There is one main component is missing. The fact that this is all for LATE game. And LATE game is the part of game where you can face roll everything. You don't even need this trick or any trick to beat late game. Your power lever in late game is so high and you are SO OP, that it's all doesn't matter. Instead, it would make sense to find something for EARLY game, because that's where you usually have real issues. And what you are showing here, is not for early game. ANY setup in late game works. No exceptions.
Midgame is when it comes online. I believe I mentioned that in one of the two videos I made about this strategy, but if I didn't, then I'll do so here. Right around the time the Skirmisher acquires Retribution is when it really takes flight. And that isn't very late with the amount of promotions one can seek via covert ops.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Still unnecessary in my opinion. Mid to late is when game even on legend terminator becomes easy mode and in very late game it's already a face roll experience. That's exactly the reason why long war was created in the first place. And that's what long war is supposed to do - give player a longer gameplay loop between early and mid to late game. That's why long war really only hard at beginning and then it goes down the hill to the absurd issues with balance that not even base WOTC was known for. Honestly, early game setup is what really matter in this game, no matter if it's long war or base WOTC. Everything else is optional.
I'm glad we're in agreement. Most things in life are unnecessary. I suggest you and I team up and go after whoever made the claim that this strategy was essential and give him a stern talking to. He'll rue the day he messed with us.
This is one of the coolest xcom videos I’ve ever seen, if not THE coolest. I’m doing my first beta strike campaign and finding the skirmisher shining too. It was slow going, but I’m really liking him. I never conceived of using him like this though. Good stuff
Thank you very much for saying so. I'm happy people seem to enjoy it. Skirmishers are great in my book, obvious bias aside, although not as straight forward as a host of other classes.
Wow this strat is pretty insane, I think I’d want to try this jsut for the sake of getting the Ironman achievement. There’s no way Firaxis even dreamed of a squad setup like this when they were balancing the game lmao
@@Mario53415 he posted a few yrs ago that he loves seeing how players broke the game he stated that it shows the players think about their playthrough before just rushing into battle
My mind is completely and utterly blown. I immediately want to watch and rewatch this strategy and then see you defend the Avenger in either type of defense missions with one Sniper and make Advent cry with it lololol. That would make my day and give me hopes that one day with it maybe I too can win on Legendary (I make too many mistakes with Alpha strike it seems and just either active an extra pod or don't get to the objective in time in my playthroughs or just can't kill the enemy in time). The idea that their can not only be an Alpha Strike team that is dominant but a Counter Strike team that is dominant in XCOM2 WOTC is blowing my mind!!!!
Bravo. I did setup something slightly like that with Rangers and Templars once to power grind The Lost (nearly frying my PS4 and Switch on the process...), but this one is just leagues better put together. And on legendary no less! Thanks so much for writing it all down too. A GOAT you are indeed, sir.
Thank you much! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and to comment. I too have run this setup with the ranger and templar respectively. The ranger is a bit limited in offensive versatility due to revolving largely around bladestorm with a splash of threat assessment shotgun fun. But the ranger is much faster due to the ability to use deep cover to hunker down and still use both moves to head toward the objective. For certain missions, like killing the VIP, it can be quite strong... and with the katana, doubly so. Also, once the ranger has sufficiently wittled down the available targets, he can transition to using rapid fire and proccing untouchable without concern for hunker down. However, be sure not to use this overall style of fighting on a ranger with ever vigilant, as both hunker down and ever vigilant don't proc together. The templar, on the other hand, is most useful in this style when he gets really good XCOM skills. With quickdraw, lightning hands, bladestorm, reaper, and fortress... the templar can be quite strong. What he lacks in raw speed like the ranger, he can make up for using unique combos and hit and run tactics. Ultimately, there are a lot of ways plug and play around the 3 specialist party, as they provide such an incredible array of support abilities that compliment many classes.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 While its adaptable, what I found interesting is how anti-meta this is: Not only the playstyle is insane, but also having three medics and a Skirmisher, of all things. Breathes a new life and perspective into the game -- made me boot it again just for the sheer madness of it.
@@g.r.4372 That's how I find myself plugging into most games. I often don't gravitate towards a game until there is a meta around it, such that I can then go against it. And my primary interest in games is finding the oft overlooked seams in the meta that can be extremely powerful. For example, I think Syken is a very skilled and highly knowledgeable XCOM 2 player. If someone is looking to learn the meta, I often reference his videos as an excellent tutorial. However, his Skirmisher overview video could almost serve as an exact inverse blueprint of what I tried to do here. He is not wrong in anything he says in his video, but I innately gravitate towards things that the game and the meta encourages you not to do. And because the game encourages you not to do them, the game is often not balanced properly nor game tested thoroughly to account for the event that a player finds a way to break through the prescribed barriers. This is how I play anything turn based... from XCOM 2, to Civ 6, to Magic the Gathering. I very much enjoy the meta... but it isn't long until my mind wanders.
Tried this and it works as advertised. Thanks for your testing and perfecting of this, The Reddest of Goats! Just a side not, a blademaster, bladestorm, untouchable and reaper Ranger can do likewise under the same 3 Specialists, etc strategy....maybe not entirely as effective but it comes very close.
Yes. I have talked about this before on Reddit I believe. The ranger is especially made much stronger when using deep cover. This allows a dash movement to establish the necessary hunker down. I've used this combination on missions that feature a large number of sectoids to great effect. I'm really glad that you were able to try it and experience success! I appreciate your willingness to give it a go and report back.
I just finished a game and I was about to move onto a different game for a while, but after seeing this, I think I might have to stay with XCOM for one more game. This strategy is ingenious. Looking forward to more insights from you. Thanks for this strategy!
Interesting. I've always wondered if there was some alternative way of using Skirmishers to make them more useful than "unit to use when barracks are full of tired and/or wounded soldiers". I'll employ this strategy next time around.
I know what you mean. My earliest thoughts about them were that the very thing they seem best suited for, Ambush missions, are some of the least important/fun aspects of the game. Then I set out to change my own mind.
Please do... I would love to hear how it works for you. Between the two videos, I'm hoping people understand the necessary mechanics to begin the snowball of destruction.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 will do, I only have one question before I try to recreate this. Is this build also possible if you don't happen to roll return fire? Because it seems very integral to the build working and sometimes rng just isn't on your side (like when my templar didn't get bladestorm the 5. Playthrough in a row ... this has to be a curse by now :D)
@@Max-sz9ez Great question... there are a few answers for this. Firstly, there are only 5 possible XCOM skills that a skirmisher can have without modding. Return Fire is one of them. If your Skirmisher has 5 slots for XCOM skills then you know he's got it. If you have 4 slots, 80% chance... and so on. Second, if playing on PC there is a mod that reveals your future xcom skills without directly granting them. And another mod that allows you to swap them for an AP cost if you prefer that route. To my knowledge there is no such mod on other consoles. Third, it isn't essential to the build, but it is meaningful. It could slow him down a fair bit, but would instead mean leaning into Retribution more... which is totally feasible. I've yet to field a Skirmisher that didn't have it, but the possibility does exist. I play with the mod that reveals future skills and shows all skills in the Training Center format, and since I choose the Skirmisher HQ to start, I always know the situation right after Gatecrasher and can restart if I so choose.
