meeper
1842
Agreed! I kept my primary sniper loaded with AP rounds right up until the end.
RichVR
1843
As well I always pick armor shredder for my heavy. It’s very useful in the late game when Advent troops might get extra armor. And against mechs and turrets.
RichVR
1844
Recently researched AP rounds. One sniper with Dragon and one with AP. Fun was had.
I’m suffering from ammo jealousy now. I’m going to get on some research and see if I can get some AP, shredder, and dragon to see how effective they are. So far all I’ve used is bluescreen and tracer (the latter are nice with a sniper giving them another 10pts on aim).
Question to any who has used the EMP grenade, I tried one yesterday on a mission, and while it did a decent amount of damage to the mec, I don’t believe it immobilized it or turned it off, I could be wrong and thought I’d ask. My impression of what an EMP device should do is it should render mechanical devices inoperable for like a turn or two, if instead they just do damage I’ll plan accordingly.
Going by the name, I’m guessing Dragon rounds set enemies on fire?
RichVR
1847
Yep. As for the EMP grenade, I’ve never gotten one.
I’m late to the show, just got the game. Had a run through on Veteran with saves and autosaves about half-way through the story, just to get back into the XCOM swing and get a feel for the new game - more or less randomly choosing things just to see what they do.
Then, feeling Veteran to be a tad easy, I decided to settle down to a “proper” game on Ironman Legendary.
My God it’s hard. Legendary is just too difficult for me. I could cope with Impossible in EU/EW/LW, but Legendary in this game is just too hard for me as a player new to the behaviour of the new units. e.g. I don’t have an intuitive sense of prioritization of targets yet (e.g. Stun Lancers are absolutely horrible early on in the game).
Going to step back to Commander-level Ironman and see how I do.
Loving the game to bits. Keep losing sleep. Must … use … matchsticks.
The board game hasn’t changed all that much, but the strategic layer and base building are VERY much improved, really excellently well done now, all one seamless flow.
RichVR
1849
Welcome to the club, gurugeorge. Never to late too cultivate a new addiction. :)
I’ve used it twice,* once on a Sectopod and once on a MEC. It shut them both down, but two turns for the Sectopod and one for the MEC. I had assumed this was static and that the larger they are, the more extensive the effect. Based on your experience, though, I wonder if the shut down duration is random?
*I’ve actually used it more times than that, but I keep wasting them on the Andromedon and Archon because I keep forgetting that they aren’t considered “robotic.” Which I find really dumb. There should at least be a reduced effect. Maybe the Andromedon auto mode becomes inoperable or delayed. Maybe the Archon gets a mobility hit or can’t use Blazing Pinions. Or something! One is mechanized armor and the other is a cyborg, for cryin’ out loud!
I agree that it should affect the Archon somehow.
As to those who think that Veteran is too easy–you guys are nuts.
The second phase of the Andromedon is “robotic”. I used blue screen rounds and EMP grenades extensively in my legend run. BS rounds and AP rounds almost exclusively. It just so happens that the most difficult enemies in the game are affected by the anti-mech gear and, by the end of the campaign, almost everything has armor.
Miramon
1853
Veteran with savescumming is indeed way too easy because by ensuring you win all missions you make the strategic game almost pointless. But I think that with ironman or with only the occasional rage-loading (as it were) it’s a reasonable game for casual players who don’t want to carefully analyze and plan all their moves.
RichVR
1854
In my last two games I’ve lost Milla Jovovich, Sylvester Stalone, three of my ex-girlfriends and me. I can savescum. But I usually don’t. And now that I have Dragon, AP and Tracer ammo. As well as acid, gas and incendiary grenades, things are a bit easier. Of course, you know what I hate? When Central or someone says, “Boy, you’re kicking ass now. You make it look so easy. The aliens are really afraid of you.”
Do NOT jinx me like that you fucking civilians!
Edit: It seems that a combo of acid and incendiary grenades will kill a group of three of almost anything. Acid grenades shred armor! Woot!
At least I can say I’m less “casual” then 2/3’s of the people who have played it and failed to complete the campaign.
Yes, but in terms of bears who care, where would you rate yourself?
I used it on a sectapod after that post and got the desired shut down, and agree on the fact it should have some effect on the others, I’ve wasted it a couple times on aliens that in my view look pretty robotic to me as well. Live and learn.
I finally got AP rounds, love those. I never go on missions now w/o bluescreen and AP on my two snipers. And the blaster launcher is handy, I’m now trying to get a hold of shredstorm canon so I can see what that’ll do.
So all bluescreen rounds do is make the target easier to hack, correct? And that’s only any good if your specialist has Haywire, or can he/she hack a robotic enemy with mere LoS?
No. Bluescreen rounds also do significantly more damage to robotic enemies. This includes the 2 fiercest enemies in the game.
In fact, the reduction in hack defense is not that substantial.
Unless you’ve got some great hackers. Then, in my experience, a bluescreen hacking reduction can mean the difference between getting the first tier or second tier reward.
KiloOhm
1861
Bluescreen rounds on a pistol spec Sharpshooter is devastating. I had one in every squad where the shadow chamber showed robotic enemies.
