Can You Ignore Retaliation Missions in XCOM 2?

The short answer is: no, you cannot afford to ignore retaliation missions in XCOM 2 without facing severe consequences. While the game offers a degree of flexibility in handling other mission types, retaliation missions are a critical aspect of managing the global resistance and must be addressed promptly. Ignoring these missions will lead to significant setbacks and could even jeopardize your campaign.

What Happens When You Ignore a Retaliation Mission?

Failing to respond to a retaliation mission is not simply a missed opportunity; it’s a major strategic blunder with far-reaching consequences. Here’s a breakdown of the penalties you’ll face:

• Loss of Regional Contact: The most immediate and impactful consequence is the loss of contact with the affected region. This means you’ll lose access to vital resources, intelligence, and the potential for future missions in that area. Re-establishing contact requires time, effort, and resources, setting you back significantly.

• Destruction of Radio Relays: Any radio relays you’ve established in the targeted region will be destroyed. These relays are crucial for expanding your communication network and reach, losing them hampers your overall operations.

• Permanent Income Reduction: Ignoring a retaliation mission causes the region’s income to be permanently reduced. This is a significant economic hit, limiting your ability to fund research, construction, and soldier recruitment. This permanent setback will impact your long-term campaign strategy.

• Resistance Scatter: The retaliation signifies a strong push by ADVENT against the resistance. Failing to protect them scatters the resistance cells in the affected region, making future operations even more difficult. This scattering directly contributes to the loss of contact and reduced income.

In essence, ignoring a retaliation mission isn’t just about skipping a single encounter; it triggers a cascade of negative effects that weaken your position on the strategic map and hinders your fight against ADVENT.

Time Constraints of Retaliation Missions

Retaliation missions aren’t a leisurely affair. They come with a strict time limit. Generally, you have around 22 hours to reach the mission location. However, travel time to the site will cut into this time frame. If your ETA is, for example, 4 hours, that leaves only 18 hours before the mission expires. Planning is crucial; don’t start a long scan or other task if it will make you miss the deadline.

The game does offer a slight flexibility; for example, if you’re scanning an area that will finish within the time limit, you can generally complete it before embarking to the mission, but keep a close eye on the remaining hours.

Why You Can’t Afford to Skip Retaliation Missions

Ignoring a retaliation mission is a decision with severe ramifications. The permanent loss of resources, income, and contact with a region can significantly set you back in the strategic campaign, putting you at a disadvantage with ADVENT’s advancements and making you unable to get further access to the area. In most cases the mission should be your primary objective once discovered.

It’s far better to take the time and risk the lives of your soldiers to defend a region than to deal with the devastating consequences of ignoring ADVENT’s retaliation. These missions are a crucial part of the game’s difficulty curve and they force you to manage your assets, resources and soldiers strategically. They’re a vital part of keeping your resistance networks active.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about XCOM 2 Retaliation Missions

1. What exactly is a Retaliation Mission?

A retaliation mission occurs when ADVENT forces attack a region where you have established resistance contacts. The aim is to overwhelm the local resistance and disrupt your operations, thus forcing a response from your XCOM strike team.

2. How long do Retaliation missions typically last?

Retaliation missions typically have a 22-hour window to be started, though you also need to take into account the time to arrive at the mission.

3. What happens if I don’t have enough soldiers available?

This highlights the importance of building a large and diverse roster of soldiers. If you constantly suffer casualties, you will quickly get into this position. It’s crucial to rotate troops and keep a reserve force trained and ready.

4. Can I complete other missions before tackling a retaliation?

You can if time allows. If your other mission like a scan finishes in time, you may want to complete it before moving to a retaliation, but always keep a close eye on your deadline. Retaliation missions should be your priority, however, so avoid going on very long missions or scans.

5. Can I regain contact with a region after losing it to a retaliation?

Yes, but it’s a challenging and time-consuming process. You’ll need to invest time and resources into establishing new resistance contacts in the region, which will slow your overall progress.

6. Does difficulty affect the consequences of ignoring a retaliation?

No, the consequences of failing or ignoring retaliation missions are consistent across all difficulty settings. The penalties are always harsh.

7. How do I better prepare for Retaliation missions?

Having a balanced team with different classes is essential. Ensure you have a variety of soldier skillsets, and that you’re constantly training new recruits to help ensure you never lack a squad for a critical mission.

8. Is it worth sacrificing soldiers to save a region from retaliation?

Sometimes, a strategic retreat is better than a total loss. However, you should generally attempt the mission since the consequences of failing one are significant. The loss of a few soldiers is less damaging to the campaign than the loss of an entire region.

9. Do chosen show up in Retaliation Missions?

Yes, any of the chosen can show up in a retaliation mission, increasing the difficulty of the encounter. Be prepared for a tough fight.

10. Does losing a region affect the global resistance meter?

No. Losing a region does not directly increase the Avatar Project meter. However, the loss of resources and income will make managing the overall situation more difficult.

11. Can Dark Events affect Retaliation Missions?

Yes, Dark Events can affect Retaliation Missions, usually making it harder with negative modifiers for you. Some may increase the amount of aliens present, or improve their capabilities.

12. Are there any mods that change how Retaliation Missions work?

Yes, some mods can alter the frequency, difficulty, or mechanics of retaliation missions. It’s best to check the specifics of any installed mods.

13. What happens if I fail a Retaliation Mission?

Failing a Retaliation Mission has the same consequence as ignoring them, you will lose the region completely, including resources, income and contacts.

14. Can I scan the region that was lost after a failed Retaliation Mission?

Yes, you can scan the area once you’ve re-established contact.

15. Is there any way to prevent Retaliation Missions from occurring?

No, Retaliation Missions are a core mechanic of the game. You cannot avoid them entirely. However, strong resistance networks in all regions reduces the chance of them occurring there.

Conclusion

While XCOM 2 allows some flexibility in which missions you choose to prioritize, Retaliation Missions are not optional. Ignoring these missions results in dire consequences for your campaign, including loss of regions, reduced resources, and a significantly weakened strategic position. Be prepared, train your soldiers, and never underestimate the severity of a looming ADVENT retaliation. Successfully defending against these attacks is crucial for maintaining the global resistance and achieving victory.