XCOM 2 Ultimate Guide and Strategy Tips

GENERAL STRATEGIES

Decide what you want first, armor or weapons. Personally I go harder for weapons than armor.
My preferred way to play XCOM2 is to play the Vanilla base game with Shen’s Legacy. I do not enjoy the Alien Hunters DLC or the War of the Chosen DLC. War of the Chosen changes the base game in many ways, that would render some of this guide obsolete.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Engineers, Supplies, Elerium/Elerium Cores, Intel, Alloys, Scientists

Mods And Tweaks

With various patching some of this information may be bad or outdated.

** It seems the official 2K game launcher doesn’t recognize mods, to work around this you may need the alternative game launcher:
https://github.com/X2CommunityCore/xcom2-launcher/releases/tag/v1.4.1
(I did not create this launcher, and I’m not responsible for it, but I have used it and it works for me)

MODS I PLAY WITH

Stop Wasting My Time – Legacy
With XCOM2’s new Zip Animation option this may break the mod – for outside the Avenger.
https://github.com/X2CommunityCore/xcom2-launcher/releases/tag/v1.4.1″ target=”_blank”>https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1124175771″ target=”_blank”>https://github.com/X2CommunityCore/xcom2-launcher/releases/tag/v1.4.1
(I did not create this launcher, and I’m not responsible for it, but I have used it and it works for me)

MODS I PLAY WITH

Stop Wasting My Time – Legacy
With XCOM2’s new Zip Animation option this may break the mod – for outside the Avenger.

Mission Penalty Rebalance
ADVENT retaliations never benefit XCOM, no longer penalized for missing supply raids and others.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=674300220

Fixed Facility Pips
Shows difficulty pips on facility missions.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=807973360

TimerTweaks
Makes the timer limit on missions slightly longer.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=616857663

Slower Avatar Project Progression
Lowers how much urgency is added to the AVATAR Project.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=618254897

Base Layout

MY PREFERRED BASE LAYOUTS

FIRST LAYER OF AVENGER
* Guerrilla Tactics School
* Advanced Warfare Center
* Proving Grounds (ADVENT officer)

SECOND LAYER
* Resistance Comms (GREMLINS)
* Workshop (always middle room)
* Resistance Comms (GREMLINS)

OTHER LAYERS
* Power Relay x2
* Shadow Chamber
* Psi Lab
* Defense Matrix
* Laboratory

Class Skill Progression

I prefer RANGERs and SPECIALISTs.
Secondly I prefer GRENADIERs and SPARKs.
SHARPSHOOTERs are my least favorite class.
However, that all said, when it’s possible, I prefer to have as may Psi Operatives as possible per mission with as many talents learned as possible–up to and including all 12. They are so obscenely overpowered it is not even funny.

RANGER
* Phantom
* Shadowstep
* Run And Gun
* Bladestorm
* Untouchable
* Rapid Fire

SPECIALIST~ Always carry Skulljacks as it boosts their hacking skill
* Medical Protocol
* Haywire Protocol
* Field Medic
* Threat Assessment
* Guardian
* Capacitor Discharge

GRENADIER
* Shredder
* Suppression
* Holo-Targeting
* Volatile Mix
* Salvo
* Rupture

SPARKS
* Bulwark
* Strike
* Intimidate
* Repair
* Channeling Field
* Sacrifice

SHARPSHOOTER
* Long Watch
* Lightning Hands
* Quickdraw
* Faceoff
* Steady Hands
* Fan Fire

Preferred Equipment

I usually pick rifles over shotguns.
I also color code the weapons based on what add-ons they have:

RED RIFLES (all Superior tech, 15% / +3)
YELLOW RIFLES (all Advanced tech, 10% / +2)
ORANGE RIFLES (any mixture tech)
GREEN RIFLES (all basic tech, 5% / +1)

PREFERRED ADD-ONs
Scopes (Sharpshooters only) > Repeater > Stock > Scopes (all other classes) > Laser Sights > All Others

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