Can You Carry Dead Soldiers in XCOM 2? A Comprehensive Guide

The answer is a resounding yes, you absolutely can carry dead soldiers in XCOM 2. This mechanic is crucial for preserving valuable equipment and, in some cases, saving the lives of your squad members. Understanding how and why to carry fallen soldiers is a key element of mastering XCOM 2. It’s not just about avoiding grief over losing a soldier; it’s a critical tactical element that affects your campaign’s progression.

The Importance of Extraction

In the brutal world of XCOM 2, every advantage matters. Recovering equipment from deceased soldiers is paramount. Unlike many games where death is a permanent loss of resources, XCOM 2 allows you to salvage gear if you successfully extract the body. This is vital because the weapons, armor, and utility items your soldiers carry represent significant time and resource investments. Losing them in combat, especially on higher difficulty levels, can severely hamper your progress.

Saving Gear, Saving the Campaign

When a soldier falls in battle, their body becomes a loot pinata—but only if you get it out of the battlefield. Leaving behind a deceased soldier means losing everything they had equipped. You have to physically move a living or dead soldier to an extraction point to secure their equipment. This adds another layer of strategy. You may need to expose your remaining soldiers to further danger to retrieve a body, but the benefit of recovered gear often outweighs the risks, especially if the lost soldier was carrying valuable or rare items.

How Carrying Works

The actual act of carrying a dead soldier involves a simple action. When you move a soldier adjacent to the corpse of a fallen comrade, an option will appear to “carry.” This action consumes that soldier’s entire turn, as does the act of dropping a body (which can be strategic as well). The soldier then moves slowly, carrying the body until they reach the evac zone and begin the extraction process.

The Mechanics of Evacuation

Once your soldier with the body reaches the EVAC zone, the extraction will be completed at the end of that soldier’s turn. The equipment of the deceased soldier will immediately be returned to your inventory. Remember, if the carrier becomes incapacitated before reaching extraction, both the carrier and the deceased’s equipment are at risk of being lost.

Tactical Considerations

• Prioritize Gear: Assess the value of the lost soldier’s equipment. If it’s a rookie with basic gear, the risk of carrying may not be worth it. However, if a high-level soldier with advanced tech falls, make recovering their gear a top priority.
• Strategic Retreat: Sometimes, the best strategy is to retreat and regroup to carry out the mission. If your squad is overwhelmed, taking a calculated loss to regroup and bring out the wounded and dead, it is preferable to a total team wipe.
• Carry vs. Stabilize: For a wounded soldier who is bleeding out, carrying them to the EVAC zone will also stabilize them in the same way that a Medikit or Specialist skill would. This makes extraction a dual function for both dead and dying soldiers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some common questions surrounding this mechanic and related game elements:

1. What happens to a soldier’s equipment if they die and their body is not extracted?

If a soldier dies and their body is not extracted via the EVAC zone, all of their equipment is lost permanently. This includes weapons, armor, utility items, and any other gear they had equipped.

2. Can you carry an unconscious soldier?

Yes, you can carry an unconscious soldier. This is especially crucial for soldiers who are bleeding out. Carrying a bleeding out soldier to the EVAC zone will stabilize them at 1 hp, effectively saving them from death.

3. How do I prevent soldiers from bleeding out in XCOM 2?

You can prevent soldiers from bleeding out by Stabilizing them using a Medikit or a Specialist’s Medical Protocol. Carrying them to the EVAC zone will also achieve the same stabilization.

4. Is it okay to lose soldiers in XCOM 2?

Yes, losing soldiers is a part of the XCOM 2 experience, especially in early game and on higher difficulty levels. It is very likely to happen, so manage your team as best as possible, and make good extraction decisions to offset these losses.

5. How many soldiers should I have in my XCOM 2 squad?

The number of soldiers you need depends on the difficulty. Easy and Normal might be manageable with around 12 soldiers, but higher difficulties require more. Many players prefer 24 or more soldiers for harder difficulties like Commander or Impossible, allowing for a rotation of tired or wounded members.

6. What are the best soldier classes in XCOM 2?

The Reaper is widely considered the most powerful class, followed closely by the Grenadier. Other useful classes include the Ranger, Specialist, Sharpshooter, Templar, Psy-Operatives, and Skirmisher.

7. Can you rescue captured soldiers in XCOM 2?

Yes, you can rescue captured soldiers. In the base game, a Council Mission or VIP Rescue will eventually trigger, featuring your captured soldier. In the War of the Chosen expansion, you can use a covert operation through the Resistance Ring to initiate a rescue mission.

8. Do unconscious soldiers wake up in XCOM 2?

Unconscious soldiers in XCOM 2 will not naturally wake up. They can be revived using a Specialist’s GREMLIN Revive ability or prevented from becoming unconscious with a Psi Operative’s Solace ability. Stabilized soldiers are rendered unconscious with 1 health, after they have been bleeding out.

9. What happens if you use a tired soldier in XCOM 2?

Tired soldiers have a 50% chance of panicking if a teammate is hurt. While they are less likely to suffer an Obsession, they are still vulnerable to Berserk and Shattered status effects.

10. What does the red shield mean in XCOM 2?

A red shield icon indicates that an enemy will be flanking that unit if they move to that location, making them particularly vulnerable.

11. Can you evac after shooting in XCOM 2?

If your soldier is in the EVAC zone, you can evacuate them even after they’ve used all of their action points.

12. Can you lose Chosen weapons in XCOM 2?

Yes, Chosen weapons are permanently lost if the soldier wielding them is killed and not evacuated. Be very careful with soldiers equipped with this powerful equipment.

13. What is the penalty for a soldier being gravely wounded?

Soldiers who are gravely wounded receive a Will penalty. If they take less than 50% of their total health as damage, the penalty is -5 Will. If they take more than 50% of their total health as damage, the penalty is -10 Will.

14. How do you recruit Reapers in XCOM 2?

The first Reaper is introduced through the opening cinematic. You can recruit additional Reapers via covert operations available through the Resistance Ring building later in the game.

15. What happens if you ignore a Retaliation mission?

Ignoring a Retaliation Strike will cause the Resistance to scatter in the region that was targeted, meaning that contact with that region will be lost and will need to be re-established. The radio relay will also be destroyed and the income of that region is permanently reduced.

Conclusion

Carrying dead and wounded soldiers in XCOM 2 is a crucial tactical element that can mean the difference between success and failure. It ensures the recovery of valuable equipment, the potential for saving a bleeding-out soldier, and ultimately, the continuation of your resistance efforts. Understanding this mechanic, along with the various nuances of squad management, will help you navigate the challenging and rewarding world of XCOM 2.