5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW, BEFORE PLAYING XCOM2 PART 2 (ft. TapCat)

[@SykenPlays]

Part 1 of the video can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hImxmmCgqq97rLs

[@TapCat]

Wow, the production values you put into this puts my video to shame! Just to clarify, at 3:21 I neglected to mention that I was talking about using a flashbang to kick off a concealed ambush. A couple of times, I've essentially been forced to break concealment against 3 pods and instead of using a regular grenade, I used a flashbang to slow down the numerous survivors that there would clearly be. In my effort to keep a long story short, I left out a key piece of info!

[@SykenPlays]

Good catch on the clarification. I will pin it as a comment for the viewers.

[@vegeta002]

I do the "concealed flashbang" whenever I find a Codex-heavy pod so if there's any survivors of the initial ambush, I don't have to deal with clones or Psionic Rifts.

[@Sol-uo5ej]

This is what it would be like to hear Jesus and Buddha chatting about moral philosophy. Absolutely brilliant.

[@SykenPlays]

LoL, I wouldn‘t go as far as that, but I thank you for the kind comparison.

[@TapCat]

This is easily the most hilarious comment I've seen on either channel, thank you for the kind words!

[@mikb5165]

I have played XCom2 for more than 2000 hours but still like to watch guides to hear how others thinks about it.

[@SykenPlays]

That is the right spirit. There is ALWAYS something to learn about this game and the many different approaches that it offers.

[@Carlos-M]

Biggest lesson I've learned from watching Syken: Aid Protocol does not end your turn! Seriously, my mind was totally blown and changed the way I viewed support skills in the game!

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for sharing that Carlos. Indeed, the protocols are super good and once a player understands them, you effectively get double the actions on their specialists.

[@AceKiller9000]

Mindshield allows you to put a ''Shaken" soldier into a battle, without the panic debuff or reduced will (i think). Helped me get rid of the "Shaken" status on my soldier at the round end.

[@SykenPlays]

That is a good tip.

[@cleanitupjanny7033]

I love your regular content, but it's cool to see a collaboration as well!

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for the comment and the feedback.

[@falsfire]

I think I commented on flashbangs on tapcat's portion of the video too lol. And on a recent Syken video, I've commented that at times, I've even equipped flashbangs in the grenade-only slot on a grenadier to have multiple charges of it. Another thing I loved, was that the Tactical Legacy Pack forces you to play on Ironman. This was my first (rude) introduction to Ironman, but in the end, I really enjoyed it, even the painful losses (including the one 'fail' that I think hit almost everybody in the TLP, where the final 'Shen' mission results in the Sectopod walking over the device you're supposed to protect and insta-gibbing it...)

[@SykenPlays]

Tactical Legacy Pack really was a great expansion. And the weapons have served me very well ever since. And yes, personally, I like Ironman much more, because it writes the better stories.

[@lyrrakell]

The TLP also forces you to use sub-optimal classes (as in they don't have the best skills). AND you don't even get a healer for a big portion of it, so you are forced to learn to not rely upon that too much. It really was a great learning experience.

[@falsfire]

Just wanted to add about the 'full squad wipe', sometimes you are pinned down, or my first Legend/Ironman campaign, I was doing an 'escort the VIP' mission. I was running out of turns, due to the sitrep and fighting earlier, so my soldiers were dashing. I rounded the final corner before the evac zone and...hello Archon King. Of course he opened with Devastate, which hit four soldiers. One was killed outright, one was stunned, and two were rendered unconscious...

[@SykenPlays]

Wow, that is exceptionally unlucky. As always, to any rule there is an exception. Sometimes a squadwipe falls from the sky -.- Most of the other times it can be prevented. Rescue VIP missions are difficult on that matter though.

