficient Route (T1)
Orderly Drop (T5)

Navigator 2

Read Charts (T1)
Orderly Drop (T5)
Efficient Route (T1)

Navigator 3

Read Charts (T1)
Exacting Design (T1)
Efficient Route (T1)



Pilot 1

Sure Landfall (T1)
Expert Maneuver (T1)
Swift Sweep (T8)

Pilot 2

Expert Maneuver (T1)
Sure Landfall (T1)
Swift Sweep (T8)

Pilot 3

Expert Maneuver (T1)
Swift Sweep (T8)
Sure Landfall (T1)

Pilot 4

Sure Landfall (T1)
Swift Route (T5)
Expert Maneuver (T1)


Why so many landing Talents?

You will waste a great amount of time and fuel for Unseen Traces if you don’t.
Do Landings till you’re out of Landing Talents and wait for the Cooldown.



Scavenger 1-3

Picky Looters (T5)
Carefule EVA (T5)
Patchwork (T8)



Crew Spy

Bolt (T5)
Scouring Search (T5)
Sly Mode (T1)



Crew Xeno Hunter

Grenade Launch (T1)
Unfailing Stand (T5)
Plasma Burner (T8)


WILL BE UPDATED TODAY (old version)

Captain and Officers

Captain (Level 15) (Combat Position 1) Shotgun

Xeno Hunter Job remains Level 1 or 2, Combat Medic as soon as possible to Level 8, then 2 Job Levels in Exo-Scout

Daunting Presence (XH T1)
First Aid (CM T1)
E-Structure (or Cleansing Purge) (CM T1)
Lifeline (CM T8)
Aggressive Advance (ES T1)
Bio Poison Grenade (ES T1)

With Aggressive Advance Captain switches to Position 2 due to his high Initiative.



Spy Officer (Level 16)

Military Officer stays at Job Level one, Spy Job level to 8, Smuggler to 5 or higher

Bolt
Scouring Search
Stiff Salute
Counterfied Identiy
Expert Planning
Forged Permit



Xeno Hunter Officer 1 (Level 15) (Combat Position 2) Shotgun

Xeno Hunter stays at Job Level 1 or 2, Combat Medic as soon as possible to Level 8, then 5 Job Levels in Exo-Scout

First Aid (CM T1)
E-Structure (or Cleansing Purge) (CM T1)
Lifeline (CM T8)
Aggressive Advance (ES T1)
Bio Poison Grenade (ES T1)
Steady Mobility or Bio Poison Slugs (ES T1 / CM T1)



Xeno Hunter Officer 2 (Level 15) (Combat Position 4) LMG

Xeno Hunter as soon as possible to Level 8, then Combat Medic to Level 8

Daunting Presence (XH T1)
First Aid (CM T1)
Grenade Launch (XH T1)
Plasma Burner (XH T8)
Cleansing Purge) (CM T1)
Puncture Points or Death Haunt (XH 5 / XH 8)
Lifeline (CM T8)



Xeno Hunter Crew Fighter (Level 13) LMG (gets promotion on the new ship)

Grenade Launch (T1)
Unfailing Stand (T5)
Plasma Burner (T8)



The road so far:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1654480014

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1654480144

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1654480257




Next to come:

New Ship
Recruiting Phase 2
Retraining / Restructuring Crew and Officers
Staying alive
[Get ready to pick up Valencia to meet Zerod]
Get ready for deRivesh