Mastering the Ruler Reaction in XCOM 2: A Comprehensive Guide

The Alien Rulers in XCOM 2 present a significant challenge, primarily due to their unique “Ruler Reaction” mechanic. Unlike standard enemies who take their turns in a predictable sequence, Rulers react after every single action your soldiers take, be it firing a shot, moving, or even using an item. This makes traditional tactical approaches less effective, forcing you to adapt and employ specific strategies to survive. In essence, dealing with the Ruler reaction boils down to mitigating its impact and exploiting its limitations, rather than directly preventing it. You cannot stop a Ruler reaction, but you can control how much damage they can do. This guide will outline the key principles and techniques to overcome this daunting mechanic.

Understanding the Ruler Reaction

Before diving into specific tactics, it’s crucial to understand how the Ruler Reaction works. Every time a soldier completes an action, the Ruler gets a free move. This is not a standard turn; the Ruler will execute one of its unique abilities depending on its type.

For example, an Archon Ruler may lash out with Devastate, while a Viper Ruler might use Binding. These reactions can interrupt your plans, inflict serious damage, or even put your soldiers in precarious positions. Unlike normal alien actions, there is no way to interrupt or overwatch this reaction; it will occur no matter what you do. This understanding is the foundation for all effective counter-strategies.

Key Strategies for Mitigating Ruler Reactions

While the Ruler reaction itself cannot be avoided, you can significantly reduce its effectiveness through smart planning and tactical awareness:

• Prioritize Damage: Focus on unleashing as much damage as possible in each turn. Given that Rulers react to every action, maximizing the impact of each soldier’s turn is essential. High damage abilities, powerful weapons, and critical hits become exceptionally valuable.
• Control the Battlefield: Use cover, positioning, and defensive abilities to minimize the risk from Ruler reactions. Think carefully about each soldier’s position before making a move; avoid clustering your team, which will make the Archon Ruler’s Devastate attack especially dangerous.
• Use Status Effects: Effects like Freeze (via the Frost Grenade) and Acid/Fire can severely impair a Ruler’s ability to react. They can also provide the crucial window needed to deal significant damage or reposition your squad. The Repeater weapon upgrade provides a rare chance to instantly kill a ruler.
• Focus Fire: Concentrating all of your squad’s firepower on the Ruler, instead of engaging in minor skirmishes, will help to take them down faster. Each action should be to do the most damage possible to the ruler.
• Ruler-Specific Tactics: Each Ruler has different reaction abilities. Understanding each of them will allow you to make the best tactical decisions. Archon Rulers are vulnerable to Acid and Burn damage, which can cancel their grab ability. Berserker Rulers tend to charge across the map.
• Stasis: Psi Operatives are invaluable as they can use Stasis to remove the ruler from the fight for a turn.

The Power of the Frost Grenade

The Frost Grenade is an incredibly useful tool when dealing with rulers. When a Ruler is frozen, it will still take DOT (damage over time) effects. It gives you a guaranteed chance to unload serious damage and reposition your squad.

Advanced Tactics

Beyond the fundamentals, here are some advanced strategies to master the Ruler reaction:

• Exploit Weaknesses: Research Ruler weaknesses. The Archon Ruler is particularly susceptible to radiation damage and the Knell Prime weapon is great against them.
• Banish with Reaper: The Reaper’s Banish ability, combined with Repeaters, can potentially kill the Ruler in a single turn.
• Mind Control: While less common, a well-placed Mind Control on a powerful enemy such as a Muton can distract the ruler.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I know when a Ruler will appear?

If you have the Alien Hunters DLC, Rulers will only appear after you have completed the introductory story mission. You can also choose to ignore the mission and the Rulers will not appear, which some find preferable.

2. Can I avoid Ruler missions altogether?

You can delay encountering the Rulers by not completing the initial story mission associated with the Alien Hunters DLC. This will give you more time to prepare but will mean you miss out on powerful weapons.

3. What should I prioritize when equipping my soldiers for a Ruler encounter?

Focus on weapons that deal high damage, including plasma weapons and those with critical hit bonuses. Equip a soldier with a Frost Grenade and equip Repeaters when you can.

4. How do status effects impact Ruler reactions?

Status effects like freeze, burn, and poison can limit Ruler reaction effectiveness. Acid and Fire damage are especially effective against the Archon Ruler, canceling its grab ability.

5. What is the best way to handle an Archon Ruler?

Focus on weapons that deal burn or acid damage to disrupt its grab. Avoid clumping your soldiers together as its “Devastate” ability will hit all of them.

6. How can a Psi Operative help in a Ruler fight?

Psi Operatives can use Stasis to remove a Ruler from the fight for a turn, allowing for tactical repositioning or a moment to recover.

7. Are there any weapon upgrades that are especially effective against Rulers?

Yes, Repeaters are incredibly useful due to their chance to instantly kill a Ruler, especially when combined with the Banish ability.

8. What should I do if a Ruler is close to my squad?

Try to reposition your soldiers to avoid being caught in close range. Use cover and defensive abilities to mitigate damage from Ruler attacks.

9. Is it a good idea to try and kill a Ruler immediately, or should I try to make them flee?

Killing them is the ultimate goal. Rulers will only leave the battlefield when severely damaged or their health reaches a critical level. Do your best to kill the Ruler as soon as possible.

10. Can I capture Alien Rulers?

No, Rulers cannot be captured, meaning you cannot use them for any interrogation research.

11. What happens if I fail a mission with a Ruler?

If you fail a mission with a Ruler, they will not gain any power or become stronger. You can encounter them again in another mission.

12. Are Rulers immune to any particular type of damage?

Rulers do not have full immunity to any damage type, but their resistance varies depending on the type of ruler. Researching ruler autopsy is a good way to find their weaknesses.

13. How important is squad composition when fighting a Ruler?

Squad composition is critical. You want a balance between damage dealers, support units, and specialists who can handle status effects and crowd control.

14. Does the difficulty setting affect how Rulers behave?

Yes, the difficulty setting affects the health, damage, and sometimes the unique abilities of the rulers. The higher the difficulty, the more challenging Rulers will be.

15. Are there any specific class builds that excel against Rulers?

Reapers with Banish and the Superior Repeater are very effective against the rulers. Grenadiers with high damage weapons and the ability to inflict status effects are also very useful.

By understanding the Ruler reaction and applying these strategies, you can greatly increase your chances of overcoming these formidable foes and securing victory for XCOM. Remember, adaptation and planning are key. Good luck, Commander.