[@saintakira9627]

Fantastic content from 2 of the titans of Xcom. Always something new to learn it seems with this game. I appreciate the info from you both, even with somewhat differing views/strategies on some aspects, they're still valid tactics, to be stowed away in the player's toolbox. Good stuff 👍

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for the kind words. The cool part about xcom indeed is that there are many ways of being successful.

[@nepocrates]

I know this is over a year old but this video and it's part 2 has been so helpful. I am a veteran on XCOM. Not the one most people think of I am an veteran of XCOM from the old VGA days. This mindset has messed me up in the newer XCOM. From these videos I have decided to put a pin in my current campaign where I put my A team in the hospital for 20+ days and wiped out the next group. I was playing with the knowledge of the mechanics of the old XCOM. So I drop difficulty and restarted with tips I am learning here and on Tapcat's channel. This has allowed me to focus on the mechanics of the game and My enjoyment of the game is like night and day. I cannot thank you enough. I am post this also on part 2 on Tapcat's channel as well

[@SykenPlays]

That is so kind of you to say, glad you enjoyed it. Good luck with your campaign

[@ta6t5n]

Wow, really great stuff ! I really like to watch both of you guys and now there is 2 of you in 1 video :). I realized that is one of the few games in modern world that actually doesn't make things easy for player. I was a big fan of original Ufo enemy unknown on Amiga then I have about 10 years of break in gaming due to children being born (3 of them). Came back when covid hit play few games and learn that difficulty levels are not what they used to be and I was playing on the hardest level on every game. And then came an Xcom 2 :), started on commander due to modesty (I remember I laugh inside reading difficulty descriptions) and got my ass kicked really hard really fast :). Both of your channels helped me a lot, but I still struggle on legendary.

[@SykenPlays]

Hi Marcin, thanks for the great feedback and yes, the game is unforgiving, which makes it so good. I remember the original UFO Enemy Unknown games. I think many of the newer players would be surprised how little handholding and info the game had given you and how difficult the games were in general. It comes down to a matter of taste. I personally like overcoming a challenge.

[@daniellassander]

One point i would like to bring up, using overwatch can stop enemies from advancing on your position. Lets say you activate two pods at once, you dont want to be charged by enemies, having one soldier on overwatch will keep some of them bogged down taking shots from fortified positions instead of advancing on your position for flanked shots and things like that. Often the first actions they take will be just bad low aim shots before an enemy advances and triggers the overwatch, instead of the first guys advancing into better positions to shoot at you if you dont have a soldier on overwatch. But its situational as some enemies have lightning reflexes and some only has melee abilities and they will advance anyway.

[@SykenPlays]

That is a good point, it really can help you to fortify your position. However, it also makes the overwatch guy the primary target - I have noticed that enemies start to prioritize overwatching soldiers

[@DigitalNomadOnFIRE]

I just got into this game last week, 7 years late ;) So cool that you guys are still making content on it now, i've totally got sucked in.

[@SykenPlays]

Great to have you on board. Let me know which of the content is most helpful for you.

[@traviswebb3532]

Part 2 just as amazing as part 1. Thanks for the informative video.

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for the kind words - appreciate the feedback.

[@Antaragni2012]

Just started the game this week! So many things to learn and happy to be here.

[@SykenPlays]

Great to have you on board Antaragni.

[@vegeta002]

I usually break concealment with 3 soldiers on overwatch, 2 soldiers not on overwatch, and 1 soldier to break concealment. Since I typically use the Proficiency class mod, the Sniper or Specialist is usually the overwatch breaker since the former can't overwatch ambush (built-in "Phantom" ability) while the latter can flashbang without breaking their own concealment or shoot twice in the same turn.

[@SykenPlays]

That is a great suggestion as well Tyler, thanks for sharing your strategies.

[@hipsukun]

I'd like to clarify that flashbang crit thing a bit further. Syken kinda gave the impression that the crit change increases when the enemy is flashbanged. But if the enemy was gonna roll well, it was gonna roll well whether flashbanged or not. There's no avoiding the crit by choosing to not flashbang. I think Syken meant that if you're gonna run into the open feeling safe after flashbanging the enemy, have the knowledge in your brain that a lucky hit WILL also be be a crit in that case.

