Tag: Strategy

Wargroove. Soon it’s turn to shine

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Wargroove

Wargroove is a new turn based strategy game developed by ‘Chucklefish‘. It is coming out in the first quarter of 2019 on the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 ad PC. Don’t be fooled. Wargroove may seem like another simple game but it’s said to be quite a deep one. Let’s take a look.

So far there isn’t much information at all concerning a story but we know there is a story. Players must battle through the campaign to learn about the different factions, what they are about and off course their motivations for such actions. This is like Supreme Commander 2 where the campaign allows you to learn all about the different factions in term and their fighting styles. Wargroove currently seems to be all about the action and matches.

Wargroove

In Wargroove players control entire armies and the commander. There are currently a minimum of 12 commanders and four factions. The current names are: Felheim Legion, Cherrystone kingdom, Floran tribes and Heavensong empire. Also like with Supreme Commander 2, the main focus is on the commanders. These commanders don’t sit behind a desk giving orders though, they are on the battlefield. Be careful as losing your commander means it’s all over. 

The commanders are very different from each other in terms of character and reasons for what they do and off course design. Each one is a powerful unit and players will be wise to keep an eye on what they are doing at all times. Each one also has their own groove. A groove is basically a special move. This can be used once their have a full meter. We have bee given two examples: Valder can create a new undead unit on the field while Mercia can heal adjacent units.

Wargroove

There is also an in-game editor which will allow gamers to create their own adventure. Players can create their own sub-quests, secrets, missions with story and even make adjustments to the games rules. Wargroove also allows players to create their own maps too and the events that should take place on it. Features like this are always a good idea as it allows players to use their creativity and provides more options. This reminds us of forge mode in Halowhere you can literally create entire game modes and maps.

We checked out some gameplay and we so far aren’t impressed but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. There are straight up soldiers, animals like dogs, wagons and other transportations that carry units, catapults for that good support, different terrains from sand to grass and ice, there is even rivers and trees. We like how your movement path and options are very clear. Everything is bright and looks friendly. Best of all Wargroove has multiplayer. Up to four players both local and online, co-op and competitive. That’s very good.

Overall, Wargroove does look like a good game. The unit’s animations are good. The pixel graphics are good. The sounds are good too. We even like how the weather can effect gameplay like wind in certain directions can grant increased movement. The developers ‘Checucklefish’ did a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker will keep an eye out to see what Wargroove truly has for gamers. Now Wargroove might have factions and commanders but even when working together they would get destroyed by… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Dual Gear. Deep turn based strategy

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Dual Gear

Dual Gear is a new turn based strategy action game developed by ‘Orbital Speed Studio‘. It has been saids to be coming 2018 (year soon over) on the Xbox One, PS4, Mac and PC. This game caught out attention straight away. Hope it’s very good. Let’s take a look.

The world of Dual Gear is originally set in 2064  where powerful nations built the Gaia Belt which is the orbital energy station for receiving the newly discovered energy source. It was later attacked by terrorists after a test and the successful completion of phase one of the Gaia Belt in 2101. TEC deployed the orbital defence gear to defend and they were successful but the damage was heavy and even earth suffered from the battle. So TEC focused more on surface tactical units known as Dual Gears. Off course successful projects like that don’t stay at home but sold multiple units to clients around the world. Was that attack the last anyone will hear of the terrorists?…

Dual Gear

In Dual Gear, players get to control the Dual Gear units. The gameplay is off course turn based and you see everything in third person. You will control each unit separately, one by one. It’s a combination of real time shooting and quick performance cut scenes. This means players will need tactical thinking, good management, reflexes and awareness. Dual Gear has two elements that must be taken into account: action point (AP) and generator output (GP). All skills need action points in order for that skill to be used within that turn but they also need enough generator output to pull it off. The example given was a Dual Gear using a powerful weapon. It might require 1 or 2 action points during this turn but it will cost some Generator Output and if you don’t have enough, that attack isn’t going to work (it’s easier when you see it for yourself).

