What Facility Should You Build First in XCOM 2?
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The question of which facility to build first in XCOM 2 is a crucial one, setting the stage for your entire campaign. While there are several viable options, the most impactful first build, without a doubt, is the Guerrilla Training School (GTS). This facility provides immediate and long-term benefits that far outweigh other early-game options, making it the clear choice for a solid foundation.
Why the Guerrilla Training School is Paramount
The Guerrilla Training School offers several critical advantages right from the start:
- Increased Squad Size: Perhaps the most significant early benefit is the ability to purchase the squad size upgrade. This allows you to field five soldiers on missions instead of four, increasing your firepower and tactical flexibility. A single additional soldier can significantly improve your chances of survival and mission success in the early game. This increased squad size is invaluable.
- Enhanced Soldier Training: The GTS also allows you to train soldiers in specific perks and abilities. Access to these skills accelerates your soldiers’ progression, allowing them to become more potent fighters more quickly. This will lead to more successful missions, and quicker development of your squad.
- Long-Term Value: Even as your campaign progresses, the GTS remains useful, offering perks that improve soldier performance and survivability. While other facilities might become more important later, the GTS provides immediate and enduring benefits throughout the game.
- Initial Rookie Development: The ability to train a rookie into a specific class (such as a Ranger or Grenadier) is invaluable for building your perfect squad. Early-game reliance on a balanced squad is key to succeeding in the first months.
While the Advanced Warfare Center (AWC) offers a chance to survive fatal hits and faster injury recovery, it’s less impactful in the immediate early game. The AWC is still a very useful facility, but less important than having another soldier on the field. The Power Relay is necessary to power additional buildings, but is not crucial until you expand further, and can wait.
How to Leverage the Guerrilla Training School
To maximize the GTS effectiveness, aim to:
- Prioritize the Squad Size Upgrade: This should be the first upgrade you purchase in the GTS. The value of an extra soldier in the early game cannot be overstated. The boost to your tactical capabilities makes a huge difference.
- Choose Soldier Perks Wisely: Carefully select which soldier perks and abilities to purchase first based on the classes you plan to use, and how you want your squad to function. This allows for quicker development of your soldiers.
- Train Rookies ASAP: Having more options for class development from rookies is essential in the early game. This helps ensure that you build a squad that can handle whatever threats you face.
Other Early Game Priorities
While the GTS is the ideal first build, keep the following in mind for early-game strategy:
- Research: Your initial research focus should be on Xeno-Biology, which unlocks the Alien Containment facility. After this, aim for Weapon Fragments to unlock weapon mods and upgrades. Resistance Comms is also crucial early to expand the number of contacts on the global strategic map.
- Intel and Engineers: Prioritize acquiring Intel, Scientists, and Engineers. These are essential for accelerating your upgrades and technological development. Intel is used for purchasing upgrades and uncovering Dark Events on the black market, Scientists accelerate research, and Engineers are needed to build and staff facilities.
- Black Market: Make sure to use the Black Market to get vital items. This is a great source for the early upgrades needed to help your squad survive.
Building Beyond the Guerrilla Training School
After the GTS, consider these facilities in the following order:
- Power Relay: You’ll soon need this to power the additional facilities you’ll need. Place this strategically for maximum adjacency with your later facilities.
- Resistance Comms: This is vital for expanding your global network and increasing resource flow. More contacts means more income and chances to perform missions.
- Proving Grounds: This facility allows for experimental projects, which lead to advanced weapons and upgrades. This is very important later into the game.
- Advanced Warfare Center: The AWC becomes a higher priority after the early game, once your soldiers are actively going on missions. It provides recovery and survival bonuses that become invaluable at this stage.
- Psi Lab: This is needed for training Psi Operatives, which offer powerful and unique abilities. This facility should be added after the main priorities have been addressed.
By prioritizing the Guerrilla Training School and understanding the importance of other early-game elements, you can create a solid foundation for your XCOM 2 campaign. A strong start makes a considerable difference in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why is squad size so important in XCOM 2?
Squad size directly impacts your tactical capability on missions. More soldiers means more firepower, more versatility, and more flexibility in how you approach a battle. An extra soldier is the best way to improve your odds of survival and mission success.
2. What’s the difference between the GTS and the AWC?
The Guerrilla Training School (GTS) is focused on increasing your squad size and granting specific skills to soldiers. The Advanced Warfare Center (AWC) provides a chance for soldiers to survive fatal hits and increases injury recovery speed. Both are important, but the GTS provides more immediate benefits.
3. When should I build the AWC?
The Advanced Warfare Center (AWC) should be built after the Guerrilla Training School, Power Relay, and Resistance Comms. While useful, its benefits aren’t as immediately game-changing as increasing your squad size and early access to specific training.
4. What is the most important research early on?
Early game research should prioritize Xeno-Biology, to unlock the alien containment facility, and Weapon Fragments for weapon mods. Resistance Comms should also be researched to allow for more contact and more resource income.
5. Why are engineers so important?
Engineers are vital for building and staffing facilities in your base. A well-staffed facility will operate more efficiently. The more engineers you have, the more resources you will gain.
6. How do I get more Intel?
Intel can be acquired by completing missions, scanning at locations on the world map, and selling items at the Black Market. Prioritizing Intel is critical for purchasing upgrades and uncovering Dark Events.
7. What is the Black Market and why is it important?
The Black Market is a place where you can trade supplies for intel, scientists, engineers, and gear. It’s a crucial resource for acquiring the items you need, and should be checked often.
8. What’s the deal with the Avatar Project?
The Avatar Project is the doomsday clock of XCOM 2. As the aliens build more facilities and perform actions, the project meter ticks up. If it maxes out, you lose the game. You need to destroy Alien facilities and hinder the project to beat the game.
9. How do I increase my soldier ranks?
Soldiers gain experience by completing missions and killing enemies. The higher their rank, the more powerful and skilled they will become. The Guerrilla Training School will also let you train soldiers faster.
10. Should I prioritize weaponry or armor research?
Generally, weaponry should be prioritized over armor early on. Enhanced firepower is typically more beneficial than armor in the early game, as you want to be able to take down enemies as efficiently as possible. This helps keep your soldiers alive and allows them to rank up faster.
11. What are Dark Events?
Dark Events are negative effects that the aliens apply to the world. You can uncover these events using Intel, and counter some of them using the Covert Ops mechanic.
12. Should I do every mission that comes up?
It is okay to skip certain missions, but you need to be careful. You cannot skip council missions as that will result in losing the contact. Retaliation missions also need to be attempted. The guerilla ops and supply raid missions are the more acceptable to skip, if necessary.
13. Which is more important: Scientists or Engineers?
Both are important but engineers are more vital early on, as they allow you to construct more facilities quicker. Scientists then become essential later on, as the value of advanced tech and research increases.
14. Is the War of the Chosen DLC worth it?
The War of the Chosen DLC is often considered essential by fans. It adds new enemies, classes, story content, and mechanics. However, it is significantly more difficult than the base game, and should probably be played after completing a vanilla playthrough first.
15. What is the best class in the game?
There is no single best class, but the Reaper is considered by many to be the strongest class in XCOM 2, especially with the War of the Chosen DLC. The Grenadier is also exceptionally powerful with its area of effect attacks and destruction abilities. The combination of classes is more important than the power of any single class.
By understanding these FAQs, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges of XCOM 2 and to make better choices when building your base.