[@SykenPlays]

Hi Mikka, that is a very fair point, I should have clarified that in advance. The Crit Chance is indeed the same, but when you are getting hit, having an automatic confirmed crit can be quite disheartening. That was mainly the message.

[@octofingersgaming]

This is my first real strategy game and it’s such a new experience for me. I’m an FGC guy. So much trial and error (and restarting missions lol) and I love it

[@SykenPlays]

Welcome to the genre then mate. I suggest maybe looking into guides and let‘s plays. That is the fastest way of learning from others. good luck to you commander!

[@2_572]

I lost all my good men should I start over or is there hope for me?? Lol

[@tombone8737]

Thanks for the Video ! The "Flashbang" Chapter was new for me. Thanks for the Information. Good Job. 🙂

[@SykenPlays]

You're welcome!

[@kyle7362]

flashbangs prevent enemies from using grenades... however this does not include the andromedon's acid bomb which I learned the hard way :(

[@SykenPlays]

That is true, it is unfortunately not a special ability, but just a fire mode of the gun. :( As always - a bit inconsistent, but such is Xcom I suppose

[@stefans2143]

Syken, I enjoy you content really a lot. I think you should have a patreon account - people will support you.

[@SykenPlays]

Hi Stefan, that is a good idea, once I do have a bit more time, I will look into it. For the time being, I am trying to produce quality content that people enjoy. I really appreciate your thoughtful suggestion.

[@lyrrakell]

I agree--I would definitely throw some support toward you with a patreon account!

[@MrZlocktar]

There are couple of points you didn't mentioned, while talking about Revival Protocol and Evacuation. So i start with revival protocol. What you are recommending when it comes to Revival Protocol is actually wrong way of using it. Revival Protocol is your only out of jail card whenever your soldier is unconscious. This can happen in multiple ways some of which can happen against your finesse planning. Like stun lancer that have much more armor and is immune to overwatch thanks to 2 dark events while you are playing with Grim Horizon in game mode. He will come at you, and knock your soldier unconscious, and that will be the moment when you realize that you have only 1 revival protocol per mission, and you previously wasted it on something like disorientation. Is it worth to use Revival Protocol to revive your soldier after Specter copied him? From my experience i'd say, only in such scenario, when Specter copied the same soldier that suppose to be the key in your plan to kill this specter on the same turn, and if there are no other ways for you to kill the shadow of that soldier. If you can kill it's copy, you better do it instead of wasting revival protocol on something so minor. Especially if you have Chosen on this mission or know that there are some stun lancers and probably one or 2 more Specters. So think twice before using Revival Protocol. And finally evacuation. You said just basic info about it, but you didn't say anything about the fact you can actually use evac for a highly offensive and safe turn. Especially effective when you have bond 1-3 lvl with ranger. Since you can place beacon for evac anywhere you want, you can plan your offensive action and combine it with evac beacon. That way you will move your soldier to the evac beacon with one action, shoot enemy in the face, get another active point or two from his bond mate to shoot again, get another active point from Skirmisher, then another from psi operative. You can imagine how strong this can be. Let's say it's late game against Chosen for example. But early game i can't stress it enough how important to use evacuation for offensive, even just for leveling. All because evac doesn't cost an action, so you can do whatever you want while staying in the evac beacon. I killed assassin that way while evac 2 of my soldiers on terror mission, one of them was skirmisher with 1 action point left, so i moved him to the face of assassin and evac beacon, gave him action point from grenadier, so he managed to use some free skill for damage and throw a grenade to damage the tree she was hiding behind. The grenadier destroyed that tree next. That activated 3rd damage per turn bonus against assassin, so my ranger was 1HP left (my key soldier lieutenant with Death from above in this run losing which will be a game changer) and 1 turn left, and he used Run and Gun to evac and shot assassin once - dealing extreme damage of 18 (tier 2 weapon). The team of 4 that was left, finished her and cleared what was left on a map. Another thing i want to say, is about strategy and reactive strategy gameplay. Usually we want to get magnetic weapons fast. But in WOTC there are some scenarios in which you don't need magnetic weapon. That scenario is when in one of your early game breakthroughs you get +1 damage to all conventional weaponry. If you react to this the right way, you will be able to change your strategy by switching to early psi, or early armor instead of magnetic weapons. Because 3-4 damage on pistol, 4-5 damage on hero class weapons, 4-6 damage on rifle, 5-7 damage on machine gun , 5-7 damage on sniper rifle, 5-7 damage on shotgun, and finally 7-9 damage on bolt is all you need to feel comfortable even mid game on legendary. And then you will get breakthroughs to increase weapon class damage even more (+2 total). And it's 4-5, 5-6, 5-7, 6-8, 8-10 damage with conventional weapon only. So yes, magnetic weapon is not always your main goal, sometimes it will be better to focus on something else if you have option.

