XCOM 2: Your First Moves for Success
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The first few hours of XCOM 2 can be daunting. You’re thrown into a desperate fight against an alien occupation with limited resources and a looming threat. Success hinges on making the right initial decisions. So, what should you do first in XCOM 2? The answer is multifaceted, but it boils down to this: Prioritize building your infrastructure, focus on acquiring Intel and personnel, and adopt a strategic mindset in combat. This article will guide you through those crucial early steps, setting you up for a successful campaign.
Building Your Foundation: Avenger Facilities
Early Facility Construction
One of the most critical elements is the construction of facilities within the Avenger. Don’t wait until you absolutely need a specific room; start building as soon as possible. The game penalizes you with time delays, often 12 days or more, for each build. It’s far better to have a Power Relay under construction when it isn’t urgently needed than to be caught out when your power is insufficient.
A balanced build order is key to early success. Consider this approach:
- Advanced Warfare Centre: This should be one of your first priorities. It significantly reduces soldier recovery time after missions and unlocks the ability to train rookie soldiers into any class you need.
- Guerrilla Training School (GTS): The GTS allows you to train soldiers with skills beyond their class defaults. It’s also important because you will get squad size upgrades through it that you desperately need, making the game way more manageable.
- Power Relay: You’ll quickly find you’re limited on power, so build this early.
- Resistance Comms: Allows you to establish contact with additional regions to collect resources and recruit more soldiers.
- Proving Grounds: While it might not be immediately pressing, it gives you access to experimental weapons and armour, making it beneficial to get this down in the first couple of months.
- Psi Lab: This will be much later in the game but allows you to begin training your psionics, which can be a game-changer.
The Importance of Power Relays
Each room on the Avenger requires power. Without Power Relays, you’ll quickly find that you can’t build the facilities you need. Don’t underestimate how crucial power is. Build Power Relays as needed to keep your Avenger running and expanding efficiently.
Resource Management: Intel, Scientists, and Engineers
Prioritizing Intel
Intel is a vital resource that is used to unlock crucial content. The first thing you should spend your intel on is connecting to new areas to get your revenue stream going. It is also used to purchase valuable items and weapons from the Black Market. It also enables you to uncover Dark Events, providing vital information about the enemy’s plans and allowing you to prepare for what’s coming.
Scientists and Engineers
Scientists accelerate research, allowing you to unlock new technologies faster. This provides you with better weapons and armor that will make your soldiers much more effective. Engineers are essential for speeding up construction projects and staffing facilities, making them just as vital as scientists. Make sure to recruit as many as you can, especially early on.
Combat Strategies: Taking The Initiative
Focus on Eliminating Threats
In XCOM 2, taking out enemies quickly and efficiently should be your primary goal. Instead of trying to injure multiple targets, focus on eliminating one enemy at a time. This strategy ensures fewer guns are pointing at your soldiers, minimizing the damage they’ll take.
Time Management
Many missions in XCOM 2 have timers, so you can’t be too cautious, you’ll need to keep moving toward your objective. While being too aggressive can lead to disaster, remaining stationary is often the worse option. Find a balance between moving forward and not taking too many risks.
Choosing Your Squad
Grenadier Class
The Grenadier class is an excellent choice for new players. They have the ability to use grenades to destroy enemy cover, control the battlefield and deal significant damage. They can take out more heavily armoured enemies and can clear a path for your other soldiers.
The Reaper Class
While not available at the start, the Reaper is often considered the most powerful class, and can be acquired later with the War of the Chosen expansion. They excel at scouting and dealing incredible damage, making them a top choice for your team.
Early Research Choices
Resistance Comms and Radio
Focus on research that allows you to build Resistance Comms and the Resistance Radio. Connecting with new regions provides you with vital resources and allows you to expand your operation much faster.
Weapons Before Armor
While armour is important, prioritise weapons. This will allow you to more efficiently deal with enemies and increase your survivability on the field.
FAQ: More Essential XCOM 2 Tips
1. How important is a balanced build order in the beginning?
Extremely important. A balanced build order ensures you’re not bottlenecked by a lack of resources or crucial upgrades. Following a pattern such as Advanced Warfare Centre > Guerrilla Training School > Power Relay > Resistance Comms sets a good foundation.
2. How many soldiers should I aim to have?
On Easy or Normal, 12 soldiers should be enough. On higher difficulties, aim for around 24, cycling lower-ranked soldiers to gain experience and increase your overall roster of battle-ready soldiers.
3. What is the most powerful weapon in the game?
The Plasma Bolt Caster is one of the most potent standard (non-heavy) weapons in the game. However, it needs reloading after each shot, so use it carefully.
4. Is XCOM 2 beginner friendly?
On lower difficulty settings, XCOM 2 is quite beginner friendly. The game encourages you to learn from mistakes, but higher difficulties are a completely different experience, and can be extremely unforgiving.
5. What’s the deal with the Avatar Project timer?
The Avatar Project is the game’s doomsday clock. The aliens will use this timer and once completed, you will lose. You will need to stop them from completing the Avatar Project by completing story missions and destroying alien facilities.
6. How can I make XCOM 2 easier?
Use game modifiers to make things easier such as Lengthy Scheme to double the avatar project timer, and Time Turner to double mission timers.
7. Should I play XCOM 2 before War of the Chosen?
Yes, absolutely. War of the Chosen is essentially an upgrade to the base game and playing it without experiencing XCOM 2 first is not recommended. You will get lost in the sheer amount of new information it throws at you. It is recommended that you play the vanilla game at least once before transitioning over to the expansion.
8. Can I lose Chosen weapons permanently?
Yes, if the soldier carrying a Chosen weapon dies and is not evacuated, that weapon is permanently lost. Be extremely careful when equipping one of these weapons, and make sure that soldier is not taking too much risk.
9. Is combat intelligence important?
Yes, combat intelligence from the War of the Chosen DLC allows your soldiers to earn Ability Points faster in combat, which lets them unlock essential skills. This makes your soldiers much more effective at fighting the alien invasion.
10. What is the difference between XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen?
War of the Chosen expands the base game with new enemies, story content, hero characters, modifiers, and unique enemy behaviours. It also adds new maps to the game and more options for your soldiers to level up their stats.
11. What research should I prioritize early on?
Prioritize Resist Comms for contacting new regions. Then, focus on weapons upgrades, and performing the Muton Autopsy for better weaponry and research.
12. What is the strongest enemy in XCOM 2?
The Berserker is a formidable melee enemy. They can become enraged, which will increase their range, damage and overall danger.
13. What are the best enemies to mind control?
Mutons, Heavy Floaters, and Muton Elites are the best targets for Mind Control. They have low Will and can do considerable damage to their own allies. They also carry alien grenades which they can use on themselves.
14. Which is the most powerful class in XCOM 2?
Many players consider the Reaper to be the strongest. The Grenadier is also a very strong contender in terms of damage and is a great choice for beginners.
15. Is XCOM 2 hard to beat?
It depends on the difficulty. Veteran and Commander are easier than previous games, but Legendary is significantly harder than the old “Impossible” difficulty.
Conclusion
Starting XCOM 2 strong requires a mix of strategic planning, efficient resource management, and smart combat tactics. By focusing on building your Avenger facilities, acquiring valuable resources like Intel, Scientists, and Engineers, and making informed decisions in battles, you’ll set yourself up for success in the fight against the alien occupation. Remember that early choices shape the trajectory of your campaign, so make each decision with care. Good luck, commander!