Can I beat XCOM 2 WOTC without using guns?!

[@genzo53]

Here's something for the pain

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Thank you so much! 🙏

[@averagejoey2000]

rub some dirt in it, you wimp!

[@JamesHall-zs7ui]

Thank you for your patronage

[@ryanbolson23]

Aye let’s go!

[@chevairelame]

"Okay, Bradford has been talking all about how incredible this commander is and how they'll turn the tide of this war and save humanity. Let's see what tactics they'll use." "Hey, don't shoot your guns." "Uh, what?" "Just use your grenades. Each of you gets one. Oh, but no grenade launchers, okay? Swords are alright. Just run around or something after you use your one grenade."

[@UltraZombie115]

And somehow it works

[@macroglossumstellatarum5932]

How getting past the hero class limit works: If there are already 2 of any class in your barracks at the start of the month, then no mission to recruit another can generate at the start of this month. However, units that are captured or on covert ops at that time are not technically in your barracks, allowing you to very rarely get more. edit: Though with that fourth Templar it might just be something is borked with your game.

[@nathankelly5976]

On I saw another illegal op on the successful run

[@bigmitchy4026]

i thought the natural limit was 3? I don't remember where I heard that though, might have been on one of the wikis

[@twinodoom]

Under normal conditions, you can only add two soldiers from the starting faction and one from the other two on the roster. However, you can get an extra faction soldier Covert Op if you start a new month while there's an already an ongoing Covert Op to recruit another because that faction soldier technically hasn't joined the roster yet. So this can push you up to 3 starting faction soldiers and 2 other factions. Faction soldiers captured by ADVENT don't count towards your roster count at all until the rescue mission for them is available, allowing the Covert Op to recruit a new Faction Soldiers to reappear because you can get below the maximum count and go back above it after the rescue missions. I've seen this get to 4 Faction Soldiers before, but it can probably go higher if you're intentionally exploiting it to the fullest.

[@BobMcBobJr]

Perhaps it's because 3 is not 2 so since he did not have 2 soldiers it offered another for him to recruit.

[@furiouscorgi6614]

@@BobMcBobJr 4 also isn't 2, so wouldn't it offer another?

[@kindatim]

When the world needed him most, he returned.

[@AndrewRussell-dz8zy]

He was neither late nor early... He drifted along precisely when he meant to.

[@nicholasmartin6526]

So it was foretold in the ancient scrolls...

[@kindatim]

@@nicholasmartin6526 some scrolls of the *elders* dare I say 💀

[@nicholasmartin6526]

@@kindatim I see you are a man of fine taste.

[@alessandrobresciani1717]

I love Drifter's demolitionist/mental breakdown arc from throwing grenades at civilians to throwing grenades at his own units

[@galacticfish6380]

To add my 2cents to the psi amp, neither the psi amp, not the psi-ops hand are a *metal* tube, therefore, they don't count as a gun, since metal was in the definition you were working off of

[@ろうにん浪人]

I would consider the psi amp as a glorified staff really.

[@Potatezone]

You miss every shot you take- just learn to win without taking shots! -Shootquel O'Neal

[@malorian1855]

Tactical nukes?

[@user-uq9se1nx9q]

You miss every swing you take as well!)

[@edwardbuott9270]

You are an absolute madman for doing this... And I think i speak for all of us when I say, your content is all the more interesting for it. Hope your doing well, and having a good summer.

[@heatherdark3387]

I consider the psi-amp to be a kind of battery for the psi-operative to make use of in combat for their cababilities. not a gun.

[@Wootmanwashere]

I always thought of the PSi Amp as like a focusing tool so that they can actually cast.

[@whitepaws60]

I always thought it was an amplifier increasing their Psionic power hence why upgraded versions of the amp increase a soldier's Psi stat

[@nathankelly5976]

It’s an amp

[@Quandry1]

@@Wootmanwashere That's basically what it is. a focusing/targeting tool to boost the usability of the powers.