[@SykenPlays]

Great points, thanks for contributing with them in the comments here. I really like your point about the revival protocol, that is a good catch.

[@BlurredVision18]

3:25 I believe a Flashbang prevents Mutons from counter attacking, so you can engage in melee.

[@SykenPlays]

You are right, they are indeed suppressing it.

[@msgrell7774]

Oh, thanks for introducing me to another God Tier X-COMer! I need to feed the addiction, so this is good. Also nice format, great for when you can listen but gotta keep eyes on something else.

[@SykenPlays]

You are very welcome, that is what collaborations are meant to do - expand the horizon :)

[@falsfire]

Sorry, one more. Syken, have you made any plans to try again for 'Exquisite Timing'? I watched your first series, where, to quote Maxwell Smart, "missed it by THAT much"...and would love to see you knock out that crazy achievement :)

[@SykenPlays]

There is a 2nd playlist on the channel, where I re-tried it (won‘t spoil the outcome) ;)

[@SykenPlays]

Here is the link : kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6LZpoujo5d0f6s

[@sethstriker]

When I wrote this, I have 2,734.5 hours played with XCOM 2 WoTC. Love the content, guys! Keep it up! You both should have discussed the pros and cons of bringing a tired soldier into a battle. The importance of developing soldier's relationships up from the start, to get the bonuses offered by soldiers bonded to each other. One of the great examples of this is the level 3 soldier bond ability. When you get that level three bond ability - to clear your bond-mate's mental status when next to them, that would let you skip the mind shield need, and open up some additional tactical options, IMO. Also, another important one is when can you and when should you not take a science breakthrough and delay your tech progress and when to take it. Or at least the ability to weigh the options when you are deciding if you can delay whatever for the additional 10 turns. And the last one that is coming to mind is, when the Chosen show up in a mission and how it will auto stop any mission timer count-down once you see them with one of your soldiers. You can use that to your advantage in a mission that is time sensitive, and you can leverage that situation to your benefit and get out of a possibly sticky situation.

[@SykenPlays]

These are really good pointers and suggestions. Those topics can be included into the follow-up discussions.

[@paulanzel5980]

One thing I've heard some XCOM streamers talk about that the game doesn't really get into (though WOTC does better with via UI) is talking about line-of-sight. I always had the idea of posting at the edge of cover so I could take shots, but learning about being able to hide at a point farther inside cover (e.g. in the middle of a van) so you could jump out closer (and get better hit chances) instead of firing from across the street has changed up my playstyle. Is this something you think about a lot beyond managing Fog of War? Are there cases where you try and break LoS? I also feel like I don't make much use out of Hunker Down (mostly just for VIPs and stopping burning), but I imagine that there's some useful things you can do around it for getting people into position for the next turn. Do you do much with it?

