XCOM 2
XCOM 2

Research Tree & Priorities

Master the XCOM 2 research tree and prioritize wisely. This guide provides actionable steps and strategic considerations for choosing the right technologies to.

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Research Tree & Priorities

Understanding and effectively managing your research tree is paramount to success in XCOM 2. The right research choices can give you a critical edge against ADVENT and their alien overlords, while poor prioritization can quickly lead to your downfall. This section will guide you through key research paths, offering actionable steps and strategic considerations.

Early Game Research: Establishing a Foothold

Your initial research choices are crucial for setting the pace of your campaign. Focus on technologies that enhance your squad's survivability and offensive capabilities against early ADVENT threats.

  • Modular Weapons: This is often your very first research. It unlocks weapon upgrades like scopes, expanded magazines, and laser sights, significantly boosting your squad's accuracy and damage output. Prioritize building a Proving Ground soon after to start manufacturing these upgrades.
  • Alien Biotech: Following Modular Weapons, this research is vital. It allows you to produce Medkits and Battle Scanners, both essential for keeping your soldiers alive and scouting ahead.
  • Resistance Comms: This is a critical infrastructure research. It allows you to build a Resistance Comms facility, which is necessary to contact new regions on the Geoscape. Expanding your reach is key to increasing your income and finding new mission opportunities.
  • ADVENT Officer Autopsy: Performing autopsies on alien units provides valuable insight and unlocks new technologies. The ADVENT Officer Autopsy is particularly important as it often leads to Plated Armor research, a significant defensive upgrade for your soldiers.
  • Plated Armor: Once unlocked, prioritize this research. Upgrading from basic Kevlar to Plated Armor dramatically increases your soldiers' HP and provides an extra utility slot, making them much more resilient in combat.

Mid-Game Research: Escalating the Fight

As ADVENT's forces grow stronger, your research must keep pace. Focus on unlocking advanced weaponry, armor, and crucial facilities.

Weapon Tiers:

The progression of weapon tiers is straightforward but essential. Each tier offers a substantial damage increase. Prioritize these as soon as you have the necessary alien alloys and Elerium crystals.

  • Magnetic Weapons: This is your first major weapon upgrade. It significantly boosts your damage output and is a game-changer against more heavily armored ADVENT units. Researching this often requires an ADVENT Trooper Autopsy or similar early alien autopsy.
  • Gauss Weapons (War of the Chosen DLC): If playing with the War of the Chosen DLC, Gauss Weapons become available after Magnetic Weapons and offer another significant power spike.
  • Plasma Weapons: The ultimate weapon tier. Plasma weapons deal immense damage and are crucial for tackling late-game threats like Sectopods and Gatekeepers. This research typically requires an Andromedon Autopsy or Gatekeeper Autopsy.

Armor & Utility:

Beyond Plated Armor, several other armor and utility researches are vital for mid-game survival.

  • Powered Armor: This advanced armor tier provides even more HP, an additional utility slot, and often special abilities depending on the suit type (e.g., WAR Suits for heavy weapons, Warden Armor for mobility). This usually requires an ADVENT MEC Autopsy or Muton Autopsy.
  • Advanced Grenades: Unlocks more powerful explosive options like Plasma Grenades and Incendiary Grenades, which are excellent for area denial and shredding armor.
  • Specialized Ammunition: Researching items like AP Rounds (armor piercing) and Tracer Rounds (accuracy boost) can be incredibly effective against specific enemy types.

Facilities & Strategic Research:

Mid-game is also when you should be building out your Avenger's capabilities.

  • Advanced Warfare Center (AWC): This facility is a high priority. It allows soldiers to gain bonus perks from other classes, significantly increasing their versatility and power.
  • Shadow Chamber: Essential for progressing the main story. This facility allows you to analyze alien artifacts and uncover ADVENT's plans, leading to critical story missions.
  • Psionics: If you plan on utilizing Psionic soldiers, researching Psionics early in the mid-game is crucial. This unlocks the Psi Lab and allows you to train powerful Psionic operatives.

Late Game Research: Finishing the Fight

Your late-game research should focus on maximizing your damage, survivability, and completing the Avatar Project objectives.

  • Plasma Weapons: As mentioned, this is paramount for dealing with the toughest alien threats.
  • Powered Armor variants: Researching specific powered armor types like WAR Suits (for Grenadiers and Specialists) and Warden Armor (for Rangers and Sharpshooters) will optimize your squad's capabilities.
  • Alien Rulers & Shen's Last Gift (DLC): If you have these DLCs, their respective research paths will unlock powerful new weapons, armor, and unique soldier classes (SPARKs). Prioritize these if you intend to use them.
  • Avatar Project Countermeasures: Research related to the Avatar Project, often unlocked through Shadow Chamber analysis, is critical for reducing the Avatar Project timer and ultimately winning the game. These are often unique to your specific playthrough but will be clearly marked as such.
  • Advanced Power Coils: If you find yourself running low on power, researching and building Power Coils in excavated squares can provide a significant boost.

General Research Strategies:

  • Prioritize Autopsies: Always perform autopsies on new alien units as soon as possible. They often unlock crucial weapon, armor, or utility upgrades.
  • Engineer & Scientist Management: Assign your Engineers to facilities that require them for construction or maintenance. Scientists should always be assigned to the research lab to speed up your progress. Consider building a Workshop early to get more Engineers.
  • Scan for Intel & Resources: On the Geoscape, prioritize scanning for Intel, Supplies, and Engineers/Scientists. These resources directly impact your research and construction speed.
  • Adapt to the Threat: Pay attention to the types of enemies you are encountering most frequently. If you're seeing a lot of armored units, prioritize armor-shredding technologies. If you're struggling with accuracy, focus on weapon upgrades.
  • Don't Neglect Proving Ground Projects: The Proving Ground offers unique and powerful items like Shredder Guns, Bluescreen Rounds, and Skulljacks. Integrate these projects into your research flow.