[@heatherdark3387]

@@whitepaws60 that also makes sense, I wasn't considering the upgraded versions at the time.

[@mobgabriel1767]

oh the irony of anakin dying by being left behind after taking a shot from a sectoid on the high ground XD

[@EtherialofNowhere]

Purifiers being the most threatening enemy is so cursed sight.

[@goofygoober779]

If you get your Templar captured, then the missions on covert get reshuffled, you can get a recruit new templar mission, complete the mission and then afterwards go rescue your original templar. You can even do that again, getting both your templars captured, then recruiting a third and so on. Technically infinite Templars... technically. It costs a lot of set up and time which you might not have in a game but it is possible.

[@goofygoober779]

I think the following attacks should be legal in this run: The RAGE suit's melee attack Ranger's Sword attacks Templar's gauntlet, volt, Psi-Onic storm and parry counter attacks Psi-Operative's Psi based attacks Throwing things (grenade, axe) The Feedback order The Specialist-Drone's electric shock attack A Reaper's mine explosion A Skirmishers Ripjack A SPARK's punch attack Any psi attack of the commander's avatar (if you have the order that gives you Advent units on some missions or mind control/ hack them) A Lancer's melee attack A chryssalid's melee attack An arcon's melee attack A sectopod's electric shockwave A viper's tongue pull and poison spit A berserker's melee attack A gatekeeper's psionic attacks An andromedonsuit's punch or left behind acid If you wanted to you could make a Grenadier a bit more useful by giving them a skulljack, which would enable them to attack, although you might as well give that to a Specialist.

[@nowaynowaynottoday]

Ooh also the Spark throwing the BIT

[@elivcdxv1852]

@@nowaynowaynottoday yeet

[@twinodoom]

27:06 One interesting thing about Counterattack is that can only trigger it per turn. As in once one Muton's Counterattack has procced, all Muton's on the same team cannot use Counterattack until the next turn and it's safe to melee Muton's for the rest of the turn. So you can use a Skirmisher with Lightning Reflexes (Yes, it works against Counterattack) and a second melee attack or a mind controlled melee enemy to attempt to trigger Counterattack and it will be completely safe to use other melee attacks on all other enemy Muton's for the rest of your turn if it worked.

[@korhol2065]

*context* The aliens have released a gas that makes bullets turn into piss, so everyone collectively said fuck it and went Leroy Jenkins on anything that moved

[@plasant8408]

Thanks for the context now it all makes sense why anyone would do this to themselves

[@grigoretudorstefan11g33]

THE KING IS BAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!! Love you Drifter! If you can, update us on your community page on what your schedule looks like for the future!

[@Wisper200]

55:00 mark "Ooh, thats why this is 2 hours long"

[@lewisvargrson]

15:52 "It would have been nice to get that scientist, but I don't think missing out on them is the end of the world. At least I hope not." Immediately after you say that I get an ad roll for the game Memento Mori. The first thing the ad's narrator says is "Wake up, Drifter." How fucking fitting was that?! Even the KZbin ads are telling you that you are dreaming, lol.

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Apparently a few people got that same ad haha.

[@TrickyPilot]

I’ve been drifting aimlessly through life awaiting a broadcast from The Drifter. The time has come and now life is good!

[@ladywaffle2210]

I will not lie, I saw this and immediately thought of Jane Kelly tearing through two squads worth of ADVENT soldiers with Reaper and Bladestorm, then thought that this would be way easier than it actually is. Props to you for... surviving... this.

[@devalk_]

I was just thinking that I'd not seen anything from you in a while, And what an absolute bugged slog of a run Props for seeing it through to the end!

[@blakereece2365]

I remember watching a little over a year ago. Wondering how you would tackle doing a run without guns. Just wanted to congratulate you on the commitment to Xcom. I’m sure you’ve reached over 1,000 hours in the series. It just goes to show how much replay value is in this game.

[@seanvucich]

"There is no honor on this channel" had me proper LOL.