There’s more. Units also have a sort of health and shield system in place. The two elements here are: Armour power (AP) and Core power (CP). If you get hit anywhere then the armour power decreases for that part hit, like the right arm. If that hits zero then the core power will now start to decrease upon taking damage. If that part then hits zero now, then that part is destroyed. That’s right, Dual Gear allows the targeting of specific parts of Dual Gear units. Off course there are consequences for destroying parts of a Dual Gear. For example losing a right or left arm will off course mean you can’t use any weapons that arm wielded. If a leg is destroyed then that Dual Gear will not only travel at a much slower pace but will also consume more Generator Output (GP) than normal which also means using certain skills and weapons will be more restricted.

Dual Gear

So if an enemy unit spots one of your own it won’t do anything at first. If you start moving then it can and will fire at you. It stops firing when you stop moving again. This design choice was to allow players to not panic and think about what they want to do now. This means players will need to be aware of how much AP and GP they have before making any moves or strategizing. Management is key here so don’t be in a hurry or a rush.

Customisation is very detailed in Dual Gear as well. The options are of a wide variety. The Dual Gear is made up of five main parts. Cockpit, head, back pack, arms and legs. Each part can be customised. You can equip your Dual Gear with high weight legs which grant higher durability resistance to damage but this means less movement speed and more GP is consumed when moving. This makes you wonder about the different parts available. We hope there’s a range. Also you can customise the style. You can add camouflage, add patterns, change the colour to make that Dual Gear your very own. Also players can select an emblem. If you are going to fight at least look good while doing it.   

We checked out some. Gameplay and we saw different built Dual Gears with different weapons, weight, speed, attack range and more. Launch missiles, swing with blades and snipe from a distance. You can see how much Generator Output is being used and how much each skill will consume. When the enemy fires at you you can dodge attacks which is where the reflexes come into play. So far the action looks good and seems like a real detailed turn based strategy game.

Overall Dual Gear looks like a good game. The graphics looks good and the sounds are good too. The machines are very loud though so be careful with your speakers. The developers ‘Orbital Speed Studio’ did a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to Dual Gear coming out. Now Dual Gear might have a lot of history but it’s history is nothing compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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This is the police 2. The cops are back

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
This is the police 2

This is the police 2 is the sequel to This is the police. It’s a new strategy adventure game developed by ‘Weappy Studio‘ but published by ‘THQ Nordic‘. It is coming out on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PS4 the 25th of September but already out on PC.

This is the police 2 is set in a cold town called Sharpwood. This town has some issues and a half. There’s a lot of violence and everyone sort of does what they want to do (which is never a good thing).  No one in the town is completely innocent. There are gangs, smugglers and other scum, all who live in Sherwood and gladly call it their home. Players will have to deal with all of them too. Violence and despair are increasing.

This is where the players come in. The players will take control of the new sheriff, Lily Reed. Now the criminals aren’t the only problem she has to also deal with her fellow cops under her authority. They aren’t happy or use to having a young woman tell them what to do, so she’ll have to decide how she’s going to handle them and bring the discipline as she’s can’t handle this town alone. So to sum up, players will have to investigate situations, incarcerate scums, run the sheriff department, perform interrogations, manage the cops and make some tough decisions.

This is the police 2

The developers wanted things to be more tactical and strategic this time around in This is the police. Now there are new things to take into account. Your cops are more than just number resources. They now have their own fears, strengths, prejudices and weaknesses. All these must be taken into account when using them for particular tasks or missions. Personal relationships are quite important too. For example making friends or being business associates with certain people can help you out… or even save your life. Oh and don’t think the criminals here wimps as some use to be in the military.

Gamers will also have to be like Batman and use their brains as a detective because evidence need to be collected and examined. Get the right people in jail and know when to use force in interrogation and other matters. Just a hint from us. Remember that everyone in this town isn’t completely innocent… what if some judges in court have been bribed? Think about that when you play This is the police 2.

This is the police 2

Off course there is some combat in This is the police 2. Strategic combat. When a mission is real dangerous the game switches to turn based combat. Yep things just got real when that happens. So for missions like this, select and choose the best cops for the job. You can even still use any of your drunk and useless ones too. Who cares, just use them as bait or a distraction. Like with other turn based strategy game like XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, players can examine and study the area to get a better idea of how to go about the situation. As cops, witnesses and people alive are more useful so rely on stealth and weapons that don’t kill first. If it becomes a gun fight then fire away, better they die then losing your own cops. The combat can get quite intense. Just don’t put much faith in the aim of your drunk cops.