I have over 1000 hours played in Xcom2. I still have yet to use the faction heroes in a single campaign outside of the rescue and required missions. I use hundreds of mods and multiple new classes, but I still go with basic soldiers. I have only used Sparks in a couple of campaigns. I think the core classes and some of the modded classes are so fun to level and build out, I always just focus on the soldiers. Great guide, and it might just give me the motivation to attempt a campaign using the heroes.
Dodge beats health and damage, because as the players themselves have noticed - There's no point in needing to kill the enemy, if the enemy can't strike a proper hit.
This is genius, bravo 👏 Now I have to redownload XCOM for my annual failed playthrough. I have yet to beat the game, been trying since its launch haha 😅
Lol... I very much like that way of looking at it. And since XCOM gets its kicks pummeling the player, I feel that it is only right to have crafted something equally unfair in retribution.
One problem is when one of the Chosen has shadowstep, especially the Assassin. She can wipe up a team with this strategy, and you can never be truly prepared for that.
I've encountered this. A reaper with Banish makes extremely short work of her. Also, she can fairly easily be wittled down by the Skirmisher (whilst consistently applying medical protocol). The Sharpshooter can often provide assistance from afar as well. Additionally, the specialists can chip in either with their war suits, combat protocol, or just using regular shots with repeaters. The specialists also cure status effects fairly easily, so she doesn't tend to pose much of a threat. Overall, shadowstep is a slight annoyance, but no great threat.
Hi, thanks for sharing this startegy. Do you use class mods? Do you this kind of strategy still works with Proficiency Class Pack environment?? I haven't give the modpage a thorough read to figure it out myself.
Welp i just started playing xcom 2 and someone that gets hit when the enemy has the smallest chance to hit , this absolutely blows my mind , thanks for giving me something to build towards
A bit late but i have (i think) an important question. I always choose Tactical Rigging on my Skirm's, and one of the Vest's you can develop make you totally immune to Environmental Effects like Poison, Fire, and also (i think) Explosions. So with this Vest, you get a Fortress ability. Could this not negate a lot of the few downsides mentioned in this Video, like Sectopod's Exploding ??
8:08 this raises the question then... why not go into WOTC with everyone being skirmishers and using the advanced armor on 2 of them to get Utlity Gremlin III's to actas medics? They're already so versatile they can overpower enemies, why not go the extra road of also using their utility slots to get medical abilities? With the superior dodge PCS and hunkering down, you also never need to worry about being hit until your cover gets destroyed, another bonus.
My interest was piqued upon seeing that another player equpped character(s) with a mindshield in the thumbnail as, up til' that point & as far as i was aware (which tbh is not very far), i was by myself in utilising them. An interesting strategic approach btw, it's certainly novel.
Hey great video, but how did you find out that on legendary no enemy appart from the avatar has a n aim stat over 80? I couldn't find that info anywhere online...
What GUI mods are you using? I have played on console. I have a gaming pc now and want to play with mods (esp health bar #) Great strategy tips… gonna try it
After extensive playtesting, I can confirm that male Skirmishers work as well. However, anecdotally, 'judgement' may trigger less often... (bad joke I know 😅...)
I have a few mods installed, but I don't remember the names of all of them. I'll try to look them up and list them in the video summary when I get a chance.
XCOM veteran, i played and finished LW2 time ago and i was back to playing another campaign. Just did a not easy mission with a captain skirmisher, major reaper and specialist a corporal and a squaddie specialists and, as a fail safe measure a top rank psy. Was the recover UFO mission; the reaper just disabled the transmitter and killed a couple stragglers, the specialists and the psy killed a few zombies summoned by the Warlock and the skirm did all the job requiring just a couple cures because a mech used his AOE against him, two zombies exploded near him and a spectre managed to CRIT and near kill him; i was hunkered and aided but i also was flanked First attempt aborted after four rounds when the skirm was mind controlled, second one switching dragon ammo with a mind shield went smooth. Was a really long mission because i still lack Judgement and Battle Lord and having to use standard ammo killing an Andromedon took a very long time and i had to search for the last spectre because he decided i was too hard for him and started hiding. Once i level him up to colonel and i research plasma ripjack i'm sure i will do better; just hope to get tactical riggin because having a better ammo will sure help; just hope to be lucky at the random XCOM skill when promoted. Next time i'll also bring a better group of specialists and, as you suggest, a sniper to kill some enemies from afar.
Did you have additional dodge beyond that which was applied from hunker down? For some reason, though the online information available indicates that hunker down prevents crits, I think what is actually happening is that high dodge is negating it. Also, did you have the 2nd or 3rd tier gremlin researched? That is something I forgot to mention, and each level gives an additional 10 defense applied by Aid Protocol.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 No dodge PCS, i have a spare +12 agility one will try it next time, Gremlin II yes Gremlin III not yet. Could also be that one of the specialists was a squaddie and another a corporal; maybe a stronger specialist can give a better aid; i never used them a lot and just for healing and hacking.
@@agibeppe The level of the specialists shouldn't affect your outcome. I'd be willing to say that the dodge is what is affecting your outcomes. I normally recommend that a player have at least 30 dodge prior to deploying the strategy (boosted to 80 with hunker down.) It really does cut down on the amount of "what if" scenarios that can end poorly.
@@agibeppe It is a fairly high amount, but dodge is actually one of the things the ring is most generous at giving. Average dodge amounts are right around +8. Thus, it takes between 2-4 missions (2 if you also have a dodge PCS) and you're there. Also, dodge PCS can be up into the 20's. Other, than getting promoted on an occasional lost mission, my Skirmisher lives in the ring for the majority of the beginning of the campaign. Once I get a second skirmisher, they both tend to rotate between combat and the ring.
I saw this, loved it and tried it, it worked out great on vanilla..... unfortunately I play molded which separates the classes more for strategic specialisation so it doesn't work on my main playthroughs.... still I've found a way to do a simular thing using engineers and medics (the mods I have remove the 4 main and replace them with 6 specialist classes who are better at the specifics but worse outside of that, makes it so you build a more varied squad)
Is a retrieve information mission early on that would have sectoids be too early for this strategy due to the potential for mind control? I think maybe the first time it's a go to start using it (if you can tell I'm pumped typing this on the bus desperate to fire up XCOM and try it tonight lol) would be when we have acquired mindshields and 3 specialists + 1 snip or skirm yes?
Also, check this written tutorial out. It has a minimum start requirement I've listed. Feel free to try anything else at your own risk tolerance of course 😁
Thank you so much!!! I'll be watching your career with great interest! (Also just as a FYI as I didn't want my excitement to come off as pushy. My interest won't fade in time! So thank you for this great content and please take all the time to give yourself much needed celebration that you enjoy and don't rush to put out new stuff before you want to! I'll be here loving it and commenting when I get the ding on my phone that a new video has popped a week or a year from now! :D )
@@fsdafdsafdas No worries. I appreciate the support. I'm a believer in quality and pleasing myself over pleasing the algorithm... and hopefully that helps other people in the process.
The only problem with this strategy is how overly boring it is. Not only is it repetitive to exhaustion, but it makes each mission last twice as long or even longer.
You're not wrong at all. It isn't intended to replace conventional X-COM play, more likely a bridge or a recovery mechanic for campaigns some people might otherwise abandon.
