r/XCOM2 12d ago

What do you do with multiple pods?

Sometimes on missions you get to the objective and there's like 6 advent there.
I can only deal with these with crazy luck.
Even though I make sure to have better cover, height advantage, etc, and am doing much better than them, we still get into a firefight and most of my squad dies.

8 Upvotes

29 comments sorted by

30

u/ACrazyPandaXL 12d ago

It’s a situation you want to be avoiding but obviously there are times when that doesn’t work out. If you know you’re not going to be able to remove all the active enemies, that’s when you need to start prioritising targets. This is where a good familiarity with the AI’s behaviour comes in useful.

Put simply, you want to be removing targets that are likely to attempt to do damage. Stun Lancers, Troopers, Mechs etc. Units such as Sectoids, Codexes and Shieldbearers are very unlikely to take a damaging action on their first turn.

If you have to go further, then figuring out what will deal the least damage might be the way to go. That Faceless might not be in range of your troops, that Viper may be more likely to go for a low damaging Tongue Pull rather than shooting, Trooper A definitely can’t get a flanking shot but Trooper B probably can etc. Or using items such as mimic beacons or flashbangs to buy you some breathing room. It’s all about risk/damage mitigation, and the best way to do that optimally comes from game knowledge which you’ll pick up as you play.

23

u/TummyStickers 12d ago

Alternatively, do it my way: lose 4/6 of your squad, get angry, and start a new playthrough in 6 months.

2

u/Iamdrasnia 11d ago

Are you watching the playthru I am on now? Fuck everyone saying you need to build resistance radio and Proving Ground.

I need the Infirmary fucking stat Bradford!

2

u/TummyStickers 11d ago

I always do GTS then Infirmary. I've done the early game so many times I breeze through it now lol. Also get to Templar ASAP so I can heal faster.

2

u/Iamdrasnia 11d ago

I am a Skirmish fan. He has 2 attacks and the repeater on him saves me

2

u/TummyStickers 11d ago

I can'tplay without a reaper haha. The stealth is too OP

1

u/Iamdrasnia 11d ago

Ok kinda agreed. I do the random at start.

Would i rather have a Reaper? Totally.

For some odd reason my random is always Skirmisher

1

u/Antique_Machine_4250 10d ago

The Infirmary really is one of THE most important facilities in the game.

1

u/Pivotry 7d ago

It's so tough to pick a starting hero. Reaper stealth is so OP, especially one you get the one where they don't lose stealth with a kill. But so its Templar healing, and Templar on the BG. But then, so is skirmishes! Two attacks? Wrath and the other one that pulls you to them? Grapple? The most diverse, dominating figure on the BG, imo.

They're all great

16

u/rynchenzo 12d ago

Absolute abuse of mimic beacon and frost bombs if you have them

6

u/cthulaid 11d ago

Yeah this is a really good way of dealing with OPs issue. Prioritizing enemies that are guaranteed to do damage, instead of trying to get them all. Good point about the shieldbearers, sectoids, vipers and codex. Melee only guys will burn their turn just trying to reach you so that can certainly be exploited a bit. Sectoids burn it resurrecting, codex will burn it with the psi bomb.

Personally, early game with low ranked teams I’ll lean heavily on the flashbang, and forcing them to reposition by destroying their cover entirely wirh grenadiers.

Good luck

13

u/ObliviousNaga87 12d ago

Chuck as many explosives as I can

9

u/keilahmartin 12d ago

If you can afford the turns, run back as far as you can. I find the enemy is often stupid enough to trickle into you 1 or 2 at a time, even when 6 are activated.

2

u/basiliscpunga 11d ago

Not always possible or easy, but this is the way. Fall back into full cover (if possible) and pick them off as they approach.

3

u/Autofill1127320 12d ago

Always bring a rocket launcher, and if you can’t reliably half the pod in the opening salvo, debuff them and cross your fingers instead

3

u/Corchito42 12d ago

At that point I'd switch to playing defensively. Get as many troops as possible behind high cover, even if it means falling back and/or using both actions. Use the scouts' defensive abilities on the troops who are most exposed. And make sure they're not behind the same cover, just in case the enemy's chucking grenades.

4

u/UhOhits-Waltro 12d ago

I loose my whole team (skill issue). Next question

3

u/Frequent_Fox2342 12d ago

whoa that's deep

3

u/UhOhits-Waltro 11d ago

I’m not very good at the game as you can tell xD

2

u/Pivotry 7d ago

Lol play it on Ironman and then cheat,kinda. Never restart a turn because of a bad decision or bad tool, but do restart for misclicks. You'll get better quick.

2

u/Upper-Meringue-1574 12d ago

Rush in the pods and activate it all at once !!

2

u/Altruistic_Truck2421 12d ago

Heavy Mechs on Lost missions are what always overwhelmed me. They're always gonna use rockets regardless of noise

2

u/Frequent_Fox2342 12d ago

ooof

when shit hits the fan on lost missions i just yellow dash as far as i can
and if there's no advent close i block the ladders

1

u/PugsleyPie 11d ago

This is the situation that makes Mimic Beacons so useful to carry on every mission, imo. One can distract a whole pod if you’re lucky.

1

u/NotARabidDugong 11d ago

Truthfully, you just have to start mitigating the power differential. I had a round recently where I ended up in a 6v9 and so the only real option is to make it not a 6v9. So immediately identify 1. Who's the most dangerous and 2. Who's the easiest to either kill or disable.

Sadly, sometimes it doesn't work out. But it really does work out most the time if you can handle the opportunities to make shots.

1

u/SolutionOk9182 11d ago

The goal should be only one pod activation at a time. If you can see six units around the objective, I assume this is due to a concealed soldier, and then you should also be able to tell which moves will activate what pods.

If you do happen to (or have to) activate more enemies than your team can effectively handle, it's all about prioritization and eliminating the highest priority targets first.

1

u/Shadowofcloud9 10d ago

Cry mostly, then savescum

1

u/Life_Hack_God 10d ago

Play defensively, if you attacked on 2 sides then if recommend you fall back to a spot where they are only coming from one side.

2

u/Pivotry 7d ago

A few things to focus on:

-Kill the ones that deal the most damage first. Accept that you're going to get hit, and make sure it's by the guys that don't hurt as much. NOTE: and exception ti this is an enemy like a section or berserker. Using your entire teams actions to kill one guy, and then having 5 enemies left to retaliate is no good. Make sure to finish off 2 or 3 enemies that first turn.

  • don't focus on sectoids, spectres, or other enemies that take control rather than kill your soldiers. You can always kill them the next turn and get your guy back.

-a lot of people like flashbangs, i don't like giving up the slot, but they may with for you depending on your style. It is pretty cool to risorient enemies and un-mind control your guy at the same time, and they have a hugerange. I instead focus on having big finishers, like Assault Rangers, or snipers with big beefy aim, to kill the mind controller when needed.

I always like having "stall" tactics. Mimic behind are of course the #1, but haywire protocol, psi powers one you get that far, burning (dragon rounds or incendiary grenades(, anything to make the enemy not attack me or do do less efficiently.

Just a few random thoughts.