XCOM 2
XCOM 2

Classes & Abilities

Command your XCOM 2 soldiers effectively. Understand each class's unique abilities, recommend paths, and crucial gear to turn the tide against ADVENT forces.

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Classes & Abilities

Welcome, Commander, to the backbone of your resistance: your soldiers. Understanding and effectively using each class and their unique abilities is paramount to turning the tide against ADVENT. This section will delve deep into each of the five core classes, offering actionable strategies, recommended ability paths, and crucial gear considerations to maximize their impact on the battlefield.

Ranger

The Ranger is your frontline scout and close-quarters combat specialist. Their primary weapon is the Assault Rifle, but their true power lies in their Shotgun and Melee capabilities. They excel at flanking, clearing out entrenched enemies, and providing crucial vision.

  • Primary Role: Flanker, Scout, Close-Quarters Combatant.
  • Weapons: Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Melee Weapon (Sword/Axe).
  • Recommended Ability Path:
    • Squaddie: Phantom. This ability is non-negotiable. It allows your Ranger to remain concealed even after the rest of your squad breaks concealment, making them an invaluable scout for identifying enemy pods and setting up ambushes.
    • Corporal: Bladestorm. A powerful reactive ability that allows your Ranger to automatically attack any enemy that moves within melee range. Excellent for controlling chokepoints and punishing aggressive ADVENT units.
    • Sergeant: Run and Gun. Grants an extra action point after moving, allowing for aggressive plays like moving into flanking position and still firing a shotgun, or moving to melee and still having an action.
    • Lieutenant: Untouchable. After scoring a kill on your turn, the next attack against your Ranger will miss. This makes them incredibly resilient when pushing deep into enemy lines.
    • Captain: Rapid Fire. Fire twice at a target with a penalty to aim. Devastating with a high-damage shotgun at close range.
    • Major: Implacable. If you score a kill on your turn, you get a free move action. Combine this with Untouchable for incredible survivability and aggressive repositioning.
    • Colonel: Reaper. A powerful melee ability. If your Ranger kills an enemy with a melee attack, they get a free melee action. This can chain into multiple kills, making them a true whirlwind of destruction.
  • Gear Considerations:
    • Armor: Prioritize mobility and defense. Plated Vest early, then Warden Armor.
    • Utility Items: Flashbangs for crowd control, Battle Scanners for revealing hidden enemies, or Superior Scope for improved shotgun accuracy.
    • PCS: Perception for improved hit chance, or Agility for dodge.
  • Strategy: Always try to keep your Phantom Ranger ahead of the squad to spot enemy pods. Once combat initiates, use their mobility and Shotgun/Melee to flank and eliminate high-priority targets.

Grenadier

The Grenadier is your demolition expert, specializing in area-of-effect damage and environmental destruction. Their heavy weapons are excellent for shredding armor and clearing out groups of enemies.

  • Primary Role: Area Damage, Armor Shredding, Environmental Destruction.
  • Weapons: Cannon, Grenades (Frag, Incendiary, Acid).
  • Recommended Ability Path:
    • Squaddie: Blast Padding. Provides 1 point of armor and reduces explosive damage taken. Useful for a unit that will be in the thick of explosions.
    • Corporal: Shredder. Your cannon attacks shred 1 point of armor from the target. Essential for dealing with armored ADVENT units like Sectopods and Gatekeepers.
    • Sergeant: Heavy Ordnance. Grants an additional grenade slot. This is a game-changer, allowing for double the explosive fun.
    • Lieutenant: Volatile Mix. Increases the radius and damage of all grenades. Makes your Grenadier even more effective at clearing out groups.
    • Captain: Salvo. Firing a grenade or heavy weapon does not end your turn. This allows for powerful combos like throwing a grenade and then firing your cannon.
    • Major: Saturation Fire. Fire a cone of bullets, hitting all enemies within the cone. Excellent for clearing out multiple low-health targets or shredding armor on a group.
    • Colonel: Rupture. Fire a powerful shot that deals bonus damage and makes the target take additional damage from all subsequent attacks. Perfect for focusing down high-health enemies.
  • Gear Considerations:
    • Armor: Plated Vest, then Warden Armor.
    • Utility Items: Always carry multiple grenades. Frag Grenades are standard, but consider Incendiary Grenades for area denial and Acid Grenades for massive armor shred.
    • PCS: Perception for improved hit chance, or Conditioning for health.
  • Strategy: Use your Grenadier to open engagements by destroying cover and shredding armor. They are excellent for softening up enemy pods before your other units move in for the kill.

Specialist

The Specialist is your support and hacking expert. They can heal allies, hack enemy robots and objectives, and provide critical overwatch support.

