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Why Can’t I Use the Skulljack? Understanding XCOM 2’s Crucial Item

The Skulljack is a unique and vital piece of equipment in XCOM 2, but its functionality can often leave players confused. The primary reason you can’t use the Skulljack boils down to these points:

Story-Driven Use: The Skulljack isn’t a freely usable item right from the start. Its core function is tied to specific story objectives. You cannot arbitrarily decide to skulljack any enemy at any time.
Mission Specificity: You can only use the Skulljack on a Codex when the game specifically tasks you with doing so as part of a main mission. The same principle applies to the initial skulljacking of an ADVENT Officer.
Research Requirements: While you can equip the Skulljack early on, its broader use is gated behind the Skullmining research project. Until you’ve completed Skullmining, the Skulljack primarily serves as a plot device.
Enemy Type: You must be trying to skulljack the correct enemy. You can not skulljack random ADVENT troops.

Essentially, the Skulljack is a powerful, story-relevant tool, not a regular combat weapon like a rifle. It’s designed to be used strategically, within the parameters of the game’s narrative progression. You will need to be told when and who to use the Skulljack on to progress through the campaign.

Understanding the Skulljack and Skullmining

To fully utilize the Skulljack, it’s essential to understand the distinction between skulljacking and skullmining:

Skulljacking

This is a story-related action directly tied to progression.
Initially, you’ll skulljack an ADVENT Officer to progress the plot. This unlocks further research.
Later, you’ll be tasked with skulljacking a Codex to advance the story further.
These actions are crucial for lowering the Avatar Project progress and triggering key events.
Skulljacking a Codex always spawns a very strong enemy, the Avatar.

Skullmining

This is a combat action enabled by the Skullmining research.
Once you research Skullmining, a “Skullmine” ability becomes available for soldiers equipped with the Skulljack.
Skullmining is an active attack on a targeted ADVENT soldier, allowing you to “hack” them for bonuses.
These bonuses can include things like stat decreases for the target and a stat increase for the character who performed the action.
It can be used anytime a soldier with a Skulljack is within melee range of an ADVENT soldier.

Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

Many players find themselves struggling with the Skulljack due to misconceptions about its use. Some common mistakes include:

Trying to Skulljack any enemy: The Skulljack is specifically designed for plot-related targets and ADVENT soldiers after Skullmining is researched.
Expecting unlimited Skulljacking: Once a key skulljacking mission is complete, you won’t be able to do it again (on the same target).
Ignoring the Research: Forgetting to research Skullmining will severely limit the combat functionality of the Skulljack.
Using it outside of its correct range You must be next to a target to Skulljack it, it is a melee action.

Understanding these limitations is key to successfully navigating XCOM 2’s campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use the Skulljack to kill an enemy?

No, the Skulljack does not deal direct damage. Its purpose is for specific story-related actions (like the initial ADVENT officer and later the Codex) and for combat hacking via the Skullmine ability.

2. When do I unlock the Skulljack?

You are given the Skulljack early in the game through storyline progression. It becomes available when you build your first base and do the required research project.

3. Is the Skulljack always useful?

The Skulljack’s usefulness expands when you research Skullmining. Prior to that, it’s primarily a story tool. After research, it becomes valuable for hacking ADVENT soldiers in battle.

4. What are the benefits of Skullmining?

Skullmining provides temporary stat buffs, like increased aim and mobility, to your soldiers by hacking an ADVENT soldier target. It also can give your unit additional actions or decrease the target’s abilities.

5. Can I Skullmine on any enemy?

No, Skullmining only works on regular ADVENT soldiers and officers. You cannot skullmine aliens, or robotic enemies.

6. What happens if I fail the Skulljack mission?

If you fail to skulljack during the story missions, you will not be able to progress through the game. You will need to load a previous save or restart the campaign.

7. How often can I use the Skullmine action?

You can use the Skullmine action once per soldier per turn, provided you are within melee range of a suitable target.

8. Does the Skulljack have any special upgrades?

No, the Skulljack does not have any upgrades. Its primary usefulness is for the two important story missions and the Skullmine action.

9. Does the Skulljack consume ammo or have a cooldown?

The Skulljack doesn’t require ammo or have a cooldown for its skulljack action (outside story missions), but the Skullmine action can only be used once per soldier per turn.

10. Does the Skulljack scale with soldier level?

The Skulljack’s base functionality remains consistent. Its usefulness scales with your strategy, utilizing the Skullmine option as you level up your soldiers.

11. Is the Skulljack a required item to win XCOM 2?

Yes, the Skulljack is absolutely required to win XCOM 2 as the story is tied directly to the skulljacking of the ADVENT Officer and the Codex.

12. What happens if a soldier with a Skulljack dies?

If a soldier with a Skulljack dies, the Skulljack is dropped and can be recovered from their corpse.

13. Why is Skulljacking a Codex so important?

Skulljacking a Codex is a key story objective that lowers the Avatar Project progress by 3 and summons an Avatar, an enemy that also needs to be defeated to move the campaign forward.

14. Does the Skulljack work against robotic enemies?

No, the Skulljack cannot be used against robotic enemies or alien units. It is only usable against ADVENT units or story specific objectives.

15. Can I skip the Skulljack story missions?

No, you cannot skip the Skulljack story missions. They are mandatory for the story progression and necessary to completing the game.

Why can’t i use the skulljack?