@@Phalanx11 I don't know what the fuck what you said has to do with my comment, but I'll still answer you. A Psy Op with domination is not even near the best clase.
@@Phalanx11 I don't know what the fuck what you said has to do with my comment, but I'll still answer you. A Psy Op with domination is not even near the best clase.
I'm working on a playthrough series at the moment that involves pairing odd strategies with average gameplay. Something that will show people that they needn't give up on their campaigns so easily if they consistently find things appearing to go sideways.
No, please not. Xcom 2 was released just in time before the big game company corruption happened. XCOM 3 ASAP would just be a horrible mess with political propaganda, no thank you. I do not want this.
No... not at all. However that is not to say that there isn't some combination of the myriad of skills that could emulate it to a degree. LWOTC changes so many skills and rebalances enemy attributes.
Wait, even if a soldier is healed fully before the mission ends, they will still become injured afterwards from any wounds, which means downtime. Considering the skirmisher is a hero character, that means you only get, what, 2 max? You wouldn't be able to use this strategy for every mission.
Absolutely right. However, you may suffer no injuries or light wounds and be just fine. Sometimes with grave wounds I spend some time healing at the Templar HQ. And I've always advocated that this be part of a rotation with conventional squads for this very reason. The rest of your strong soldiers can be dropped into whichever mission suits them best, and thus the rotation is complete. Willpower actually ends up being more important to keep an eye on than injuries, but it too is really a non issue once everything is up and running.
Fun is in the eye of the beholder. For some it's balance, for some variety, for others silliness. Having one additional choice isn't mandatory or subtractive. It's just an option for those that may want to for a moment in time. Personally, when I tire of conventional strategies (which become just as easy with skill development), my mind wanders to less conventional ones. It's an exercise in neuroplasticity.
the thing is, the late game is definitely the easiest part of xcom, so this strat might seem all shiny and special but like, why bother? any bunch of colonels will probably win on legendary if you play smart
Sidelined sadly... for an individual soldier he is likely the best of the best... but in this group he isn't a very strong fit (although I've used him as a cleanup unit instead of a sharpshooter for indoor missions.)
No, revival protocol works on a shadowbound skirmisher and it can be used on the Skirmisher no matter where they are on the battlefield. Also, when the Spectre encounters one soldier who is not in proximity to other soldiers, they tend heavily towards shooting rather than using shadowbound.
No. I utilize a +3 movement pcs with my skirmishers. However, I sent my skirmishers on enough resistance operations to get them 40ish dodge and hunkering down provides the other 50. However, that is not what generates the misses (dodge only mitigates damage on a hit), the misses come from having an incredibly high defense stat through hunker down, full/partial cover, and aid protocol. I have a companion video that shows me playing a full mission wherein you can see the entire strategy from the start of the mission until the end. Hope that helps.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Yeah; I've been creating superior PCS'es via an mod that increases miss chances. Superior give you an +25 points, sometimes 26 if lucky, to be missed entirely.
Hunker down in XCOM 2 does not make you immune to crits like it did in XCOM EU. Instead it just gives you +50 dodge which does block crit damage when it triggers, but it's only a 50% chance to stop a crit on it's own. That's one area where other classes can get an edge since the majority of classes can get higher dodge. Serpent armor for example is +40 dodge so 90% base chance to negate crits and halve any damage taken. Ironically you actually mentioned how important Dodge was to the strategy and how exceedingly high it should be, but skirmishers are tied for the lowest potential dodge stat in the game. On the "no enemies has over 80 aim" comment, that's not entirely true. Officers will always use mark target before shooting which gives them 85-90 effective base aim and sectopods always have high ground bonus aim so they basically always have 90. Of course any enemy can have high ground and benefit from mark target so some enemies will have 100-110 aim when shooting at you. You also mentioned getting more than one return fire shot per turn, but unless your running mods that skill can only trigger once per turn. It's also worth noting that the skirmisher is not what makes this work and they aren't the "strongest" unit in this set up. The specialists are the only important piece which you do hint at. The main advantages for the Skirmisher is the ability to make attacks with a somewhat decent weapon and still hunker down plus their intimidate (which isn't always good since many enemies like mutons will target the closet Xcom unit with AoE attacks when they panic). While retribution might sound like bladestorm it's not, and it's not exactly a good reason to use the skirmisher (it is a pretty decent skill though). Without aim buffs, retribution only has a max 56% chance to hit (it seems reliable in the video because those vipers have a +24% chance to be hit). Compare that to the Ranger's 77% without the katana, and the Templar's 100%, while their melee weapons also do more damage. Bladestorm is also guarantee to hit before the enemy, while retribution is not. This is an interesting strategy and one that's worth pointing out since most players wouldn't consider it, it just seems like the focus and framing was misplaced on the skirmisher rather than just focusing on the basic idea of defense stacking with specialist and giving a more flexible idea of the many ways the game lets you apply that strategy while still doing decent damage. Not saying the skirmisher is bad to use here (they're one the better default options), it just seems weird to frame the idea around them when they are entirely replaceable. You already mentioned that Sharpshooters can do this, and death from above means that they can attack with their sniper and still hunker down. Sharpshooters that roll Run and Gun also interact with the ability in a unique way that basically just gives them a third action and even lets them move, use the regular sniper, and still hunker down. They don't necessarily need the chosen weapons to start competing with the skirmisher, the chosen weapons do make them significantly more effective though. I don't see the reason to say those weapons aren't part of the "underlying class" when they are the only ones who can use those weapons and those weapons are part of their natural power progression. It's not like return fire is a natural part of the skirmishers progression since you only have a 70% to get the skill on any particular skirmisher Keep in mind that any base class that roles Death from Above can also attack and hunker down to a more extreme degree with their superior primary (potentially killing multiple enemies per turn before hunkering down). The base classes also have better dodge in light armor. Grenadiers can use explosives and heavy weapons while still hunkering down. Rangers with bladestorm can always just stand near someone to get an attack and still hunker down. Plus they can trigger untouchable multiple times a turn which protects from explosives and the assassin. Reaper also provides you an occasional free attack or 2 before hunkering down. And of course just using 6 specialist means your front soldier can always have 2 Threat assessment Overwatches + Guardian + CUP for an average of 3 decent attacks per turn while still hunkering down with that theoretical 90+ dodge and using up to 5 combat protocols/blaster bombs a turn. The other way of looking at this is that you can literally cut the "Front man" out and just replace them with one of the 3 specialists and fill their slot (and the other 2 slots) with any of the 4 potential "squadsight" units in the game (specialists, reapers, Psi ops, Sharpshooters) backed up by powered heavy weapons to have even better damage output. Psi Ops are another interesting late game unit to use for this. They don't make the best front man, but they can dominate Archons or Gatekeepers who both have high base defense and dodge so they can play the front since they can hit similar defense without hunker down and they can both be very deadly while the Psi op uses its abilities from outside LoS. The Psi ops also solves a lot of the issues you pointed out in the video via stasis and fortress. You also somewhat dismissed the Templar in other comments but I think you underestimate how its mechanics work. I get that it might not seem to fit naturally since it doesn't work well with Hunker down, but they don't need hunker down. Once they have deflect and mentally awake they have an always on 30% chance to block damage. With 40 defense against 80 aim that's only a 28% to get hit with no cover. This starts to work though when you have Reflect which is a completely separate roll. At 3 focus that's only an 18% chance for an 80 aim enemy to hit and that's before any defense. Aid protocol makes it 8% compared to the skirmisher who still has a 10% chance. Plus the Templar has innate dodge unlike the skirmisher. Keep in mind that every enemy that attacks also has a 45% chance to hit themselves (arguably better than return fire which only works once and has a 30% reaction fire penalty). Hunker down can reduce more enemies to 0 aim which is better, but The other big thing is parry which works on explosives and assassins and with gifted actions you can stack multiple parries. Of course they're also the only other class that can roll fortress and sustain which makes this strategy more effective and safer. XCOM skills are not needed though; they only need Parry, reflect, and Deflect to work, XCOM skill are just nice to have like return fire is on the Skirmisher (Bladestorm BTW is a 67% chance for a random Templar). Their AoE abilities are nice too and they can even make a moving mimic with the same high defense abilities and with bladestorm it can get a guaranteed free attack every single turn while still hunkering down and reducing the chance your front man ends up with wound time.
