Decoding the Shadows: Exploiting the Assassin’s Weakness in XCOM 2
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The Assassin, one of the three formidable Chosen in XCOM 2, presents a unique and often frustrating challenge to players. With her ability to conceal herself in Shadow, teleport after being hit, and deliver devastating melee attacks, she can quickly overwhelm an unprepared squad. However, like all the Chosen, she possesses a crucial weakness that, when exploited, can turn the tide of battle. The Assassin’s primary weakness is her vulnerability to Reapers. This class, with its emphasis on stealth and precision, is uniquely positioned to counter the Assassin’s tricks.
Why Reapers Are the Assassin’s Kryptonite
The core reason Reapers excel against the Assassin lies in their inherent ability to spot and maintain targeting on enemies in Shadow. The Reaper’s Shadow mode allows them to remain concealed while scouting, giving them a distinct advantage in locating the Assassin even when she’s cloaked. This is crucial because the Assassin often relies on the element of surprise and ambush tactics. Furthermore, the Target Definition ability allows a Reaper to reveal the Assassin to the entire squad, removing her stealth advantage. Even if she tries to re-enter Shadow after an attack or teleport, the Target Definition debuff keeps her visible.
General Strategies to Counter the Assassin
While Reapers are incredibly effective, a well-rounded approach involves more than just one class. Here’s a look at other effective strategies:
Utilizing High-Damage Abilities
The Assassin’s teleport ability, while a great defensive tool, can be bypassed using abilities that deal damage before she vanishes. Skills like Rapid Fire, Fan Fire, and Chainshot, which unleash multiple attacks in quick succession, will generally complete before she can teleport away. This allows players to maximize damage output on the Assassin without giving her a chance to escape and reset.
Class Synergies
Several classes are useful in combating the Assassin:
- Rangers: With Run & Gun and Rapid Fire, Rangers can close the distance and inflict heavy damage before the Assassin can teleport. Their mobility is key for reacting to the Assassin’s position changes.
- Grenadiers: Equipped with explosives, Grenadiers can deal AoE (Area of Effect) damage, effectively forcing the Assassin out of cover and preventing her from ambushing specific soldiers. Grenades also don’t trigger her teleport if used.
- Templars: Templars, with their superior melee capabilities, can match the Assassin’s close-quarters strength. Abilities like Rend can do consistent damage, but be cautious of her reaction to melee attacks.
Tactical Positioning
Proper soldier placement is critical when facing the Assassin. Avoid bunching soldiers together or lining them up in a row, as the Harbour Wave, her long-range Psionic attack, can devastate an entire squad in a straight line. Spreading out your soldiers is crucial to minimize her psionic attack’s effectiveness.
Exploiting Random Weaknesses
Each Chosen is assigned a random weakness at the start of a campaign. Keep a close eye on these weaknesses by scanning their data in the Geoscape. Exploiting that weakness will speed up her demise tremendously. If she is weak to explosives, for example, Grenadiers will be invaluable.
What Happens When a Chosen Finds the Avenger?
When a Chosen’s Information meter fills, they might initiate an attack on the Avenger, forcing the ship to crash-land and triggering a unique mission. Successfully completing this mission reduces the Chosen’s Information bar, temporarily reducing their activity on the global map.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to further enhance your understanding of fighting the Assassin:
1. Are the Chosen former humans?
Yes, the Chosen were once human, as hinted at in voice lines and confirmed in archive entries in the Commander’s Quarters. The Elders transformed them into their current state.
2. Can I lose Chosen weapons permanently?
Yes, the Chosen weapons are unique and cannot be replicated. If a soldier carrying a Chosen weapon is killed and not evacuated, the weapon is permanently lost.
3. How do I actually defeat the Chosen?
To defeat a Chosen, you need to reduce their health to zero, forcing them back into their sarcophagus. Then, destroy the sarcophagus before their health regenerates. They will reappear for a final battle on the next enemy turn.
4. What is the most powerful weapon in XCOM 2?
The Plasma Bolt Caster is the most powerful weapon in terms of damage per shot, among the standard weapons. However, it needs to be reloaded after every shot.
5. Is there an optimal strategy to beat the Chosen Warlock?
Yes, as with all Chosen, abilities like Holo-Targeting, Fan Fire, Chain Shot, Dual Strike, and Rapid Fire are incredibly effective against the Warlock. Additionally, using his adversary class (Reaper, Skirmisher, or Templar) inflicts additional damage.
6. Who is the strongest melee enemy in the game?
The Berserker is arguably the strongest melee enemy. She has high health and is capable of becoming enraged to increase her damage output and melee range.
7. Is it possible to lose the campaign?
Yes, the campaign is lost if you fail Avenger defense missions, allow Shen or Bradford to die in DLC missions, or wipe in the final missions.
8. What happens if I ignore Retaliation Strikes?
Ignoring a Retaliation Strike will scatter the resistance in that region, resulting in loss of contact, destruction of radio relays, and permanently reduced income.
9. Which is the most powerful soldier class in XCOM 2?
The Reaper is often considered the most powerful class due to their stealth, scouting, and high damage potential.
10. Who is the last boss in XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
The Uber Ethereal is the final boss of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, possessing all Ethereal abilities with added resistances and health.
11. How long does poison last on soldiers?
If a poisoned soldier doesn’t move, poison wears off after the next turn (1 damage total) or the turn after (2 damage total). Moving after being poisoned may extend the duration to a total of three turns.
12. What is the most powerful class in XCOM 2 when considering explosive damage?
The Grenadier is one of the most powerful class to do massive area of effect damage with explosives, destroying enemies and cover at range.
13. What is an effective base building strategy?
A balanced build order includes: Advanced Warfare Centre > Guerrilla Training School > Power Relay > Resistance Comms > Proving Grounds > Psi Lab. This ensures good training, power, and research capabilities.
14. What is the last mission in XCOM?
The last mission, called Operation Leviathan, is extremely lengthy and allows you to deploy any soldier, regardless of their current health.
15. How can I stop poison effects on a soldier?
Poison can be cured using a Medikit or a Specialist’s Healing Protocol.
Conclusion
Understanding the Assassin’s specific weakness to Reapers and implementing effective strategies to exploit her vulnerabilities is vital to overcoming the challenges she poses. By leveraging specific classes, abilities, and tactical positioning, players can significantly improve their odds of defeating this formidable Chosen and reclaiming Earth from the alien occupation. Remember to adapt your approach according to the random weaknesses she is given to further enhance your advantage. Good luck, Commander!