Mastering the Shadows: How to Avoid Alien Rulers in XCOM 2
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The Alien Rulers in XCOM 2 can be a brutal surprise, capable of wiping out even well-prepared squads in a single turn. However, avoiding these apex predators is entirely possible, especially if you know what you’re doing. The easiest way to avoid them entirely is to disable the Alien Hunters DLC at the start of a new campaign. This prevents them from appearing in your game. However, if you want to keep the DLC and its associated content (the unique weapons and armor), you can delay or even entirely skip the “Lost Towers” mission. This mission is what introduces the Rulers into your campaign.
While you still have the DLC activated, you’ll need to start a campaign with the “Integrate DLC” option enabled. This allows the rulers to spawn randomly throughout the campaign, after you complete the “Lost Towers” mission. To prevent their appearance at all, simply don’t do the mission. If you decide to eventually tackle the mission, be prepared for an intense challenge!
Understanding the Alien Hunters DLC and Its Impact
The Alien Hunters DLC adds a layer of difficulty to XCOM 2 by introducing three unique and powerful Alien Rulers: the Viper King, the Berserker Queen, and the Archon King. These creatures possess devastating abilities and, most importantly, react after every action your soldiers take. This makes traditional XCOM tactics far less effective.
The “Lost Towers” mission is the trigger that unleashes these Rulers upon the world. They will then begin to appear randomly in other missions, often at the worst possible time. Therefore, delaying or avoiding this mission is crucial for those who wish to postpone or circumvent these encounters.
Why Avoid Alien Rulers?
Alien Rulers can significantly increase the difficulty of XCOM 2. Here are some key reasons why you might want to avoid them:
- Early Game Wipe: Encountering a Ruler early in the campaign, before your soldiers are adequately equipped, can be disastrous.
- Resource Drain: Dealing with Rulers requires specialized tactics and equipment, diverting resources from other critical areas of your strategy.
- Psychological Impact: The unpredictable nature of Ruler encounters can be demoralizing and frustrating.
- Campaign Loss: A single bad encounter can easily snowball into a campaign loss, especially on higher difficulty levels.
Preparing if You Can’t Avoid Them Forever
While the primary goal is avoidance, it’s wise to prepare for the eventuality of encountering the Alien Rulers. Here are some tips:
- Understand Their Abilities: Research each Ruler to understand their unique abilities and weaknesses.
- Equip Frost Grenades: These grenades can freeze Rulers, giving you a valuable turn to reposition or unload damage.
- Utilize Special Ammo: Bluescreen Rounds are effective against the Archon King, while Dragon Rounds can deal fire damage to the Viper King.
- Train Psi-Ops: A Psi-Op with Stasis can temporarily incapacitate a Ruler, providing crucial breathing room.
- Focus Fire: When engaging a Ruler, focus all your firepower on eliminating it as quickly as possible.
- Consider the Alien Hunter Weapons: These weapons do more damage to the Alien Rulers.
- Bolt Caster: A single-shot sniper rifle that deals high damage.
- Hunter’s Axe: A melee weapon that can be thrown for ranged attacks.
- ShadowKeeper: A pistol that grants concealment after a kill.
Alien Rulers FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Alien Rulers in XCOM 2, to help you navigate these dangerous encounters.
1. Can I completely remove the Alien Hunters DLC?
Yes, you can completely remove the DLC through Steam. Go to your Steam Library, find XCOM 2, scroll down to the DLC section, and uncheck the “Alien Hunters” box. This will prevent the DLC from loading, effectively removing the Rulers and their associated content from your game.
2. What happens if I ignore the “Lost Towers” mission indefinitely?
If you ignore the “Lost Towers” mission indefinitely, the Alien Rulers will not appear in your campaign. You will miss out on the Alien Hunters weapons and armor, but you will also avoid the significant difficulty spike that the Rulers introduce.
3. Is it possible to delay the “Lost Towers” mission until I am better prepared?
Absolutely. You can delay the “Lost Towers” mission as long as you like. This allows you to build up your squad, research advanced technologies, and acquire better equipment before facing the Rulers. This is actually the recommended way of dealing with the Alien Hunters DLC.
4. What is the best strategy for fighting Alien Rulers if I choose to engage them?
The best strategy involves focusing fire, utilizing specialized equipment, and exploiting their weaknesses. Frost Grenades are crucial for freezing Rulers and gaining a tactical advantage. Also, bring along a Psi Op with the Stasis ability to keep them out of the fight while your team reloads.
5. Are there any classes that are particularly effective against Alien Rulers?
The Ranger, with its high mobility and close-quarters combat abilities, can be effective for dealing damage. The Psi-Op, with its ability to Stasis a Ruler, is also invaluable. The Grenadier is also very useful, as they can shred armor, and carry frost grenades.
6. What are the Alien Hunter weapons, and how do they help against Rulers?
As mentioned above, the Alien Hunter weapons are unique weapons obtained from the “Lost Towers” mission that deal bonus damage to the Alien Rulers. They include the Bolt Caster (Sniper Rifle), Hunter’s Axe (melee/thrown weapon), and ShadowKeeper (Pistol).
7. Do Alien Rulers appear in every mission after the “Lost Towers” mission?
No, Alien Rulers do not appear in every mission. Their appearance is random, although they may be more likely to appear in missions with a higher threat level.
8. Can Alien Rulers be mind controlled?
Yes, Alien Rulers can be mind controlled, but their Will stat is typically very high, making it difficult. The Domination ability from the Psi Operative tree is the most reliable way to achieve this.
9. What happens if an Alien Ruler escapes during a mission?
If an Alien Ruler escapes, it will reappear in a future mission. It will also retain any damage it sustained during the previous encounter. This means that you can chip away at their health over multiple encounters.
10. Are Alien Rulers affected by status effects like poison or burning?
Yes, Alien Rulers are affected by status effects like poison and burning, although they may have some resistance. Dragon Rounds and Venom Rounds can be useful for inflicting these effects.
11. Is there a way to predict when an Alien Ruler will appear?
Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to predict when an Alien Ruler will appear. However, you can monitor the world activity for rumors, but even these can be misleading.
12. Do Alien Rulers get stronger as the game progresses?
Yes, Alien Rulers become stronger as the game progresses. Their health, armor, and abilities will scale with the increasing difficulty level.
13. What difficulty do you recommend for Alien Rulers?
The difficulty is purely a matter of player skill. If you are not comfortable playing a turn-based strategy game, it is recommended to start on an easier difficulty.
14. Are Alien Rulers vulnerable to any specific damage types?
Alien Rulers are vulnerable to shredded armor. For example, the Archon King is vulnerable to Bluescreen Rounds.
15. How do I prepare for the “Lost Towers” mission?
Prepare for the “Lost Towers” mission by ensuring you have a well-equipped and high-level squad. Bring specialized equipment like Frost Grenades, Bluescreen Rounds, and Psi-Ops with Stasis. Also, research the Alien Hunters weapons to understand their capabilities.
Conclusion
Avoiding Alien Rulers in XCOM 2 is a viable strategy for those who prefer a more manageable difficulty curve or wish to experience the game without the added stress of these powerful enemies. By disabling the DLC or simply avoiding the “Lost Towers” mission, you can effectively remove them from your campaign. However, if you choose to engage them, preparation, specialized equipment, and tactical awareness are essential for survival. Remember, knowledge is power, and understanding the Alien Rulers is the first step to defeating (or avoiding) them.
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