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
Nice work! (Now you see why I never wear hats.)
Can my guy have long hair, a handlebar mustache, and a cigarette. It would look more like Zappa. And yes, I understand the possible death issue. :)
Urge to reinstall rising…
No kidding!
I get it. I played the everloving fuck out of this game. I thought I was over it like other games that I spent so very much time in. Let’s say, over 600 hours. But I’m feeling it. A lot.
It’s like hearing a play by play from a sports caster, I love this style. Keep it up, great thread!
Alas, Miller killed the Warlock only to watch his best friend die. I bet he went to the Avenger bar. We need more bar pictures!
9 - OPERATION SPECTRAL CORPSE
Second Retaliation Mission
Team Members -
Sergeant EASYTARGET - Specialist
Squaddie Chapman - Grenadier
Squaddie Guapo - Specialist
Sergeant PALINROX - Grenadier
Rookie Theman
General fatigue around the XCOM forces means it’s time to spread the love, and anyone not fatigued or injured is on a Covert Op. Hopefully I don’t regret it. Our second retaliation mission, so we’re likely to see some Chryssalids. WCGW? And holy shit, the map is an old captured UFO? Nearly 400 hours and I don’t think I’ve seen this before.
First pod is a Muton and an ADVENT Trooper. Dan Theman gets a hit on it while in overwatch, but it’s a friggin’ Muton so it doesn’t care. EASYTARGET flanks the Muton and takes it out. She triggers her free action from the hair trigger on her gun and drops the Trooper as well. TWOFER!
PALINROX moves up to free a group of resistance, but instead triggers another pod with a Muton and a Stun Lancer. He’s flanked and it’s bad. Fortunately both the Muton and the Stun Lancer chose to take out resistance members instead of XCOM. El Guapo takes out the Stun Lancer. PALINROX shoots a grenade at the Muton to remove its Full Cover, but it has a height advantage on top of the UFO. Dan Theman and Chapman are unable to hit it despite it just standing like an idiot there without any cover. The Muton shoots another resistance member instead of running up to an XCOM Operative and meleeing them to death, as they’re prone to do. Chapman and El Guapo finish off the Muton, but there are no resistance left in this group to thank them.
The team moves toward a group of resistance fighting a pod and triggers a Faceless and another pod with two Stun Lancers. El Guapo takes out one of the Stun Lancers. PALINROX falls back a bit and fires at the giant, un-missable Faceless and… misses. Dan Theman CRITS it for 9, but it still has 1 HP. EASYTARGET is able to finish it off.
Another pod with a wounded Stun Lancer and a Trooper aggros, but Chapman, in overwatch, takes out the Stun Lancer before he can even jump down from the cliff he was hanging out on. PALINROX flanks and takes out the Trooper.
PALINROX advances to flank and take out one of the earlier Stun Lancers, and aggros the final(?) pod, a lone Trooper, his friends having been successfully killed by the resistance. Dan Theman flanks the final Trooper but is unable to hit him. PALINROX could show the kids how it’s done… if only he didn’t need to reload. Chapman fires a grenade at the Trooper, but it doesn’t finish it. El Guapo moves in for her fourth kill of the mission and drops him. Perfect victory, no casualties. Thanks resistance fodder!
Dan Theman - El Guapo - EASYTARGET - Chapman - PALINROX
Dan Theman is promoted to Squaddie - Ranger, Chapman is promoted to Corporal, and El Guapo is promoted to Corporal.