[@SykenPlays]

Good point regarding the Line of Sight. I do have a video on my channel in the guide section that covers line of sight and pod mechanics if you are interested in that. And I do remember that in one of my previous runs there was a line-of-sight specific mission (you might be able to find that if you are searching through reddit for „syken masterclass line of sight“ - I remember that one of my viewers really liked that video and made a reddit post). As for hunker down, it removes fire, which is great. It can also be an alternative, if you have no great shots and are in the frontline or if you are about to get flanked, as it reduces the chance of getting crit). Other than that, the use is limited.

[@jakubviskup977]

Officer can use mark ability even when flashbanged. Happened to me like 10 minutes ago. He was disoriented by flashbang and still marked and oneshoted my medic.

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for the correction, appreciate it.

[@jakubviskup977]

@@SykenPlays No problems :) Just not sure if it s new patch

[@DeceivingStareYTP]

Wait, what mod do you have that shows all the soldiers and their stats at the top of gameplay? I've been looking for it on Steam workshop and I can't find it (found it): [WOTC] Quick Soldier Info / From the XCOM 2 Royale Rumble Campaign video description with other mods

[@johnperkins4754]

Really enjoyed this corroboration.

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks John, Appreciate the feedback. To many more collars to come.

[@conform-contrast]

hi @sykenplays! i'm sure you've answered this elsewhere but i'm loving the mods that show each enemy's stats over them, as well as all the members of your team and their stats/status on the top of the screen - do you have the mods you use listed anywhere? i also don't have WOTC, so that may affect things.

[@SykenPlays]

I think it is called health monitor or something along those lines. I had installed it for the viewers ease to follow on the hit points for each soldier.

[@conform-contrast]

thank you!@@SykenPlays

[@2_572]

I am watching this after my hopes and dreams were dashed in this game lost all my good men....

[@SykenPlays]

No worries commander, you will get back up on your feet. I urge you to continue your playthrough and I can promise you, the game will turn around :)

[@2_572]

@@SykenPlays so I am trying again and I did guuriella tactics and Everytime I get a fresh sharpshooter and grenadier or recon they get fucked lol is it expected to lose one soldier every mission lol

[@itree4]

What mod are you using that has your soldiers pics at the top of the screen? 🤔

[@SykenPlays]

If you go to the royal rumble campaign (my current playthrough), the description section does have a list of all of the mods. It is in there, I think its called team overview or something

[@Ze_N00B]

My advice: Hit chances are bs. 27%? 94%? Doesn't matter. Take the shot, but make sure to prepare for if you miss.

[@SykenPlays]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@fernando47180]

13:20 Please don't use dark fonts over dark backgrounds. Other than that, amazing video. Thanks a lot for the insight!

[@SykenPlays]

Great point Erick, thanks for the constructive Feedback, will include it in follow-up videos.

[@fernando47180]

@@SykenPlays Glad to have been of help. Keep up the good work!

[@pavelimani]

What is the mod under enemy health bar that shows stats (damage, etc)? That is very handy!

[@SykenPlays]

I think it is one of the new health bar mods. Perfect information or something. Just look into my current run (Royal Rumble) for a complete list of all mods used.

[@LemonCakeeee]

PLEASE I NEED MORE COLLAB XCOM2 CONTENT. please

[@SykenPlays]

We are going to release the full run soon. Stay tuned

[@jyyyb]

Superior speed is the best pcs

[@michaelaxline8095]

i don't care what you say his name is, that is Kevin Smith

[@SykenPlays]

LoL

[@jyyyb]

Fk overwatch

[@azairvine]

Mindshields - @SykenPlays I just watched your "XCom 2 Guide on Equipment" before watching this and you stated Mindshields were "Abysmal". I'm assuming your opinion changed on it from 5 years ago to 1 year ago?

[@SykenPlays]

That is indeed true, they are an A-tier or even S-tier item :)