[@jonsku6662]

Reaper: "This is a solo mission!" Resistance Fighter: "And I'm coming with you!"

[@eseerianknight0386]

WHOOOOOOOOO NEW XCOM VID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For real though these videos, speciically the xcom 2 challenge videos were what kept me going through a rough time one year ago. I'm still finding them enjoyable and always a good time. Your suffering is comforting :)

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Hope you're doing alright, mate.

[@redbones5156]

Never seen anyone lose a run on any game and repeat it in the same video, crazy work ethic man, rollercoaster.

[@maxbreiling4929]

Great video. It was a 2 hour movie but I ended up watching it all! The pain of Xcom knows no bounds

[@kazekamiha]

Advent wins when Drifter fails his spot check.

[@blababarda]

It's so cool to see you're back. You inspired me and my channel so much, I'm so glad I watched your videos. Keep it going!

[@givejagersacogback7602]

Really appreciate the content your making, your a great narrator for both active watching and even listening at work cause you explain things well enough to not always need the screen

[@JonatasAdoM]

This is crazy! I had just checked these days and was watching one of the classics when you dropped this. I had not lost hope, because the archives showed me that you had done another one. Wish you all the best and another year of sanity doing these.

[@mark9960]

Just when i thought he couldn't get any crazier with his ideas. He proves me wrong.

[@d3ltabrav0]

Next run: throwing pocket lint at aliens!

[@profwoland8942]

Followed by run where only thinking angry thoughts and glaring menacingly at aliens is allowed

[@ormtapp6014]

I had just finished watching your old challenge runs the other day and now we get this. Cant wait to see what Lesson and the gang get up to this time.

[@MrKuharak]

Missed you a lot lately

[@ykloke5451]

I've been waiting for another one of these for quite a while, cheers Drifter!

[@Quandry1]

One thing I've learned about this game is that pod activations will occasionally treat closed doors as if they were open.

[@MarkofWisdom]

I would have allowed the grappling hook stuff, just ignoring the animation they use and just say they throw the hooks at whatever they're aiming at, and for some of the skirmisher abilities yanking them back as well. What a wild run

[@jinxtheunluckypony]

The idea of the XCOM Commander getting bored and building a robot is hilarious.

[@darkmagician4697]

1:08:48 “Anakin I have the high ground” great video drifter

[@tommarsdon5644]

Things probably would have ended better if they didn't leave him too.

[@samphunter]

Awesome video, but what made me laugh most is that Mutons melee attack with their GUN. Oooops. :D

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

😨

[@alek7998]

I love all of the "Here's an Andromedron punching x" moments, made me chuckle every time.

[@JasonRoberts-cg5yt]

Wow. I've been watching and rewatching your videos for the last week. How amazing!

[@TNT_8412]

Every time I watch any of your Xcom 2 challenge runs I get in the mood to play some myself. Also ROCK AND STONE if you. understand this reference.

[@LoIazors]

What a wild ride, good job on this run and welcome back

[@oozb]

Nobody tell him there are grappling guns that use springs, not explosives, to launch the grapple.

[@loknathshankar5423]

Should have done this while ago but didn't get the chance, keep up the good work. I watch your videos regardless of the game, your narrative aspect for me is perfect.

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Thank you very much!

[@stevengull6703]

I can't watch right now but I'm thrilled to see you post again drifter, your narrative style is very entertaining and it doesn't matter what the challenge is you still make it unique to your style. Keep up the good work and I very much look forward to watching this when I get the opportunity.

[@jules2326]

Such an interesting run I never even thought of the concept! Well done!

[@kontraproduktiv933]

Nice run, although at the beginning i thought laser weapons were okay, because strictly speaking laser weapons don't adhere to the gun definition you shown, they don't fire projectiles which are propelled by explosions. But props for only doing this close ranged and sticking through this suffering and misery.