We checked out some gameplay and it’s what we expected. It’s a dark situation and things don’t look good. Tough decisions have to be made and players must take note of many things. The graphic style is almost gooey-is in a way and that’s what they wanted. We aren’t a fan of it but it’s not our decision. The sounds are good though. The trailer below doesn’t have any action but it does display what kind of work This is the police 2 is set in. There’s corruption, bullying, law breaking and scum everywhere.

Overall This is the Police 2 seems like a good game. The story is deeper and more intense. Combat is more risky with more to do and heavy consequences. The setting works well with the atmosphere of the game, cold. The developers ‘Weappy Studio’ did a good job with the game. We at X35 Earthwalker currently aren’t a fan of it and won’t be looking forward to it but we are sure others are. Now the situation in This is the police 2 looks real bad but what’s not bad is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Valkryia Chronicles 4. Coming soon

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Valkryia Chronicles 4

Valkryia Chronicles 4 is a new action strategy RPG developed and published by ‘Sega‘. Valkryia Chronicles 4 is coming out the 25th of September on the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC. This is suppose to be a somewhat of a deep game with a grave truth to be discovered. Let’s take a look.

The story in Valkryia Chronicles 4 is that the continent of Europa is split between two groups which happen to be at war with each other. The Atlantic Federation vs the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance. The empire (the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance) have the upper hand and currently dominating the Federation. The Federation are not giving up but realising that they will eventually will be destroyed they launch a last resort operation to help tilt things in their favour. This is were the players come in.

Valkryia Chronicles 4

The players take control of the leader commander Claude Wallace and his team squad E which is made up of his loyal childhood friends. It’s them who will be carrying out operation Northern cross which basically is to capture the imperial capital. This off course won’t be easy as numerous imperial soldiers, brutal elements and even a Valkyria! Last of all players and squad E will discover and face the grave truth that we mentioned earlier. Not an easy operation it seems.

Now Valkryia Chronicles 4 is single player and the game does feature permanent death so players can end up losing their characters for good. So think, get tactical and be careful with your decisions. Valkryia Chronicles 4 has gotten deeper though in game mechanics and as characters have personality traits, with likes and dislikes which can effect how they perform on the battle field. For example a sniper who hates being alone could have their accuracy and defense reduced because they are alone on the field. We know… it sounds petty.

Valkryia Chronicles 4

But wait… there’s more! In between missions players have the opportunity to head back to camp and can choose specifically which soldiers they want for the mission ahead, like XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. Off course all gamers by now would know that it’s important to have a balance concerning the character classes. You will always have commander Claude who comes with his tank (called Hafen). The classes are: Lancers, Engineers, Scouts, Snipers and Shocktroopers. There is a new class called Grenadier who can even bring the artillery. Pretty cool and very much needed.

Now how does combat work in Valkyria Chronicles 4? Well it’s actually unique. Like a turn based strategy game, you have a limited amount of moves each turn. When you use an action point, you get all third person and take control of that unit… in real time. Now enemies can fire at you but when you stand still and aim at them, or stop controlling the character, the enemy stops firing. So basically the enemy takes action when you take action.

Valkryia Chronicles 4

Lastly even the weather is a factor in Valkyria Chronicles 4. So when selecting sliders for your mission you have to not only take the shape and obstacles of the battle into mind but also the weather. For example if it’s all snowy then line of sight get impacted heavily, which means that snipers aren’t that useful at all because they can’t see anything. Weather doesn’t just effect line of sight but other elements as well like possibly the terrain. This sounds like a strategy game for sure.

We checked out some gameplay and Valkyria Chronicles 4 looks very good. It has the same art style and it looks great. They use the Canvas engine for this. The watercolour style is hand drawn. The environments look nice. It doesn’t look complicated at all.

Overall Valkyria Chronicles 4 seems like it’s going to be a very good game indeed. Others had good things to say about it and so do we. The developers ‘Sega’ did a good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what Valkyria Chronicles 4 has to offer gamers. Now the war fought between the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance is serious but no where near as serious as… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Hero Defense. Big battle coming soon

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Hero Defense

Hero Defense is a new action RPG strategy game developed by ‘Happy Tuesday‘. It is coming out the 15th of August on the Xbox One and the 16th of August for the PS4 but already out on PC. This game is meant to be quite the blender of genres. Let’s take a look.

