XCOM 2 - The QT3 Game

It turns out I misinterpreted the initial images, and that my character is not the one with the Guile-hair but rather the Supernatural looking character with the flowing locks and perfect facial structure.

image

Based on this new info I take back everything I said about wanting a soldier bond. Not to put too fine a point on it, I am way out of the league of everyone else on this team. Don’t call me until I get some sort of disfiguring plasma burn or other crippling injury.

5 - OPERATION DIAMOND STANK (lol)
Extract ADVENT Supplies

Team Members
Corporal Chick - Grenadier
Squaddie Bernstein - Sniper
Squaddie Russell - Specialist
Corporal Freak - Reaper
Squaddie Kosc - Templar

I expect the Hunter to make an appearance this mission, but Lufkin needs a rest. Russell will have to handle any healing. It’s the “tag the boxes before the aliens do” kind of mission. While concealed, Freak runs up to a box and tags it… which reveals the whole team. Good job, Commander. A Viper and an ADVENT Purifier are activated. Kosc runs up to melee the Purifier, wounds it, but activates a second pod - a Purifier, a Stun Lancer, and a Trooper. Five enemies are now active. It’s not looking good. Chick launches a grenade at the Viper, wounding it and removing its cover. Bernstein snipes the Viper, but as is often the case with Vipers, it only grazes for 2 damage. Russell takes a shot at the Viper and misses, but Freak is able to finish it off. The Purifier flames Kosc, but misses. The Priest casts Holy Warrior on the Stun Lancer, who runs up to Kosc and wounds him for 2. The Trooper piles it on, taking a shot at Kosc but misses!

Kosc melees the Stun Lancer and only removes its Holy Warrior shield. Chick flanks the Stun Lancer and hits it for 6, it only has 1 HP left. Russell manages to flank the Stun Lancer and finish it off. Freak and Bernstein team up to take out the Trooper.

The Purifier flames Russell, catching her on fire, but then the Purifier puts her in Stasis, possibly removing the fire? Chick is able to move to pick up the loot the Viper dropped, then turn and drop the Purifier. Only the Priest remains active, but he’s pretty far away. Oh, no, Russell is still on fire and takes 2 dam, but then the fire goes out. Kosc melees the priest for 5, but it’s still up. Chick hits it with his final grenade, reducing it to 1 HP where it goes into Stasis. On its next turn it takes a shot at Kosc, but misses due him being behind Full Cover. The loader the Priest was using for cover blows up, finishing him off. There are no active enemies, time to mark some boxes!

Bernstein runs up to tag a box near the end of the turn and activates a pod with a Viper, Purifier, and a Trooper. Not good. The ADVENT capture the box Bernstein was using for cover, leaving him exposed. The Viper tongue-grabs him, reducing him to 3 HP. The Purifier flames him! I can’t tell if it hit anything. The Trooper hits Freak for 3, reducing him to 2 HP. A bad round, and the team is separated collecting boxes. Chick shoots at the exposed Purifier, but can’t hit it. Russell moves up, but can’t get a bead on the Viper, so she wounds the Purifier, unable to drop it. Freak moves up, hits the Viper and CRITS it for 7, freeing Bernstein. Kosc is too far away so he… captures two boxes. :)

Bernstein grabs some light cover and Pistols the Viper, killing it. The Purifier flames him, misses, but Bernstein is standing in fire… he moves out and catches fire. Freak flanks the Purifier and takes it out, leaving only the Trooper. Chick moves up and takes it out, despite poor odds. Victory!


Russell - Freak - Chick - Kosc - Bernstein

Kosc, Bernstein, Russell, and Freak are wounded, but the newly built Infirmary should help. Bernstein is promoted to Corporal, Chick to Sergeant, and Russell to Corporal.

Aw, shit!

Russell and Bernstein form a bond! High five!

Truculent is promoted to Sergeant after a Covert Op.

IIRC you can be in the middle of a poison cloud and be okay, until you move, poisoned. Not sure if it’s the same for fire though.

I am the best at capturing boxes!

Good thing I’ve got short hair with the whole catching on fire thing.

Happy taking out that stun lancer, hate those guys.

Bernstein, as a sniper you have my back from up high somewhere and I’ll promise to keep you alive. Oh, and congrats on that promo.

Oh man, you did it. You went there.

quid pro quo baby

hahahah, this threads gonna be fun

hope we make a speedy recovery and get back into the fight (and not die)

6 - OPERATION SWEATY ALTAR
Recover Resistance Operative

Team Members -
Sergeant Zappa - Sniper
Sergeant Au - Skirmisher
Corporal Russell - Specialist
Rookie Miller
Corporal Bernstein - Sniper

Hunter didn’t show last mission. He’s certain to show up this time. Oh man, I got a real bad feeling about this mission. It’s in the Ruined Subway, I gotta rescue a guy, and I don’t see an evac… First Pod is two Troopers. The team goes into overwatch while the Troopers stroll too close and notice us, where they’re taken down by Zappa and Russell with her shiny new Magnetic Rifle.