This is nice and all until enemy unit crits you through full cover (becouse 10% base crit chance most units have on Legendary). Alpha strike is where its at. Kill everything before it have a chance to shoot. I can see this strategy somehow work on Beta strike setting.
They have to hit you to crit you... and then make it past your dodge. Did you watch the mission playthrough posted in the summary below? Both the footage from this video and the playthrough were taken from legendary campaigns. I have logged 100's of hours using this strategy and know it's mechanics well, thus if you've performed the steps I detail, you're virtually unkillable.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 yeah but it requires specific setup. I put over 1000 hours into this game and i can tell you that its uneccessary but still fun to try.
The problem with calling this the strongest unit is Specialists are part of this to give the Skirmisher that final push. The Skirmisher would die horribly if they were actually doing this alone. For using 4 Soldiers this is pretty bad especially since without Specialists the Skirmisher dies horribly. If you combine a Grenadier with a Sharpshooter this is often enough to break cover, and the focus the enemy down with a bunch of pistol actions or even sniper actions. We can double this and go with 2 Grenadiers and 2 Sharpshooters. Then to counter the last remaining enemy threats... we can use a Ranger and Psi or Range and Reaper or Reaper and Ranger. (Ranger to hard counter burrowing Chryssalids though a Psi Op with Domination can just the same.)
My use of the term "unit" is a little loose sometimes. I'm not using it in reference to the skirmisher specifically, but rather the group on a whole. As such, I feel that this unit presents the greatest combination of offensive output and defensive prowess. Many strategies are glass cannon alpha/alpha strike builds... and though very capable to be sure, lack a well rounded ability to do both things strongly in equal measure. That's just my take though, and I too of course value many other more conventional units as well.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Well, in XCOM 2 there are not many options for defensive builds. In XCOM you could easily get good defensive stats, but in XCOM 2 it doesn't seem to be viable to get several nearly unkillable units. Well, mass psi operative is possible, but they are expensive and slow to train.
Congratulations. You have broken the game. With mY favorite class no less! Xcom 2 is a much more playable game than Enemy Unknown. Fortunately the majority of players that don't watch Xtube don't know this. Enemy Unknown purposefully punished you for gaming it. The moment your defend reaches a certain chance to not hit, the Aliens will say screw it and use a grenade or an attack that does not need to rely on your defense. The game knows this, that's why Elite Mutons are armored artillery.
Oh, it's completely broken. But the reason I like it is because it's one of the only defensive formations the game rewards, and its all done with the table scrap skills that most people ignore. It does nothing to break/exploit the strong things people already use, but rather encourages use of things left in the corner long ago.
How boring. You can basically have a similar result with 2 sharpshooter with serial, 3 free reload and 2 granader. Not to mention like you said that this is not effective for timed mission which is 90 percent of the game. And the fact that everything hindge on one soldier is a mess. Over all ill give it 5 out of 10 strategy wise. Its bland, tedious and even if you pull it off in 10 percent of the game because this is only effective on non timed games your basically playing turn off brain kind of game.
There is one main component is missing. The fact that this is all for LATE game. And LATE game is the part of game where you can face roll everything. You don't even need this trick or any trick to beat late game. Your power lever in late game is so high and you are SO OP, that it's all doesn't matter. Instead, it would make sense to find something for EARLY game, because that's where you usually have real issues. And what you are showing here, is not for early game. ANY setup in late game works. No exceptions.
Midgame is when it comes online. I believe I mentioned that in one of the two videos I made about this strategy, but if I didn't, then I'll do so here. Right around the time the Skirmisher acquires Retribution is when it really takes flight. And that isn't very late with the amount of promotions one can seek via covert ops.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Still unnecessary in my opinion. Mid to late is when game even on legend terminator becomes easy mode and in very late game it's already a face roll experience. That's exactly the reason why long war was created in the first place. And that's what long war is supposed to do - give player a longer gameplay loop between early and mid to late game. That's why long war really only hard at beginning and then it goes down the hill to the absurd issues with balance that not even base WOTC was known for. Honestly, early game setup is what really matter in this game, no matter if it's long war or base WOTC. Everything else is optional.
I'm glad we're in agreement. Most things in life are unnecessary. I suggest you and I team up and go after whoever made the claim that this strategy was essential and give him a stern talking to. He'll rue the day he messed with us.
He’s not saying it’s required, just that it’s “the best”
@@thereddestofgoats3640 well handled 😄😄 loved the video and subbed. Would watch more of your gameplay if you decide to post more!
After watching this, I think the Berserker Queen made the best decision when she ran away. 🤣
I tried to listen but just drooled on myself with my mouth open.
I shall choose to interpret your drool as a good thing and hopefully not as a sign of a stroke.
This is one of the coolest xcom videos I’ve ever seen, if not THE coolest.
I’m doing my first beta strike campaign and finding the skirmisher shining too. It was slow going, but I’m really liking him. I never conceived of using him like this though. Good stuff
Thank you very much for saying so. I'm happy people seem to enjoy it. Skirmishers are great in my book, obvious bias aside, although not as straight forward as a host of other classes.
Wow this strat is pretty insane, I think I’d want to try this jsut for the sake of getting the Ironman achievement. There’s no way Firaxis even dreamed of a squad setup like this when they were balancing the game lmao
I don't blame them. It's hard to imagine one doing the work of six.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 I wonder what Jake Solomon would have to say to this video, he’d probably have a good laugh seeing you break the game lol
@@Mario53415 he posted a few yrs ago that he loves seeing how players broke the game he stated that it shows the players think about their playthrough before just rushing into battle
@@thereddestofgoats3640 I think they did. Thats why in XCOM enemy unknown and XCOM 2 regular units cannot hunker down after taking a shot.
My mind is completely and utterly blown.
I immediately want to watch and rewatch this strategy and then see you defend the Avenger in either type of defense missions with one Sniper and make Advent cry with it lololol.
That would make my day and give me hopes that one day with it maybe I too can win on Legendary (I make too many mistakes with Alpha strike it seems and just either active an extra pod or don't get to the objective in time in my playthroughs or just can't kill the enemy in time).
