Resistance Ring (War of the Chosen DLC)

The Resistance Ring is a crucial new facility introduced in the War of the Chosen DLC, offering a dynamic way to manage your covert operations and gain significant advantages against ADVENT and the Chosen. Unlike traditional facilities, the Resistance Ring doesn't require construction; it's available from the start of the game and acts as your central hub for assigning soldiers to covert actions. Mastering its use is paramount for a successful campaign.

Understanding Covert Actions

Covert Actions are special missions that your soldiers undertake behind enemy lines, without direct player control. These operations yield various rewards, from recruiting new soldiers and gaining valuable resources to weakening the Chosen and disrupting ADVENT's plans. Each covert action has specific requirements, risks, and potential rewards.

Key Elements of a Covert Action:

Duration: How many days the mission will take. Your assigned soldiers will be unavailable for tactical missions during this time.
Required Soldiers: The number and sometimes the class of soldiers needed to undertake the mission.
Risk Level: Indicated by a percentage, this represents the chance of the mission going awry, potentially leading to injuries, capture, or even death for your operatives.
Rewards: What you gain upon successful completion. These can include:
- Soldiers: New recruits, often with unique abilities or high ranks. This is a primary source for recruiting Faction Heroes (Reapers, Skirmishers, Templars).
- Resources: Supplies, Intel, Alien Alloys, Elerium Cores, or even specific items like weapon upgrades.
- Resistance Contacts: Expanding your global reach.
- Chosen Weaknesses/Strengths: Discovering vulnerabilities or mitigating strengths of the active Chosen.
- ADVENT Progress Reduction: Slowing down the Avatar Project or reducing ADVENT's global influence.
Bonus Rewards: Some covert actions offer additional rewards if specific conditions are met, such as assigning a soldier with a particular trait or class.

Optimizing Your Covert Operations

Strategic deployment of your soldiers to covert actions is key. Consider the following when making your choices:

Soldier Selection:

Fatigue: Soldiers who have recently completed a tactical mission will be fatigued, making them less effective and increasing the risk of negative outcomes on covert actions. Prioritize well-rested soldiers.
Wounds: Wounded soldiers cannot be assigned to covert actions until they are fully healed.
Class Synergy: Some covert actions benefit from specific soldier classes. For instance, a Ranger might be ideal for a stealth-focused mission, while a Specialist could excel at data retrieval.
Covert Action Skills: Certain soldiers, especially Faction Heroes, can gain "Covert Action Skills" through the Training Center. These skills directly reduce the risk of covert actions or provide bonus rewards. For example, a Reaper with "Ghost Protocol" might significantly lower the risk of a stealth mission.
Bondmates: Assigning bonded soldiers to the same covert action can sometimes provide a small bonus or reduce risk, especially if their bond level is high.
Psi Operatives: While powerful on the battlefield, Psi Operatives are often excellent choices for covert actions due to their unique mental fortitude, which can sometimes reduce risk or prevent capture.

Prioritizing Covert Actions:

Chosen Hunting: Early in the game, prioritize covert actions that reveal Chosen weaknesses or reduce their influence. This makes subsequent Chosen Stronghold assaults significantly easier. Look for missions like "Investigate Chosen Activity" or "Gather Intel on the Assassin."
Faction Hero Recruitment: Actively pursue covert actions that promise to recruit new Faction Heroes (Reapers, Skirmishers, Templars). These units are incredibly powerful and provide unique tactical advantages. Missions like "Contact Resistance Faction" are crucial for this.
Avatar Project Countermeasures: If the Avatar Project is progressing rapidly, prioritize covert actions that reduce its progress. These are often labeled "Disrupt ADVENT Research" or "Sabotage Avatar Facility."
Resource Acquisition: If you're short on a specific resource (e.g., Elerium Cores for advanced weapon upgrades, Supplies for facility construction), look for covert actions that offer them as rewards.
Resistance Contacts: Expanding your resistance network through "Establish Resistance Contact" missions is vital for increasing your monthly income and accessing new regions.

Negative Outcomes and How to Mitigate Them

Despite your best efforts, covert actions can sometimes go wrong. Be prepared for:

Injuries: Soldiers may return wounded, requiring time in the infirmary.
Capture: Soldiers can be captured by ADVENT. You'll then need to undertake a rescue mission, often a "Jailbreak" covert action, to retrieve them. Prioritize these missions immediately.
Death: In rare, high-risk scenarios, soldiers can be killed during a covert action. This is usually a consequence of ignoring high-risk warnings.

To mitigate these risks, always strive to lower the risk percentage as much as possible by assigning high-ranking soldiers, those with relevant covert action skills, and avoiding fatigued operatives. The Training Center is invaluable for developing these specialized skills.

The Resistance Ring Interface

The Resistance Ring interface is straightforward. You'll see a list of available covert actions, their details, and slots to assign your soldiers. Drag and drop available soldiers into the slots. The risk percentage will update dynamically as you assign operatives. Once satisfied, confirm the assignment, and your soldiers will embark on their mission.

Regularly check the Resistance Ring for new covert actions, especially after completing tactical missions or advancing the main story. New opportunities arise frequently, and staying on top of them is key to a thriving resistance.