In Hero Defense the story is quite traditional in a way. Basically a team of slayers have one mission and that’s to stop the most powerful vampire in the world, Count Necrosis. Count Necrosis has quite the army with him, a whole legion of undead. and their mission is world domination. Off course it is, what else would it be.

Players have 5 characters to choose from: Jack, Barrows, Sam, Jane and Wylde. Each are clearly different, even from how they look. Literally from how they look, you can pretty much figure out what their play style is. Each character also has their own skill tree and upgradable weapons. So there’s a strong present of RPG elements and layers here.

Hero Defense

You can further modify your weapons by equipping runes that you can find and collect. Your rune builds can be customised to emphasise what you want to focus on concerning your characters and play style. If that’s not enough and you need more of a boost then players have the opportunity to build hero shrines which empowers your characters further. Lots of boosting in Hero Defense.

Like an RPG players will gain experience points to level up their character and level up skills in their skill tree. According to the story, your island also has been messed up because of this undead army. You must save your island and rebuild your town. New buildings can be unlocked. What kind of an action strategic RPG game does’t have loot that you can equip? Not Hero Defense as there are some spells that you can equip to do some serious damage like poisoning and burning.

Hero Defense

We checked out some gameplay and it’s not impressive but simple enough for everyone to understand. You can see the attack range of your characters, see what effects they have, how Barrow can buff other hero characters. It’s quite clear. Plays like a tower defense, except the tower is your character. Sort of like World of Van Helsing Deathtrap. The interaction between these characters is very well done. The graphics are good but during combat it’s not that great. There are boost areas for certain characters to stand in to get a huge boost to power and ability. Lots to take into consideration for a simple presentation.

Overall Hero defense looks like a cool game. It’s fun, simple and funny at times. It’s quite deep but not complicated. The sounds are good and the level designs are good too. The developers ‘Happy tuesday’ did a good job with this game. Now Count Necrosis may be a big problem but he’s only small fry when compared too… The ‘Earth Walk!’

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 – definitive edition

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Divinity original sin 2 definitive edition

Divinity: Original sin 2 definitive edition is a strategy RPG developed by ‘Larian Studios‘ and now published by ‘Bandai Namco‘. It’s coming out the 31st of August on the Xbox One and PS4. Many highly rate this series. Let’s take a look.

The events in Divinity: Original sin 2 definitive edition is basically the improved version of of Divinity: Original sin 2 with feedback from 2017. It takes place generations after Divinity: Original Sin. Sourcerers are now criminals. Also those who have source powers are being captured, hunted and then forcibly have their powers removed but leaving behind only an empty body which can’t make decisions for it’s self and has no emotions. How horrible. 

Divinity original sin 2 definitive edition

Gamers can choose to play from six origin characters. each has their own interesting story and motives. Beast, is having his second attempt at defeating and stopping the tyrannical dwarf queen. Ifan Ben-Mezd has turned against the divine order and sees to kill Lucian’s son. Sebille was a slave that broke free from a villainous master who used her to hunt her own kind, now she seeks revenge. The Red prince was exiled and started getting hunted by assassins but stays determined to reclaim his rightful throne. Lohse is battling against a darker unknown voice that’s trying to take over body and soul… she must find a way to control this entity in time.

Divinity original sin 2 definitive edition

Divinity: Original sin 2 definitive edition is definitely multiplayer allowing 4 player co-op. Split screen as well. You can either work with your friends to try and accomplish your own goals or fight against each other. There is even PvP match making too, arena mode where up to four players can battle it out in intricately built stages. It’s all turn based action so think carefully about each move you want to take.

The definitive edition is said have thousands of changes. So expect things like the fact that the elves can eat the flesh of the fallen to remember distant memories. Quest lines that push the boundaries between peace and problems. character disagreements and romances. Tutorials, map markers, group inventory management, tool tips and a new journal.

We checked out some gameplay and it looks excellent. The graphics are very excellent indeed. Even the environment and stuff in the background look so good. The sounds are very good too. We like the wide range of abilities and the different strategies you can create from them all, like swapping the positions of allies and enemies, going invisible, moving explosive barrels etc. Lots of options indeed. Elevation grant advantages to units too which is always a wise idea.