And the Warlock makes his appearance. He’s weak to explosions and Reapers, and we don’t have any Reapers on this mission. Only a couple of grenades. Au moves up and activates a pod with a Sectoid, Stun Lancer, and a Trooper. The rest of the team is either too far away or blocked by the map to be very effective, so most go into overwatch. Au wounds the Stun Lancer and Bernstein repositions and takes a pot shot at the Sectoid with his Pistol, but misses. The Sectoid tries to mind-control Au and fails, but Au panics. He moves up a bit, still in cover, takes another shot at the Stun Lancer and misses. The Trooper misses Miller, and the Stun Lancer moves up. Overwatch from Miller is able to drop him. The Warlock summons a Spectral Zombie, something I think I’m going to see a lot of this mission. It moves up, but Russell is able to take it out from overwatch.

Russell flanks the Sectoid and CRITS him, dropping him. Au is no longer panicked. Au tries to RipJack the Trooper, but misses. He shoots it dead, instead. The team proceeds towards the VIP, slowly. The Warlock moves closer, and Zappa and Bernstein take shots at him, but both miss. He has too much cover. But Russell manages to wound him for 5. The Warlock summons a Trooper, which Miller manages to drop from overwatch. The Warlock also dazes Bernstein, but Au is right next to him and gets him back up as a free action. Russell nails the Warlock again, for another 6! Au moves up and tosses a grenade at the Warlock. With his Volatile Mix ability and the Warlock’s weakness, the Warlock takes 11 dam! He only has 3 HP left. Zappa tries to finish him off, but misses. Bernstein is recovering from the daze, can only use his pistol, and only has a 7% chance of hitting the Warlock. Still, he goes for it! He misses. Only Miller is left. He moves up, losing Full Cover for Half Cover and takes aim. He’s a Rookie, and the Warlock has Full Cover. His odds aren’t good. But he hits for 7! The Warlock is defeated and teleports out.

The team takes a full round reloading to prepare for the ambush I’m almost certain is going to happen as soon as I activate the VIP. And here it comes. Of course, I triggered it a bit before I was ready. They’re coming in from opposite sides, with the team in the middle. Nice. Each pod is a Sectiod and a Trooper, and the ominous flare of another pod is dropped… The team is closest to the pod by the train. Russell flanks the train-Sectoid, but misses. Bernstein tosses his grenade at the train-Trooper and kills it. Miller moves to get a better shot at the Sectoid, but misses. Zappa shoots it with his pistol, but is unable to kill it.

Au flanks the Sectoid on the Warlock side and wounds it.

Two more Troopers arrive on the train side. And another pod will arrive next turn on the Warlock side. The Warlock-side Sectoid moves and flanks Bernstein and one-shots him with a CRIT… Bernstein is KIA. Miller, his bondmate, goes beserk. She attacks three times, but only manages to kill the train-side Sectoid.

Au RipJacks a Trooper that Russell wounded and kills it. There are three enemies left, but two more will arrive next turn… Au, still on the Warlock side, aims at the Trooper, but misses. Miller moves back a bit, takes aim at the Warlock-side Sectoid… odds aren’t great. And he hits and kills it!

The Trooper Au missed moves up, getting him range and behind Zappa… he shoots and wounds Zappa for 3. Two more Troopers arrive on the Warlock side, and another ominous flare drops on the train side…

Russell is no longer berserk. She reloads and heals Zappa with her Gremlin. Evac has arrived and I didn’t even notice it! But Au is too far away, anyway. We’ll have to hold out until next turn. The VIP evacs. Au moves closer to the evac, which allows him to flank one of the new Troopers on the Warlock side, but he misses his shot. Miller moves to Full Cover and shoots at the same Trooper, but also misses. Zappa moves to better cover and goes into pistol overwatch. Two more Troopers arrive train side, but Zappa is ready and shoots one dead like a dog. There are now three Troopers on the Warlock side. Two go into overwatch, but a third manages to flank Russell and wound him for 4.

We’re ready to evac the rest of the team, but we need to hope the two Troopers in overwatch miss. With the highest HP, Au goes for it! And he’s nailed twice, each for 3. But he lives! The team evacs. Victory… of a sort.


Russell - Miller - Zappa - Au

Russell is promoted to Sergeant, and Miller is promoted to Squaddie - Sniper. Au, Zappa, and Russell are Gravely Wounded.

The new Engineer will immediately be put to work in the Infirmary to reduce the healing time.

RIP Corporal Harvey Bernstein. 5 Kills, 3 Missions.

For those no longer with us. Respect.

Pressing "F"

In case you need more fodder!!!..errr…replacements.