  • Primary Role: Support, Hacking, Overwatch.
  • Weapons: Assault Rifle, Gremlin.
  • Recommended Ability Path:
    • Squaddie: Aid Protocol. Send your Gremlin to an ally, granting them defense and immunity to critical hits. Essential for protecting vulnerable units.
    • Corporal: Combat Protocol. Send your Gremlin to an enemy, dealing guaranteed damage and bypassing armor. Excellent for finishing off low-health targets or destroying turrets.
    • Sergeant: Field Medic. Grants two additional charges of Medical Protocol. Crucial for keeping your squad healthy.
    • Lieutenant: Revival Protocol. Your Gremlin can revive unconscious allies and remove negative status effects. A lifesaver on difficult missions.
    • Captain: Threat Assessment. Aid Protocol now grants an additional reaction shot to the target. Great for setting up overwatch traps.
    • Major: Guardian. Each successful overwatch shot has a chance to grant an additional overwatch shot. Can lead to devastating overwatch chains.
    • Colonel: Restoration. Your Gremlin heals all allies within a radius for a significant amount. A powerful emergency heal for the entire squad.
  • Gear Considerations:
    • Armor: Plated Vest, then Warden Armor.
    • Utility Items: Medkits are a must. Consider Skulljack/Skullmine for additional hacking attempts and intel.
    • PCS: Hacking for improved hacking success, or Will for resistance to mental attacks.
  • Strategy: Keep your Specialist in a central position to provide support to the entire squad. Use Aid Protocol to protect key units and Combat Protocol to finish off weakened enemies. Prioritize hacking objectives when possible.

Sharpshooter

The Sharpshooter is your long-range damage dealer, capable of eliminating targets from across the map. They can specialize in either precision rifle shots or pistol-based combat.

  • Primary Role: Long-Range Damage, High-Value Target Elimination.
  • Weapons: Sniper Rifle, Pistol.
  • Recommended Ability Path (Sniper Focus):
    • Squaddie: Long Watch. Your overwatch shots can now target enemies outside of your normal sight range, as long as an ally can see them.
    • Corporal: Deadeye. Take a shot with a penalty to aim but a bonus to critical chance. Useful for high-health targets.
    • Sergeant: Lightning Reflexes. The first reaction shot against your Sharpshooter in a turn will always miss. Great for aggressive positioning.
    • Lieutenant: Kill Zone. Fire a cone of overwatch shots at any enemy that moves within it. Devastating for controlling enemy movement.
    • Captain: Steady Hands. If you don't move on your turn, gain a bonus to aim and critical chance. Encourages stationary, precise shots.
    • Major: Serial. If you kill an enemy with your sniper rifle, you get a free action. Can chain into multiple kills if targets are weakened.
    • Colonel: In The Zone. If you kill an enemy with your sniper rifle, you get a free action. This is a more potent version of Serial, allowing for even more aggressive plays.
  • Recommended Ability Path (Pistol Focus):
    • Squaddie: Return Fire. If an enemy attacks your Sharpshooter, they fire back with their pistol.
    • Corporal: Lightning Hands. Fire your pistol as a free action. Excellent for finishing off enemies or setting up subsequent shots.
    • Sergeant: Quickdraw. Firing your pistol does not end your turn. Allows for powerful pistol combos.
    • Lieutenant: Fan Fire. Fire your pistol three times at a single target. Devastating at close range.
    • Captain: Faceoff. Fire your pistol at every visible enemy within range. Great for clearing out groups of low-health enemies.
    • Major: Ammunition Scavenger. Killing an enemy with your pistol has a chance to refund a utility item charge.
    • Colonel: Gunfighter. Your pistol attacks gain a bonus to damage and critical chance.
  • Gear Considerations:
    • Armor: Plated Vest, then Warden Armor.
    • Utility Items: Superior Scope for snipers, Hair Trigger for pistols, or Tracer Rounds for improved accuracy.
    • PCS: Perception for improved hit chance, or Focus for critical chance.
  • Strategy: Position your Sharpshooter on high ground with clear lines of sight. For sniper builds, prioritize high-value targets. For pistol builds, use their mobility to flank and deal consistent damage.

Psi Operative (Requires Psi Lab)

The Psi Operative is a unique class, trained in the Psi Lab, that uses powerful mental abilities to control enemies, deal damage, and support allies. They are incredibly versatile and can turn the tide of any battle.

  • Primary Role: Mind Control, Area Damage, Support, Debuffs.
  • Weapons: Assault Rifle, Psi Amp.
  • Training: Psi Operatives do not gain abilities through rank progression. Instead, they train in the Psi Lab, choosing abilities from a randomized pool. You can train multiple abilities at each tier, making them highly customizable.
  • Key Abilities (Prioritize these during training):
    • Offensive:
      • Soulfire: Deals guaranteed damage to a single target, bypassing armor and cover. Excellent for finishing off enemies.
      • Insanity: Inflicts a random negative mental effect on an enemy (disoriented, panicked, mind controlled).
      • Null Lance: A powerful linear area-of-effect attack that deals massive damage.
      • Void Rift: A large area-of-effect attack that deals damage and can cause panic.
    • Defensive/Support:
      • Stasis: Puts an enemy in stasis for one turn, making them immune to all damage and effects. Perfect for taking dangerous enemies out of the fight temporarily.
      • Sustain: If the Psi Operative takes lethal damage, they remain at 1 HP and become immune to further damage for one turn.
      • Inspire: Grants an additional action point to an ally.
      • Schism: Deals moderate damage and applies a debuff that makes the target take additional damage from all sources.
    • Mind Control:
      • Domination: Permanently mind control an organic enemy. This is the ultimate Psi ability, effectively turning a powerful enemy against ADVENT.
  • Gear Considerations:
    • Armor: Plated Vest, then Warden Armor.
    • Utility Items: Mindshield for immunity to mental attacks, or a Superior Scope for their Assault Rifle.
    • PCS: Will for improved Psi attack success and resistance to mental attacks.
  • Strategy: Psi Operatives are incredibly flexible. Use their abilities to control the battlefield, eliminate high-priority targets, and support your squad. Prioritize training Domination as soon as it becomes available.