Hello, Commander.
As you know, no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. That said, we’ve assembled a brief training program before battlefield deployment. Carefully consider these tips before engaging ADVENT forces for the first time.
- Acquire valuable Intel on – and off – the battlefield.
Gathered Intel provides invaluable resources for XCOM’s efforts. Scan for Intel at Resistance Headquarters in between combat, and be sure to take advantage of Guerilla Ops missions that reward you with extra Intel simply for completing objectives. If you find yourself running low on Intel, consider researching Decrypt Alien / ADVENT Datapads. Intel will help the war effort in several ways:
- Expanding the resistance network.
- Use on the Black Market to acquire items and personnel staff for your base, the Avenger.
- Reveal upcoming Dark Events activity of ADVENT forces.
- Deal with Dark Events and hobble ADVENT activity.
As XCOM continues to chip away at ADVENT, Dark Events are alien counter-operations running in the background. If unchecked, ADVENT will turn up the search intensity and make XCOM’s tasks even harder.
Dark Events range from something as small as improving ADVENT soldiers' gear in the field to more dramatic gameplay changes like deploying a UFO that will hunt the Avenger. For more information, check out this detailed blog post.
- When to carry unconscious soldiers to safety.
If the objective of a map is to kill all enemies, make sure downed soldiers are in a secure, safe location – they will be retrieved once the mission has been accomplished. If, however, you must reach an evac zone, all unconscious personnel must be carried to the exfil point. Failure will result in their capture by ADVENT troops.
You may have opportunities to recover captured units in later VIP missions.
- Share your XCOM troops with other Commanders.
We need to increase XCOM’s ranks. If you want to share your XCOM forces with allied Commanders, simply consult your tactical computer to locate data files for active units. By default, the “Character Pool” folder can be found in the following directory:
My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\CharacterPool\Importable
Inside is the Character Pool file. Transmit this file to friends, which they can deploy into the same folder on their system to use in-game. Be sure not to rename the file in Windows, as that can lead to the Character Pool not working in-game.
- Make the most of proper concealment.
ADVENT troops on a mission map aren’t always aware of your team’s presence… at least, not at first. Whenever the opportunity arises, take your time. Set up triangulations of fire whenever possible and properly prioritize your fire teams’ targets well ahead of time. When you attack or enter an enemy’s field of vision, you will lose your concealment.
Some missions will have your team starting in concealment, while others will have your team coming in hot. In the latter cases, ADVENT is ready for you. Properly trained Rangers can earn the ability to be manually concealed, which means they can flank the enemy. Press the advantage however you’re able, Commander.
These are just a few advised protocols before your first sortie. For additional Intel, please consult the full XCOM Officer’s FAQ, located here: http://support.2k.com/hc/en-us/articles/216650707
Good luck, Commander.