Overall we can see that Divinity: Original sin 2 definitive edition is a very good game and has a lot to offer, especially with the definitive edition which is clearly superior to the first. Although we wouldn’t say it’s the best role playing strategy game like others say. We still think XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is better. The developers ‘Larian Studios’ did an excellent job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker aren’t looking forward to this game but know it will have a big impact. Now Divinity: Original sin 2 definitive edition may be liked by many but one thing that has way more likes is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. Soon here

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is a new 3D turn based strategy game developed by ‘Black Lab Games’. It’s coming out on Xbox One and PS4 the 8th of December. It’s already out on PC though. Being a turn based space game sounds really interesting. We at X35 Earthwalker hope they pulled it off. let’s take a look.

In Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, the Cylons and the humans were in a deadlock. The Cylons however: launched a brutal surprise attack which allowed them to eliminate the colonial fleet high command. This off course is very bad for the humans. Now it all falls down to the rear-admiral Lucinda Cain. Here is where the players step in. Battlestar Galactica Deadlock requires players to get real strategic from what we know. Every decision is important and literally one move could make or break everything.

You get to control the whole colonial fleet from the shipyard called ‘Daidalos’. Make sure to build a big and powerful fleet because the task ahead is big. There are twelve colonies that are in danger because of the Cylon. Decide what ships you should have in your fleet. Build and design it how you want it. There are many ships with some serious firepower like the Jupiter class battleship and the Manticore Corvette. Others like the Raptor scouts and viper squadrons all await your orders. Already we are liking the sound of this.

Now Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is completely 3D. This means you can rotate the camera and see from any angle. Make your units fly anywhere and everywhere to flank enemy ships, attack from behind, retreat etc. After deciding your moves and actions you can watch it all play out in real time. You can also pause the real time as well. Maybe you want a better angle and to careful see what took place. Pretty cool if you ask us. If that wasn’t detailed enough, you can rewatch your whole battle with the auto cam replay. So you can see where things went well or went wrong. What’s very useful is that there is an in game too which allows players to easily export their battles straight to YouTube.  

Now the Cylon are a serious enemy. They do not only have a charge head first strategy. this enemy actually comes at you in more than one way forcing players to stay fully alert and ready to handle multiple tasks at once. For example the Cylon may board a ship or colony meaning it’s up to your marines to defend, hold off and defeat the Centurion boarding parties. Wardriver electronic fighters may try to hack what systems you have, meaning firewalls are required to defend against them. Or the classical let’s bomb them out of the sky approach with Basestars launching missile salvos and Cylon raiders attacking. so not a simple enemy indeed.

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

We checked out some gameplay and honestly it didn’t seem as fluent or as fun as XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. yes it is a different style but it seems like there is far to much planning instead of action. It’s great that there are many ways to go about it and that there is lots to look at but it makes it come off as slightly more boring. Off course, seeing gameplay is different from playing it and we haven’t played Battlestar Galactica Deadlock so we cannot confirmed this but who knows, it may give a different feeling when actually played. We do like the level of layers to this games strategy aspects.

Overall we think Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is a very good game. The graphics and environments look very nice. The music and sounds are very good as well. The story we hear goes quite deep and it’s more than a simple destroy the aliens story. The amount of emphasis that the game puts on decision making is how strategic games should be in most cases. As in it only takes one move to change everything. The developers, ‘Black Lab Games’ did a very good job with this. We at X35 Earthwalker will keep an ear open for Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. This game might be worth checking out. The Cylon may be a serious threat but they ain’t nothing once compared to… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. Epic DLC coming soon

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker

XCOM 2 is the greatest turn based strategy game, we at X35 Earthwalker, have ever played. The amount of options you have to deal with a situation, the different amount of enemies and the problems they bring, the different weapons and equipment that you have to buy and equip wisely is just deep and done very well. Off course XCOM 2 wasn’t perfect but man was it very good.