The idea that their can not only be an Alpha Strike team that is dominant but a Counter Strike team that is dominant in XCOM2 WOTC is blowing my mind!!!!
Thank you very much! And trust me, if you can get it off the ground, you can steamroll legendary.
Coming back to watch this 2 years later cause berserker queen is insane! Genuinely hope you keep making videos dude this shit was hella helpful
Bravo. I did setup something slightly like that with Rangers and Templars once to power grind The Lost (nearly frying my PS4 and Switch on the process...), but this one is just leagues better put together. And on legendary no less! Thanks so much for writing it all down too. A GOAT you are indeed, sir.
Thank you much! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and to comment. I too have run this setup with the ranger and templar respectively. The ranger is a bit limited in offensive versatility due to revolving largely around bladestorm with a splash of threat assessment shotgun fun. But the ranger is much faster due to the ability to use deep cover to hunker down and still use both moves to head toward the objective. For certain missions, like killing the VIP, it can be quite strong... and with the katana, doubly so. Also, once the ranger has sufficiently wittled down the available targets, he can transition to using rapid fire and proccing untouchable without concern for hunker down. However, be sure not to use this overall style of fighting on a ranger with ever vigilant, as both hunker down and ever vigilant don't proc together. The templar, on the other hand, is most useful in this style when he gets really good XCOM skills. With quickdraw, lightning hands, bladestorm, reaper, and fortress... the templar can be quite strong. What he lacks in raw speed like the ranger, he can make up for using unique combos and hit and run tactics. Ultimately, there are a lot of ways plug and play around the 3 specialist party, as they provide such an incredible array of support abilities that compliment many classes.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 While its adaptable, what I found interesting is how anti-meta this is: Not only the playstyle is insane, but also having three medics and a Skirmisher, of all things. Breathes a new life and perspective into the game -- made me boot it again just for the sheer madness of it.
@@g.r.4372 That's how I find myself plugging into most games. I often don't gravitate towards a game until there is a meta around it, such that I can then go against it. And my primary interest in games is finding the oft overlooked seams in the meta that can be extremely powerful.
For example, I think Syken is a very skilled and highly knowledgeable XCOM 2 player. If someone is looking to learn the meta, I often reference his videos as an excellent tutorial. However, his Skirmisher overview video could almost serve as an exact inverse blueprint of what I tried to do here. He is not wrong in anything he says in his video, but I innately gravitate towards things that the game and the meta encourages you not to do. And because the game encourages you not to do them, the game is often not balanced properly nor game tested thoroughly to account for the event that a player finds a way to break through the prescribed barriers. This is how I play anything turn based... from XCOM 2, to Civ 6, to Magic the Gathering. I very much enjoy the meta... but it isn't long until my mind wanders.
Brilliant theorycrafting on an underappreciated stat!
well made. Felt like a mini-thesis. Earned my sub! Looking forward to more gaming insights from you :D
exactly what I thought. Lol
Thank you very much! I appreciate the sub. I definitely have some more videos in the works. Albeit... not on the timeline of my own choosing 😄
Is someone still playing XCOM 2 multiplayer on the Xbox Series X|S in 2023? Please respond I really want to play. :(
Tried this and it works as advertised. Thanks for your testing and perfecting of this, The Reddest of Goats! Just a side not, a blademaster, bladestorm, untouchable and reaper Ranger can do likewise under the same 3 Specialists, etc strategy....maybe not entirely as effective but it comes very close.
Yes. I have talked about this before on Reddit I believe. The ranger is especially made much stronger when using deep cover. This allows a dash movement to establish the necessary hunker down. I've used this combination on missions that feature a large number of sectoids to great effect.
I'm really glad that you were able to try it and experience success! I appreciate your willingness to give it a go and report back.
I just finished a game and I was about to move onto a different game for a while, but after seeing this, I think I might have to stay with XCOM for one more game. This strategy is ingenious. Looking forward to more insights from you. Thanks for this strategy!
Any reason to replay XCOM is a good reason... good luck commander!
Interesting. I've always wondered if there was some alternative way of using Skirmishers to make them more useful than "unit to use when barracks are full of tired and/or wounded soldiers". I'll employ this strategy next time around.
I know what you mean. My earliest thoughts about them were that the very thing they seem best suited for, Ambush missions, are some of the least important/fun aspects of the game. Then I set out to change my own mind.
Actually thought you were trolling in the first half, but after you explained it, it sounds great. Can't wait to try it out.
This is absolutely amazing, I will have to try it out
Please do... I would love to hear how it works for you. Between the two videos, I'm hoping people understand the necessary mechanics to begin the snowball of destruction.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 will do, I only have one question before I try to recreate this. Is this build also possible if you don't happen to roll return fire? Because it seems very integral to the build working and sometimes rng just isn't on your side (like when my templar didn't get bladestorm the 5. Playthrough in a row ... this has to be a curse by now :D)
@@Max-sz9ez Great question... there are a few answers for this.
Firstly, there are only 5 possible XCOM skills that a skirmisher can have without modding. Return Fire is one of them. If your Skirmisher has 5 slots for XCOM skills then you know he's got it. If you have 4 slots, 80% chance... and so on.
Second, if playing on PC there is a mod that reveals your future xcom skills without directly granting them. And another mod that allows you to swap them for an AP cost if you prefer that route. To my knowledge there is no such mod on other consoles.
Third, it isn't essential to the build, but it is meaningful. It could slow him down a fair bit, but would instead mean leaning into Retribution more... which is totally feasible.
I've yet to field a Skirmisher that didn't have it, but the possibility does exist. I play with the mod that reveals future skills and shows all skills in the Training Center format, and since I choose the Skirmisher HQ to start, I always know the situation right after Gatecrasher and can restart if I so choose.
I have over 1000 hours played in Xcom2. I still have yet to use the faction heroes in a single campaign outside of the rescue and required missions. I use hundreds of mods and multiple new classes, but I still go with basic soldiers. I have only used Sparks in a couple of campaigns. I think the core classes and some of the modded classes are so fun to level and build out, I always just focus on the soldiers. Great guide, and it might just give me the motivation to attempt a campaign using the heroes.
Wow really? For me, the faction classes are not only OP, but they are a lot of fun to use.
Excellent narration! Best I've heard in a while.
Thank you very much for saying so.
The second you said 1 Skirmisher 3 Specialists I realized the RIDICULOUSNESS I was about to witness
Oh, I know this is primarily a Skirmishing based strategy, but give it up for Reapers with Banish and Repeaters, and extended mags.
They are the most devastating single target threats in the entire game to be sure.
Dodge beats health and damage, because as the players themselves have noticed - There's no point in needing to kill the enemy, if the enemy can't strike a proper hit.
very in depth and well made video!
Glad you liked it!
As a SPARK enjoyer, I love seeing more unconventional strategies to clean house with.
Very interesting, I wanted to return to this game, will give it a try
Any reason to return to XCOM is a good one 👍 I hope it works out well for you!
This is genius, bravo 👏 Now I have to redownload XCOM for my annual failed playthrough. I have yet to beat the game, been trying since its launch haha 😅
Basically you have made a lore accurate master chief.
Lol... I very much like that way of looking at it. And since XCOM gets its kicks pummeling the player, I feel that it is only right to have crafted something equally unfair in retribution.