Ultrazen “Heartbreaker” Jones
USA (Team Chick)
Color: Dealers choice
Gender: Dealers choice

I have some bullets with ‘in memory’ etched out, postmarked for the next Sectoid

Also rookie debut, 5 kills.

Now I’m worried. There is only one way things can go from there 😬

Yeah, Rookie Miller really crushed it on that mission.

7 - OPERATION HAMMER SHRIEK
Sabotage the transmitter

Team Members -
Sergeant Lufkin - Specialist
Squaddie Sillhoutte - Ranger
Squaddie Chapman - Grenadier
Squaddie Miller - Sniper
Squaddie Kosc - Templar

This is a Guerrilla Op to counter the ADVENT card that removes all weaknesses from the Chosen. I like Chosen weaknesses (see the 11 damage grenade in mission 6). The team is a bit weak, but, Templar are OP. And it’s back to the Ruined Subway. I have some bonus ability running on this mission where I can see all the enemies. Convenient. And it’s our first ADVENT Mec. Damn I hate these guys. The Mec and a Sectoid is the first pod. The team gets into position and Chapman opens it up with a grenade. Lufkin hits the Mec for 6, bringing it down to 2 HP, and Kosc moves in to finish it from melee. Sillhoutte flanks the Sectoid and shotguns it down.

Second pod is a Priest with two Stun Lancers. Chapman moves up and accidentally activates them, while the rest of the team is in a poor position to help. Lufkin takes a shot at the Priest, but misses. Kosc melees the Priest while Sillhoutte is able to shotgun him down from a distance. Chapman goes into overwatch and hopes for the best. One Stun Lancer goes for Miller and Chapman is unable to hit it. It hits Miller for 4 dam, reducing him to 1 HP and stunning him. The other goes for Kosc and crits him for 4 dam, leaving him with 2 HP. Kosc returns the favor, hitting the Stun Lancer for 6, and Sillhoutte moves in for the kill. The one that wounded Miller has good cover, and Miller, recovering from stun, is unable to move far. The Stun Lancer could easily run up to him and finish him off. Lufkin and Chapman go into overwatch.

And here it comes! Lufkin hits it from overwatch, but Chapman misses. Fortunately, the Stun Lancer goes for Chapman and misses with its melee attack. Miller whispers, “dodge this,” and drops it with his pistol execution-style. Lufkin reloads and heals Miller to full.

The third pod is a Sectoid, Purifier, and a Trooper. Again, the pod agros from an extended range I did not think possible, but this time we’re better prepared. Lufkin drops the Purifier from extreme range. Kosc Volts the Trooper, but is unable to drop it. The Sectoid tries to mind control Miller and he resists, but remains disoriented. Chapman grenades and kills the wounded Trooper. Miller takes a shot at the Sectoid and misses. Sillhoutte runs up and slices the Sectoid, but despite its weakness to melee attacks, it does not die. Sillhoutte is now exposed, but Lufkin manages to flank the Sectoid and finish it off.

The team plants the C4 and it’s another Victory!


Kosc - Chapman - Lufkin - Sillhoutte - Miller

Kosc is promoted to Corporal, Sillhoutte to Corporal, and Miller to Corporal.

Awe yeah promoted!

8 - OH SHIT
Rescue XCOM Operatives on Covert Op

Team Members -
PALINROX
MOONSHOT

It’s the Lost, and they’re coming for Chick and Truculent. And here come ADVENT, too. Oh nice, and despite being nowhere near the flare, they spawned on top of us. A Trooper and an Officer. Then another pod aggro’d - a lone Trooper? PALINROX grabs some cover and drops the first Trooper. MOONSHOT moves to melee the Officer, but he’ll be exposed… He slices the Officer to pieces, but the other Trooper takes advantage and CRITS him for 4 dam, leaving him with 3 HP. PALINROX runs up next to the trooper, buries his chaingun in the Trooper’s gut and doesn’t let off the trigger until there’s nothing left but viscera.

The duo move up and a Lost pod spawns. MOONSHOT drops one on overwatch, leaving four. PALINROX moves up and fires and misses his first and only shot of the turn. It’s up the MOONSHOT to clear the remaining lost. Fortunately he has an ammo mod in his gun, so he’s got the bullets… but does he have the skill ? He drops the first easily, lines up the shot on the second, a trivial 93% chance to hit… and misses. The remaining three Lost swarm him from a short distance away and I mentally prepare funeral rites, but, amazingly, they do not attack. PALINROX shows him how it’s done and cleans up the remaining Lost.

The evac point is in sight, but two Troopers guard it. One goes into overwatch, but poses no threat to MOONSHOT with Shadowstep. MOONSHOT moves close and shotguns him from behind his Full Cover. PALINROX moves up and goes into overwatch and drops the remaining Trooper as he runs closer. We’re clear to evac! Victory!


MOONSHOT - PALINROX

Really loving the way you write this. Kudos.

PALINROX snicker