Good news for all XCOM fans. A new DLC is coming out and it’s a large one. Almost like a whole game. It’s called XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. It will come out 29th of August for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. This DLC adds whole new content to the game. The fight against the advent continues so new factions of the resistance form together to take down the enemy. That’s right we have whole new allies and units to back us up; however a new enemy called the ‘Chosen’ show up and they have one goal in mind: recapture the commander. So XCOM 2: War of the Chosen has new hero classes, new enemies, new environments, new missions and gives the strategic level of XCOM 2 another layer. 

The Chosen are the most smart and dangerous enemy we have ever faced. They are sent by the elders to carry out this recapture mission. They are well organised and got different units to give them every advantage they can get. The three units that have been revealed are Assassins, Warlocks and Hunter.

The resistance factions bring new things for us. These new factions have their own background and story behind them. They all look clearly different from each other and have completely different abilities and strengths. The three new factions that have been revealed are Reaper, Skirmisher and Templar.

If having to face the Chosen wasn’t bad enough we also have whole new enemies who are more than willing to take us on. We haven’t been given much information on the new enemies but we do know their names. There is the Priest, Purifier, Spectre and ‘The Lost’. They also look real cool and very distinguishable from each other.

There are whole new environments in this DLC as well. Expect to have tactical battles in such environments like xenoformed wilderness regions, cities abandoned because they were destroyed by aliens bio weapons and even underground tunnels. Hope you guys aren’t scared of the dark.

There is much more, we learnt that even your scientists and engineers can get involved in the action. They can be deployed on covert missions that if they complete successfully, will reward you with supplies and boost faction favour. Your soldiers interact with each other to some extent. The website explains that your “soldiers can develop bonds with compatible teammates for new abilities and perks.”  You can even create and design your own resistance posters that you can share with your friend in-game. 

Overall this DLC looks amazing right now. It is deep and rich with content. It’s bringing whole new environments, enemies and resistance units shaking up the game to some extent. This is a whole new campaign as well with new strategic layers. We will reveal more concerning the units in another blog. This DLC is definitely worth checking out. You may not like the Chosen but you will like… the ‘Earth Walk!’.

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XCOM 2. Tactical soldier classes

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker

XCOM 2 is just an excellent strategy game. There isn’t another like it. We at X35 Earthwalker were a big fan of the first XCOM but XCOM 2 really did improve the game and took it to a higher level. It isn’t perfect though as we have found a few faults with the game but overall it is amazing. We will be talking about the soldier classes and how tactical things can get. There are four classes in XCOM 2. Ranger, sniper, specialist and grenadier. Each one are not to be ignored.

The Ranger is probably the hardest to master and use properly. Many will get excited about the fact that they have swords and will want to slash everything in sight but it’s risky. Slash lets you run up to an enemy and then almost kill them straight up but normally leaves you in the open or run towards another group of aliens which usually results in death. Instead use the sword only when you know it’s safe and when you really need to kill a certain target. Once the Ranger has the phantom ability it will stayed concealed even after the team got exposed. Allowing you to move around the map and level by themselves to complete and objective single handedly or get a perfect flank on the enemy. Shadow step is another powerful ability which allows the Ranger to not trigger any overwatchs or reaction fires. This means your Ranger can move freely and even ignore suppression. Once X35’s Ranger was pinned down by suppression and straight away he made his Ranger leave the area with no consequences. Rangers are the best when it comes to mobility. Use them to complete objective, go solo from the group and kill enemies in close range style.

Snipers is probably the most favourite class amongst XCOM gamers from the first game because they can dish out high damage from far away and attack more than once. In XCOM 2 they are more versatile than before. The pistol can no longer be underestimated. Upgrade your pistols when you can. The sniper gets abilities like lightning hands which allows them to fire the pistol and it won’t cost an action. This means you always get to attack more than once. Shoot with pistol at a near enemy and then snipe that other one that’s far away. Always place your snipers in elevated positions as ‘Death from above’ ability allows you to have another action after killing an enemy who is at a lower elevation. Snipers are no longer weak in closer range combat as the gunslinger abilities for the pistol make them lethal like faceoff which allows your sniper to fire his pistol at every target in range once. The best ability and the thing that makes snipers great is squadsight which means, if your team mates can see it, then your sniper can see it (as long as there is a line of sight).

