Lasers

by berv

I had been having a particularly difficult time keeping my troops alive for more than a mission or two, and by mid-April I still didn’t have a sergeant. Things were looking especially bleak when the first terror mission hit and I had only rookies to field. Fortunately for me, the eggheads in the lab had just finished developing lasers and, with the help of the grey market, I had just enough cash to equip each of the rookies with a laser rifle and a scope. Here’s hoping.

With one of two chrysalids being killed the moment it entered the map by four-way reaction fire and the other being handily dispatched on the following turn, my rookie squad leisurely made their way across the map, knocking out floaters and thin men as quickly as they could arrive. 14/18 civilians saved, promotions all around, and not a scratch on them. Mission complete.

Again, I say: lasers.

Today’s Lesson in XCOM:

by berv

Never fail.

By early April, I had 5 satellites in the air, covering the whole of Africa for the +30% income bonus. My estimated end-of-month income was over $500 and I had just finished outfitting my troops with the latest in laser rifles and carapace armour. A very strong start.

Then that first terror mission hit. It was only rated “difficult,” and set in Nigeria, where panic was only at 2 out of 5, so I had high hopes going in. Still, one can never be too careful, so I sent in my lieutenant sniper, lieutenant heavy, a corporal support, and a squaddie support. My sniper couldn’t get the high ground he was looking for, but still provided good covering fire from across the map as my supports sussed out the enemy positions. My heavy was midway up, laying down the hurt with two shots per turn and the option of double reaction fire. This is when I learned of the hidden dangers of two-storey buildings. My heavy was just gearing up to launch some rockets on a cluster of three when a chrysalid, unseen because of the height, dropped down and eviscerated him. Then a zombie (also unseen) flopped down from the second floor terrace and mauled the better of my two supports.  This was the turning of the tide. In the absence of an extraction point, my sniper and squaddie support ran and ran until they were grossly outnumbered by the growing wave of enemies and overwhelmed.

As a consequence, Nigeria withdrew from the project, costing me not only their income and the satellite I had deployed there, but the 30% Africa bonus. Forever.

Never fail.