One problem is when one of the Chosen has shadowstep, especially the Assassin. She can wipe up a team with this strategy, and you can never be truly prepared for that.
I've encountered this. A reaper with Banish makes extremely short work of her. Also, she can fairly easily be wittled down by the Skirmisher (whilst consistently applying medical protocol). The Sharpshooter can often provide assistance from afar as well. Additionally, the specialists can chip in either with their war suits, combat protocol, or just using regular shots with repeaters. The specialists also cure status effects fairly easily, so she doesn't tend to pose much of a threat. Overall, shadowstep is a slight annoyance, but no great threat.
Sick strategy, looking forward to trying this 👌
I have never used a skirmisher in all my runs. Time to reinstall the game and try this.
Hi, thanks for sharing this startegy. Do you use class mods? Do you this kind of strategy still works with Proficiency Class Pack environment?? I haven't give the modpage a thorough read to figure it out myself.
1:14 I would melt at this many vipers saying "I must of died and gone to heaven with all these fine alien ladies"
Welp i just started playing xcom 2 and someone that gets hit when the enemy has the smallest chance to hit , this absolutely blows my mind , thanks for giving me something to build towards
A bit late but i have (i think) an important question. I always choose Tactical Rigging on my Skirm's, and one of the Vest's you can develop make you totally immune to Environmental Effects like Poison, Fire, and also (i think) Explosions. So with this Vest, you get a Fortress ability. Could this not negate a lot of the few downsides mentioned in this Video, like Sectopod's Exploding ??
Yes this vest is very helpful and I recommend you use it as a required item for the skirmisher the other being mindshield
Outstanding, really motivated me to boot up XCOM 2 again!
I'm very glad to hear it. I too look for any excuse to play again.
The one man army, great balance
8:08 this raises the question then... why not go into WOTC with everyone being skirmishers and using the advanced armor on 2 of them to get Utlity Gremlin III's to actas medics?
They're already so versatile they can overpower enemies, why not go the extra road of also using their utility slots to get medical abilities?
With the superior dodge PCS and hunkering down, you also never need to worry about being hit until your cover gets destroyed, another bonus.
My interest was piqued upon seeing that another player equpped character(s) with a mindshield in the thumbnail as, up til' that point & as far as i was aware (which tbh is not very far), i was by myself in utilising them.
An interesting strategic approach btw, it's certainly novel.
finally someone recognising the power of hunker down
Hey great video, but how did you find out that on legendary no enemy appart from the avatar has a n aim stat over 80? I couldn't find that info anywhere online...
Holy crap, this is brilliant. I think you just broke the game.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
What GUI mods are you using?
I have played on console.
I have a gaming pc now and want to play with mods (esp health bar #)
Great strategy tips… gonna try it
My skirmisher is a male, will this strategy still work?
After extensive playtesting, I can confirm that male Skirmishers work as well. However, anecdotally, 'judgement' may trigger less often... (bad joke I know 😅...)
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Lmao alright, I'll sub for that 😉
That's a cool strategy Senator. Why don't you back it up with a playthrough?
Dude you figured it out ... I'm going to try this game again.... For the fourth time 😂
A small question. Which version or which addon are you playing? I don't remember my XCOM2 WOTC having that many stats, abilities and so forth...
I have a few mods installed, but I don't remember the names of all of them. I'll try to look them up and list them in the video summary when I get a chance.
3:03 You ask that we withold ...judgement... 😂😂😂
XCOM veteran, i played and finished LW2 time ago and i was back to playing another campaign. Just did a not easy mission with a captain skirmisher, major reaper and specialist a corporal and a squaddie specialists and, as a fail safe measure a top rank psy. Was the recover UFO mission; the reaper just disabled the transmitter and killed a couple stragglers, the specialists and the psy killed a few zombies summoned by the Warlock and the skirm did all the job requiring just a couple cures because a mech used his AOE against him, two zombies exploded near him and a spectre managed to CRIT and near kill him; i was hunkered and aided but i also was flanked First attempt aborted after four rounds when the skirm was mind controlled, second one switching dragon ammo with a mind shield went smooth. Was a really long mission because i still lack Judgement and Battle Lord and having to use standard ammo killing an Andromedon took a very long time and i had to search for the last spectre because he decided i was too hard for him and started hiding. Once i level him up to colonel and i research plasma ripjack i'm sure i will do better; just hope to get tactical riggin because having a better ammo will sure help; just hope to be lucky at the random XCOM skill when promoted. Next time i'll also bring a better group of specialists and, as you suggest, a sniper to kill some enemies from afar.
Did you have additional dodge beyond that which was applied from hunker down? For some reason, though the online information available indicates that hunker down prevents crits, I think what is actually happening is that high dodge is negating it. Also, did you have the 2nd or 3rd tier gremlin researched? That is something I forgot to mention, and each level gives an additional 10 defense applied by Aid Protocol.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 No dodge PCS, i have a spare +12 agility one will try it next time, Gremlin II yes Gremlin III not yet. Could also be that one of the specialists was a squaddie and another a corporal; maybe a stronger specialist can give a better aid; i never used them a lot and just for healing and hacking.
@@agibeppe The level of the specialists shouldn't affect your outcome. I'd be willing to say that the dodge is what is affecting your outcomes. I normally recommend that a player have at least 30 dodge prior to deploying the strategy (boosted to 80 with hunker down.) It really does cut down on the amount of "what if" scenarios that can end poorly.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 30 dodge is A LOT Best PCS is 15 i think and ring missions that improve it are not many and raise it around 5 points
@@agibeppe It is a fairly high amount, but dodge is actually one of the things the ring is most generous at giving. Average dodge amounts are right around +8. Thus, it takes between 2-4 missions (2 if you also have a dodge PCS) and you're there. Also, dodge PCS can be up into the 20's. Other, than getting promoted on an occasional lost mission, my Skirmisher lives in the ring for the majority of the beginning of the campaign. Once I get a second skirmisher, they both tend to rotate between combat and the ring.
I saw this, loved it and tried it, it worked out great on vanilla..... unfortunately I play molded which separates the classes more for strategic specialisation so it doesn't work on my main playthroughs.... still I've found a way to do a simular thing using engineers and medics (the mods I have remove the 4 main and replace them with 6 specialist classes who are better at the specifics but worse outside of that, makes it so you build a more varied squad)
Is a retrieve information mission early on that would have sectoids be too early for this strategy due to the potential for mind control?
I think maybe the first time it's a go to start using it (if you can tell I'm pumped typing this on the bus desperate to fire up XCOM and try it tonight lol) would be when we have acquired mindshields and 3 specialists + 1 snip or skirm yes?
I never use it until I have the mindshield... but I also target the mind shield very early.
Also, check this written tutorial out. It has a minimum start requirement I've listed. Feel free to try anything else at your own risk tolerance of course 😁
Thank you so much!!! I'll be watching your career with great interest!
(Also just as a FYI as I didn't want my excitement to come off as pushy. My interest won't fade in time!
So thank you for this great content and please take all the time to give yourself much needed celebration that you enjoy and don't rush to put out new stuff before you want to!