Grenadiers are lethal in XCOM 2 and probably more lethal than before. Their ability to launch grenades is essential. Use them to damage groups of enemies at once and even destroy enemy cover to expose them for your sniper and other units. The shredder ability makes this class the best at dealing with armoured enemies getting rid of their armour. Suppression will keep those melee enemies, like the stun lance using soldiers, in their place, preventing them from moving or more likely killing them as they attempt to come near. X35’s favourite grenadier ability is holo targeting which means whenever your grenadier takes a shot at an enemy, your whole team gets increased accuracy against that enemy. Chain shot is just for dealing immense damage as it allows you to shoot at an enemy twice as long as the first hit connects. This makes you think about what to do. Normally you will have the grenadiers make the first moves as they really set things up for the other classes. Maybe use the grenadier to blow away a part of a wall or building to reveal enemies for your snipers, or do you fire at a essential target first allowing your team to have better chances of hitting that target or do you have them move up right next to an enemy just to use chain shot for the real damage? The choice is yours.

Specialists are very interesting indeed. They are equipped with gremlin units which provide all their abilities. Firstly a specialist can hack advent security towers to gain certain perks like disorientating all enemies for 2 turns or grant extra intel. Specialists can also interact with objectives like the computers or alarm system from a distance making them essential to get there in time or hack from safety. It gets crazier. They can send the gremlin to increase the defense of themselves or any ally making them harder to hit for the duration of the alien turn. As the specialist is promoted he will gain the ability to Heal allies from anywhere, remove status problems like panic, poison and even stop bleeding out. Then inflict guaranteed damage against any enemy and then the best of all be able to hack mechanical units. X35 loves this. You can hack to disable or even better take control of those advent mecs which he then sends directly towards the enemies to reveal their location and fight to the death. Make sure to hack sentry guns to have them fire at enemies and then overwatch to keep bringing the pain. Specialists can do anything and once used correctly, will make your team officially OP (over powered). Lastly don’t underestimate the ability to deliver 2 points of guaranteed damage as there have been many moments when that has come in handy to finish of a certain enemy.

Off course there are many more abilities for the classes and each is useful in their own way but pick them according to your style. XCOM 2 is very strategic and makes you think for a bit before making any actions. Place your snipers in high places and combined with ‘Death from above’ you have potential double kills lined up. Have your specialists always using their gremlins to buff, heal or even grant soldiers an overwatch as these actions only cost one action, meaning you can still fire afterwards. Hack those mechanical units when you can to get the best possible advantage. Be masterfully strategic with your Rangers. Literally X35 once had his ranger with concealment go alone to the objective and complete it by themselves and got that Ranger back to the rest of the team alive. Rangers are also best at killing on the go thanks to ‘Run & Gun’ and their swords. Be careful though. Grenadiers must use what they have to control the battle field their abilities create new pathways with grenades, pin enemies and lay down the damage if need be. They can even get armour of their own with ‘Blast padding’ meaning you can have them at the front knowing that they are harder to kill.

We are really loving what XCOM 2 have done with the game and will continue to play it. What do you think of the classes in XCOM 2? Maybe you have strategies of your own. Whether you do or not make sure you know… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Deathtrap’s Marksman. Good or bad?

Posted on by X35 Earthwalker

World of van helsing Deathtrap is an excellent example of an action tower defense game. This game focuses heavily on strategy. You get to pick from 3 characters who are very different in skills, strong points and difficulty. This time we will look at the Marksman.

The Marksman is considered the hardest to use of the 3 characters. Forget considered! He is without a doubt the hardest to use. He has been even called the worst of the 3. Again we understand completely but why? The Marksman has the second smallest amount of health. Just 100 hit points more than the Sorceress. So we know that he can’t take a hit. His main attack skill ‘Shoot’ literally tickles the enemies. Simple enemies like the ‘Kobold Wartfiend’ take too long to defeat for such a weak enemy. His other skill that does more damage is ‘Poison streak’ which also poisons the enemies and pierce through them but it’s damage is also very low and it’s focus cost is high enough to only allow two shots at a time. So not only can the Marksman not take a hit but he can’t give one either. The worst thing about him is his, let’s call it ‘ability system’. The Mercenary and the Sorceress regenerate (rage/mana respectively) when not being hit and from basic attacks. The Sorceress even has ‘Arcane retaliation’ which grants her mana whenever she is hurt but the Marksman is so different. He never regenerates Focus unless he is cloaked. He can only be cloaked when a certain distance from an enemy for a certain period of time. Even then it recharges slowly. This sucks, as you can fire two poison streaks, then run away to prevent death and wait an extra while to get some Focus back, all the while, the enemies are making their way to the gates. Most players struggle to even get 3 stars on their first few missions because there is no way of stopping the horde with a limited use of special skills, very little damage and can’t even use your body as a shield to defend the gates.

