XCOM 2. Tactical soldier classes

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!’