I'll be here loving it and commenting when I get the ding on my phone that a new video has popped a week or a year from now! :D )
@@fsdafdsafdas No worries. I appreciate the support. I'm a believer in quality and pleasing myself over pleasing the algorithm... and hopefully that helps other people in the process.
you know it's a gg when people post strategies 8+ years after release
Genius
Thank you for watching!
its pretty cool and satisfying. im give it a go
The only problem with this strategy is how overly boring it is. Not only is it repetitive to exhaustion, but it makes each mission last twice as long or even longer.
You're not wrong at all. It isn't intended to replace conventional X-COM play, more likely a bridge or a recovery mechanic for campaigns some people might otherwise abandon.
Wrong ...the best soldier is a psyops with domination
@@Phalanx11 I don't know what the fuck what you said has to do with my comment, but I'll still answer you. A Psy Op with domination is not even near the best clase.
@@Phalanx11 I don't know what the fuck what you said has to do with my comment, but I'll still answer you. A Psy Op with domination is not even near the best clase.
It may not be the best clase.....but its the best class....
Warlock watching this video: yes, yes
how about a lets play series?
I'm working on a playthrough series at the moment that involves pairing odd strategies with average gameplay. Something that will show people that they needn't give up on their campaigns so easily if they consistently find things appearing to go sideways.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 You might be the reason I actually wind up playing this game I bought a few years ago.
Do you have a guide for this?
You guys need to graduate to Long War.
I just did... and boy what a difference. Great mod
I need xcom 3 asap!
You and me both my guy...
No, please not. Xcom 2 was released just in time before the big game company corruption happened. XCOM 3 ASAP would just be a horrible mess with political propaganda, no thank you. I do not want this.
guys i bought wotc dlc after i play and like vanilla game but i dont have most of these items in my playthrough, should i start new game to get these?
Would this work for overhauled mods like long war of the chosen?
No... not at all. However that is not to say that there isn't some combination of the myriad of skills that could emulate it to a degree. LWOTC changes so many skills and rebalances enemy attributes.
What is the 'order of abilities?
this is very cool!
Wait, even if a soldier is healed fully before the mission ends, they will still become injured afterwards from any wounds, which means downtime. Considering the skirmisher is a hero character, that means you only get, what, 2 max? You wouldn't be able to use this strategy for every mission.
Absolutely right. However, you may suffer no injuries or light wounds and be just fine. Sometimes with grave wounds I spend some time healing at the Templar HQ. And I've always advocated that this be part of a rotation with conventional squads for this very reason. The rest of your strong soldiers can be dropped into whichever mission suits them best, and thus the rotation is complete. Willpower actually ends up being more important to keep an eye on than injuries, but it too is really a non issue once everything is up and running.
Why does your skirmisher has 2 slots of utility items?, is it a mod?, since the top tier armor only has 1
Tactical Rigging... it's an Xcom skill that's commonly available and can be purchased in the training center.
Soooo get to the endgame... Got it
Retribution. That's all you need to start. And if you're using a sharpshooter to do it, you'll only need tier 2 gremlin.
Mind=slightly blown
That goes without saying
Thanks for watching!
What is the fun in exploit game game balance issues like this?
Fun is in the eye of the beholder. For some it's balance, for some variety, for others silliness. Having one additional choice isn't mandatory or subtractive. It's just an option for those that may want to for a moment in time. Personally, when I tire of conventional strategies (which become just as easy with skill development), my mind wanders to less conventional ones. It's an exercise in neuroplasticity.
how do you make them look so cool?
the thing is, the late game is definitely the easiest part of xcom, so this strat might seem all shiny and special but like, why bother? any bunch of colonels will probably win on legendary if you play smart
The strategy does not require having colonels. It is viable much earlier.
This is such a dumb cheese strat. I love it.
pfff 6 heavy mechs with op heavy weapons and you're unstoppable
"strongest unit"
Where templar?
Sidelined sadly... for an individual soldier he is likely the best of the best... but in this group he isn't a very strong fit (although I've used him as a cleanup unit instead of a sharpshooter for indoor missions.)
Aside from priest. Spectre the green cluster of nanomachine will kill this run.
No, revival protocol works on a shadowbound skirmisher and it can be used on the Skirmisher no matter where they are on the battlefield. Also, when the Spectre encounters one soldier who is not in proximity to other soldiers, they tend heavily towards shooting rather than using shadowbound.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 How about that useless flamethrower guy and that annoying poison mist wouldnt this ruin this run
@@thereddestofgoats3640 and grenades?
holy mods?
No gameplay mods. Mostly just user interface and clothing mods.
3:14 those vipers sure are missing a lot...
Lemme guess: Superior Dodge PCS?
No. I utilize a +3 movement pcs with my skirmishers. However, I sent my skirmishers on enough resistance operations to get them 40ish dodge and hunkering down provides the other 50.
However, that is not what generates the misses (dodge only mitigates damage on a hit), the misses come from having an incredibly high defense stat through hunker down, full/partial cover, and aid protocol. I have a companion video that shows me playing a full mission wherein you can see the entire strategy from the start of the mission until the end. Hope that helps.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Yeah; I've been creating superior PCS'es via an mod that increases miss chances. Superior give you an +25 points, sometimes 26 if lucky, to be missed entirely.
👍
bro do more vids
I absolutely will... but it will definitely take me a while. Sadly life hasn't blessed me with an abundance of free time.
Hunker down in XCOM 2 does not make you immune to crits like it did in XCOM EU. Instead it just gives you +50 dodge which does block crit damage when it triggers, but it's only a 50% chance to stop a crit on it's own. That's one area where other classes can get an edge since the majority of classes can get higher dodge. Serpent armor for example is +40 dodge so 90% base chance to negate crits and halve any damage taken. Ironically you actually mentioned how important Dodge was to the strategy and how exceedingly high it should be, but skirmishers are tied for the lowest potential dodge stat in the game. On the "no enemies has over 80 aim" comment, that's not entirely true. Officers will always use mark target before shooting which gives them 85-90 effective base aim and sectopods always have high ground bonus aim so they basically always have 90. Of course any enemy can have high ground and benefit from mark target so some enemies will have 100-110 aim when shooting at you. You also mentioned getting more than one return fire shot per turn, but unless your running mods that skill can only trigger once per turn.
It's also worth noting that the skirmisher is not what makes this work and they aren't the "strongest" unit in this set up. The specialists are the only important piece which you do hint at. The main advantages for the Skirmisher is the ability to make attacks with a somewhat decent weapon and still hunker down plus their intimidate (which isn't always good since many enemies like mutons will target the closet Xcom unit with AoE attacks when they panic). While retribution might sound like bladestorm it's not, and it's not exactly a good reason to use the skirmisher (it is a pretty decent skill though). Without aim buffs, retribution only has a max 56% chance to hit (it seems reliable in the video because those vipers have a +24% chance to be hit). Compare that to the Ranger's 77% without the katana, and the Templar's 100%, while their melee weapons also do more damage. Bladestorm is also guarantee to hit before the enemy, while retribution is not.
This is an interesting strategy and one that's worth pointing out since most players wouldn't consider it, it just seems like the focus and framing was misplaced on the skirmisher rather than just focusing on the basic idea of defense stacking with specialist and giving a more flexible idea of the many ways the game lets you apply that strategy while still doing decent damage. Not saying the skirmisher is bad to use here (they're one the better default options), it just seems weird to frame the idea around them when they are entirely replaceable.