So the Marksman is garbage right? X35 Earthwalker had a theory and yes you could call it a game theory. He said that the Marksman has to be one of those characters that suck at the start but are very good later tier. It turns out that was true. Marksman is literally for the most strategic gamers and those willing to endure some tough matches. Tier 1 skills for the Marksman isn’t great and we are being nice about this. Tier 2 has two useful skills ‘Scattershot’ and ‘Trap boost’. Scatter shot is perfect for taking down giants and armoured enemies and should not be wasted on horde and normal type enemies. Trap boost is simple. Just select a trap to make it do more damage. Tier 3 is where the good stuff are at. Here you get access to the HIGH damaging skills ‘Grappler bolt’ and ‘Shock bolt’. Grappler bolt does the higher damage of the 2 and pulls nearby enemies to the original target together and slows them down. Shock bolt costs no focus at all and still does really high damage. You also get the trap skill ‘Overdrive Sphere’ which reduces the time it takes for a trap to reset for a period of time within 10 meters of your character. and world skill ‘Overdrive’ which reduces the time it takes for a trap to reset for a period of time. These can be deadly. Don’t waste time with ‘Incendiary Barrage’ as it costs far too much focus to the point where you can use it once and then need to get more Focus. We are sure it becomes immensely powerful once upgraded but when you are at the point of unlocking tier 2 skills and stuff you have to prioritise over things to survive and actually win in some levels. Right now it’s all about: Shoot, Scattershot, Grappler Bolt, Shock Bolt, Overdrive Sphere and Overdrive.

What’s the strategy then with the Marksman? Well it’s to keep firing at all times from a distance and know when to go cloaked to regenerate your Focus. Always start a wave near the gates of where the enemies come from. Always fight near a teleport pad so you can move to where you need to be quickly in case of emergencies or anything else. Whenever Shock bolt is available just use it. It’s powerful enough kill many enemies outright and therefore saving you time. It recharges in 3 seconds but if you are like X35 Earthwalker and always play in times 2 speed then it’s really 1.5 seconds. Plus it doesn’t require Focus so literally use it as soon as it is available. Sort of the same with Grappler bolt but watch your Focus as it uses a little bit of it. Use it on horde and groups as a higher priority but regardless, just use it. It’s stronger the Shock bolt. Scatter shot must be used on giant and armoured as it destroyes them quickly and doesn’t cost too much. Invest points to allow it to pierce through enemies for total destruction. Max out ‘Concentration’ and ‘Ambush stance’ so you have maximum amount of Focus to use your skills and get cloaked faster and regenerate Focus faster while cloaked. This makes a big difference. Max out the ‘Shoot’ skills ‘Splintering’ Bolt skill to make it have area of effect which makes shoot actually not bad anymore and can hold it’s own against horde enemies. Overdrive and Overdrive Sphere are best used with ‘Gun Sentry’ traps as it turns your guns into machine guns but combine both skills and your machine gun becomes a mini gun. Make sure your guns have area of effect and increased damage and they shread everything. Trust us. That’s the game plan here with the Marksman. Once you know what to do and have the tools he actually becomes very powerful.

Overall the Marksman is still the worst character in our opinion overall due to the sheer difficulty of using him initially. Sure he is actually very powerful late tier but many give up on him before even getting there. Late tier he may be the most powerful. We’ll find out. We say hold and and don’t give up. Plus his voice and look is pretty cool though, you have to admit. Imagine your school teacher sounded like him. So give the Marksman a try and master him for yourself. Watch X35 Earthwalker himself play it on his livestream. Follow us on twitter and Beam to know when he will be doing it. Let us know of any strategies you come up with. Regardless of what you come up with it can never be better… than the ‘Earth Walk!’

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