XCOM 2
XCOM 2

Alien Factions & Enemies

Analyze ADVENT Coalition forces and hidden Elders in XCOM 2. Learn engage strategies and counter weaknesses for facing alien units.

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Alien Factions & Enemies

Welcome, Commander. The ADVENT Coalition, backed by the insidious Elders, presents a formidable and ever-evolving threat. Understanding their forces is paramount to XCOM's success. This section will detail the various alien and ADVENT units you'll encounter, offering strategies for engagement and highlighting their unique abilities.

ADVENT Coalition Forces

These are the primary ground troops of the alien occupation, often encountered in large numbers. While individually less threatening than pure alien units, their combined arms and specializations can quickly overwhelm an unprepared squad.

ADVENT Trooper

  • Description: The most common enemy, equipped with standard ballistic weapons. They are the backbone of ADVENT's ground forces.
  • Threat Level: Low (Early Game), Moderate (Late Game in groups).
  • Strategy:
    • Focus fire to eliminate them quickly, especially if they are flanking your soldiers.
    • Utilize Grenadiers with Shredder and Demolition to remove their cover and expose them for easy kills.
    • Rangers with Run and Gun can close the distance and dispatch them with a shotgun blast.
    • In later stages, their armored variants require armor-piercing rounds or explosives to deal significant damage.

ADVENT Officer

  • Description: Distinguished by their red armor, Officers command other ADVENT units and possess tactical abilities.
  • Threat Level: Moderate.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Mark Target: Increases the aim and critical chance of nearby ADVENT units against a chosen XCOM soldier.
    • Command: Grants an extra action to a nearby ADVENT unit.
  • Strategy:
    • Prioritize them! An Officer can turn a routine engagement into a disaster by buffing their troops.
    • Use Sharpshooters from long range to take them out before they can activate their abilities.
    • Specialists can use Combat Protocol to deal guaranteed damage, often enough to finish off a wounded Officer.
    • Be wary of their Mark Target ability; move the marked soldier to full cover or use Smoke Grenades to reduce incoming damage.

ADVENT Shieldbearer

  • Description: Heavily armored units that can project a protective energy shield around themselves and nearby allies.
  • Threat Level: High.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Energy Shield: Grants 2 points of ablative armor to all units within a small radius.
  • Strategy:
    • Eliminate them immediately! Their shield can turn even weak ADVENT Troopers into resilient threats.
    • Grenadiers are invaluable here. A well-placed Plasma Grenade or Acid Bomb can destroy the Shieldbearer and strip the shields from any affected units.
    • Rangers with Bladestorm can be effective if they can get into melee range, as melee attacks ignore armor.
    • Focus fire with high-damage weapons like Plasma Rifles or Magnetic Cannons to punch through their armor.

Alien Forces

These are the true horrors of the ADVENT occupation, often possessing unique biological or psionic abilities that demand specific countermeasures.

Sectoid

  • Description: The classic grey alien, now enhanced with psionic abilities. They are frail but dangerous if left unchecked.
  • Threat Level: Moderate to High.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Mindspin: Can disorient, panic, or mind control an XCOM soldier.
    • Psi Reanimate: Revives a fallen organic enemy as a Zombie.
  • Strategy:
    • First priority target! Their psionic abilities can cripple your squad's actions.
    • Use Flashbang Grenades to disorient them, preventing them from using their psionic abilities for a turn. This is a crucial early-game tactic.
    • Focus fire to take them down quickly. They have low health.
    • If a soldier is mind-controlled, killing the Sectoid immediately breaks the control.
    • Be aware of their Psi Reanimate ability; try to finish off other organic enemies to prevent them from becoming Zombies.

Viper

  • Description: Serpent-like aliens capable of long-range attacks and incapacitating XCOM soldiers.
  • Threat Level: Moderate to High.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Tongue Pull: Drags an XCOM soldier out of cover and binds them, dealing damage over time and preventing actions.
    • Poison Spit: Deals damage and poisons an XCOM soldier, causing damage and aim reduction.
  • Strategy:
    • Keep your distance or eliminate quickly. Their Tongue Pull can isolate and disable a key soldier.
    • If a soldier is bound, focus fire on the Viper to free them. Specialists with Combat Protocol are excellent for this, as it's guaranteed damage.
    • Medkits can cure poison, but it's better to prevent it.
    • Utilize Mimic Beacons to draw their attention and waste their turns.
    • Rangers with Phantom can scout ahead and ambush Vipers before they can use their abilities.

Muton

  • Description: Large, heavily armored alien brutes with powerful ballistic weapons and a penchant for melee.
  • Threat Level: High.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Bayonet Charge: A powerful melee attack that can disorient.
    • Counterattack: If attacked in melee, they will counterattack.
    • Grenade: Can throw plasma grenades to destroy cover.
  • Strategy:
    • Do not engage in melee unless absolutely necessary. Their Counterattack can be devastating.
    • Use Grenadiers to shred their armor and then follow up with high-damage attacks.
    • Flashbang Grenades can disorient them, preventing their melee charge and reducing their aim.
    • Focus fire with your strongest weapons. Plasma Lances and Beam Cannons are ideal.
    • Be aware of their grenades; they will often destroy your soldiers' cover. Position your squad to avoid being caught in the open.

Andromedon

  • Description: A two-stage threat. First, a heavily armored mech suit, then a squishy alien pilot.
  • Threat Level: Very High.
  • Key Abilities (Mech Suit):
    • Acid Bomb: Throws a grenade that creates a pool of acid, shredding armor and dealing damage over time.
    • Punch: Powerful melee attack.
  • Key Abilities (Pilot):
    • Acid Blob: Spits acid.
  • Strategy:
    • This is a priority target. Their armor and acid attacks can decimate your squad.
    • Stage 1 (Mech Suit):
      • Use Grenadiers with Shredder and Plasma Grenades or Acid Bombs to strip its considerable armor.
      • Focus all available fire on the suit. Bluescreen Rounds are incredibly effective against the mech suit, dealing bonus damage.
      • Avoid bunching up to prevent multiple soldiers from being hit by the Acid Bomb.
    • Stage 2 (Pilot):
      • Once the suit is destroyed, the pilot emerges with significantly less health but still capable of attacking.
      • Finish off the pilot quickly. It's vulnerable to all damage types.
      • A single Ranger shotgun blast or a Specialist's Combat Protocol can often finish it.

Gatekeeper

  • Description: A terrifying psionic orb that can reanimate multiple corpses and unleash devastating energy attacks.
  • Threat Level: Extremely High.
  • Key Abilities:
    • Gateway: Creates a psionic rift that deals massive damage in an area.
    • Consume: Drains health from an XCOM soldier.
    • Psi Reanimate: Reanimates multiple organic corpses into powerful Zombies.
  • Strategy:
    • The highest priority target on the field. A single Gatekeeper can wipe your squad if not dealt with immediately.
    • Focus all available firepower. Bluescreen Rounds are highly effective against them, as they are considered mechanical.
    • Utilize Psi Operatives with Null Lance or Void Rift for massive damage.
    • Sharpshooters with Serial or Fan Fire can deal immense damage.
    • If it uses Psi Reanimate, prioritize killing the Gatekeeper first, as the Zombies will disappear once it's dead.
    • Keep your soldiers spread out to avoid the devastating area-of-effect of Gateway.
    • Mimic Beacons can buy you a crucial turn or two by drawing its attacks.