You already mentioned that Sharpshooters can do this, and death from above means that they can attack with their sniper and still hunker down. Sharpshooters that roll Run and Gun also interact with the ability in a unique way that basically just gives them a third action and even lets them move, use the regular sniper, and still hunker down. They don't necessarily need the chosen weapons to start competing with the skirmisher, the chosen weapons do make them significantly more effective though. I don't see the reason to say those weapons aren't part of the "underlying class" when they are the only ones who can use those weapons and those weapons are part of their natural power progression. It's not like return fire is a natural part of the skirmishers progression since you only have a 70% to get the skill on any particular skirmisher
Keep in mind that any base class that roles Death from Above can also attack and hunker down to a more extreme degree with their superior primary (potentially killing multiple enemies per turn before hunkering down). The base classes also have better dodge in light armor.
Grenadiers can use explosives and heavy weapons while still hunkering down.
Rangers with bladestorm can always just stand near someone to get an attack and still hunker down. Plus they can trigger untouchable multiple times a turn which protects from explosives and the assassin. Reaper also provides you an occasional free attack or 2 before hunkering down.
And of course just using 6 specialist means your front soldier can always have 2 Threat assessment Overwatches + Guardian + CUP for an average of 3 decent attacks per turn while still hunkering down with that theoretical 90+ dodge and using up to 5 combat protocols/blaster bombs a turn. The other way of looking at this is that you can literally cut the "Front man" out and just replace them with one of the 3 specialists and fill their slot (and the other 2 slots) with any of the 4 potential "squadsight" units in the game (specialists, reapers, Psi ops, Sharpshooters) backed up by powered heavy weapons to have even better damage output.
Psi Ops are another interesting late game unit to use for this. They don't make the best front man, but they can dominate Archons or Gatekeepers who both have high base defense and dodge so they can play the front since they can hit similar defense without hunker down and they can both be very deadly while the Psi op uses its abilities from outside LoS. The Psi ops also solves a lot of the issues you pointed out in the video via stasis and fortress.
You also somewhat dismissed the Templar in other comments but I think you underestimate how its mechanics work. I get that it might not seem to fit naturally since it doesn't work well with Hunker down, but they don't need hunker down. Once they have deflect and mentally awake they have an always on 30% chance to block damage. With 40 defense against 80 aim that's only a 28% to get hit with no cover. This starts to work though when you have Reflect which is a completely separate roll. At 3 focus that's only an 18% chance for an 80 aim enemy to hit and that's before any defense. Aid protocol makes it 8% compared to the skirmisher who still has a 10% chance. Plus the Templar has innate dodge unlike the skirmisher. Keep in mind that every enemy that attacks also has a 45% chance to hit themselves (arguably better than return fire which only works once and has a 30% reaction fire penalty).
Hunker down can reduce more enemies to 0 aim which is better, but The other big thing is parry which works on explosives and assassins and with gifted actions you can stack multiple parries. Of course they're also the only other class that can roll fortress and sustain which makes this strategy more effective and safer. XCOM skills are not needed though; they only need Parry, reflect, and Deflect to work, XCOM skill are just nice to have like return fire is on the Skirmisher (Bladestorm BTW is a 67% chance for a random Templar). Their AoE abilities are nice too and they can even make a moving mimic with the same high defense abilities and with bladestorm it can get a guaranteed free attack every single turn while still hunkering down and reducing the chance your front man ends up with wound time.
easier strat : 6 sparks with 6 blaster launchers.
How to play XCOM wrong and still win. Cool idea for a build.
Thank you! I have lots of "wrong" ways of winning games... it's kinda one of my first loves.
This is nice and all until enemy unit crits you through full cover (becouse 10% base crit chance most units have on Legendary). Alpha strike is where its at. Kill everything before it have a chance to shoot. I can see this strategy somehow work on Beta strike setting.
They have to hit you to crit you... and then make it past your dodge. Did you watch the mission playthrough posted in the summary below? Both the footage from this video and the playthrough were taken from legendary campaigns. I have logged 100's of hours using this strategy and know it's mechanics well, thus if you've performed the steps I detail, you're virtually unkillable.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 yeah but it requires specific setup. I put over 1000 hours into this game and i can tell you that its uneccessary but still fun to try.
@@blackwidow7804 No disagreement. Outside of managing the Avatar Project, most things in the game are unnecessary, though fun nonetheless.
The android version not very nice to play
.. is there any version like playstation or PC type please share the download link..
this is incubation but in hd
The problem with calling this the strongest unit is Specialists are part of this to give the Skirmisher that final push.
The Skirmisher would die horribly if they were actually doing this alone.
For using 4 Soldiers this is pretty bad especially since without Specialists the Skirmisher dies horribly.
If you combine a Grenadier with a Sharpshooter this is often enough to break cover, and the focus the enemy down with a bunch of pistol actions or even sniper actions. We can double this and go with 2 Grenadiers and 2 Sharpshooters.
Then to counter the last remaining enemy threats... we can use a Ranger and Psi or Range and Reaper or Reaper and Ranger. (Ranger to hard counter burrowing Chryssalids though a Psi Op with Domination can just the same.)
My use of the term "unit" is a little loose sometimes. I'm not using it in reference to the skirmisher specifically, but rather the group on a whole.
As such, I feel that this unit presents the greatest combination of offensive output and defensive prowess. Many strategies are glass cannon alpha/alpha strike builds... and though very capable to be sure, lack a well rounded ability to do both things strongly in equal measure.
That's just my take though, and I too of course value many other more conventional units as well.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 Well, in XCOM 2 there are not many options for defensive builds. In XCOM you could easily get good defensive stats, but in XCOM 2 it doesn't seem to be viable to get several nearly unkillable units. Well, mass psi operative is possible, but they are expensive and slow to train.
@@thereddestofgoats3640 strongest “squad composition” is perhaps a better title?
@@TheVlad1616 I agree. I have a penchant for using the term in the singular and plural.
interesting
Lee Laura Moore Brenda Lewis Jose
So easy a Vtuber could do it!
Congratulations. You have broken the game. With mY favorite class no less!
Xcom 2 is a much more playable game than Enemy Unknown. Fortunately the majority of players that don't watch Xtube don't know this.
Enemy Unknown purposefully punished you for gaming it.
The moment your defend reaches a certain chance to not hit, the Aliens will say screw it and use a grenade or an attack that does not need to rely on your defense.
The game knows this, that's why Elite Mutons are armored artillery.
Funny and all, but not my xcom. You can keep that broken mechanic.
Oh, it's completely broken. But the reason I like it is because it's one of the only defensive formations the game rewards, and its all done with the table scrap skills that most people ignore. It does nothing to break/exploit the strong things people already use, but rather encourages use of things left in the corner long ago.
How boring. You can basically have a similar result with 2 sharpshooter with serial, 3 free reload and 2 granader. Not to mention like you said that this is not effective for timed mission which is 90 percent of the game. And the fact that everything hindge on one soldier is a mess. Over all ill give it 5 out of 10 strategy wise. Its bland, tedious and even if you pull it off in 10 percent of the game because this is only effective on non timed games your basically playing turn off brain kind of game.
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Interesting. Its on sale for $10 PSN store. For Xmas. 2023. 😮😅