[@vegeta002]

I doubt grappling hooks or grenades are explosion-based either, so the "projectile" part seems to be the primary focus. Which would technically include the plasma from endgame weapons.

[@razesamiel4278]

​​@@vegeta002 a 40 mm grenade is essentially just a really big bullet a grapple hook should be fine so I should black powder weapons aren't guns at least to the ATF an RPG would also be fine as that's not shooting a projectile out of a barrel

[@VladShev]

"It's times like these I feel like trying a Phoenix Point challenge run instead" - Drifter, PLEASE, that would be awesome! (And great video as always, glad you're back :D)

[@furiouscorgi6614]

And coincidentally speaking, Phoenix Point has a Bash action on all soldiers, where the damage scales with weapon and unit Strength

[@ZyanoStarseeker]

I have been literally rewatching all the Xcom 2 challenges runs... now I have something new to consume... *chef's kiss* Noice...

[@matril328]

Just what I needed ! Thanks Drifter

[@Time_Sync]

Oh Drifter! I can tell this will be crazy, I salute the pain you go through to entertain us! Don't know if you are still taking suggestions for challenge runs, but I've been contemplating a "Proper Military Hierarchy" challenge run for a while - haven't been brave enough to try it myself yet! Its always bothered me, aesthetically not mechanically, that XCOM will happily send 3 Majors, a Squaddie, and Two Captains on a mission. Would limiting squad selection on missions such that there MUST be fewer higher ranking units than any tier below it make an interesting run? ex: 1 Colonel, Two Majors, 3 Captains would be an allowable squad composition. I suppose a true madman could extend those rank limitations to the whole barracks... but that sounds horrifyingly difficult... The one silver lining there is that there's only one commander, so 2 Colonels (or whatever the current highest rank soldier is) would be allowed... :) Love your content, keep it up! I'm gonna go sit in a corner and watch the "no-gun" run right now!

[@Red-yt2dk]

OMG DRIFTER IS BACK MOM GET THE CAMERA 1:00:40 I'm the one who told you this about the lost reinforcements, it is true :D It is also true that it's a pain in the neck to tell the reinforcements apart from the original spawns

[@lil_vault_boy]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Drifter I use your vids to fall asleep to and man am i happy you uploaded a new video i cant wait to see how this one ends

[@rolftates451]

Thank you drifter, I was just getting my yearly drive to play xcom, and this is the perfect video to start my ew playthrough

[@whitepaws60]

Psi Amp absolutely is not a gun. Its an amplifier for the soldier's psionic ability. There's absolutely no world where that could be considered a gun

[@nolanroots9036]

This really is just the “Templar ranger specialist experience” lol anyway you did great I couldn’t do that amount of resets

[@delta502]

Finally my working from home staple is back. Always love it!

[@profwoland8942]

Yay the return of the “close range” meme!

[@dominikstoll3169]

its so awesome seeing one of your runs again. great content man

[@Alelip1000]

Drifteeer! happy new year! I know what im watching this weekend. cheers mate

[@DarkCT]

Dude, I missed you! glad to see you back!

[@DayofFates]

1:21:00 The Game Graphic Glitch Gremlin will never truly be gone

[@thenut55555]

53:05 The Drifiter is panicked moments right here, i'm feeling you man.

[@Jamesmor999]

yesterday I was thinking damn is being a while since a saw a Drifter challenge only to find this today. btw that toilet joke was hilarious.

[@sloth5352]

I enjoy these videos so much and it makes me happy to see people still doing challenges in xcom in 2024. I also have an idea, what about a psionics only run? not like the psi ops only one. I mean like this one, you can’t fire any bullets, you can only attack with things psionic based like psi op attacks or Templar gauntlets. it would be difficult but I think it would be pretty fun

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Could be interesting.

[@PeriodicallyRational]

This is so hard and yet so fun to watch. Amazing run!

[@Phantomsbreath]

Avatar Mind control is 100% and powers through any power that might prevent it. It's bullshit, but it's consistent

[@Delmworks]

I’ve had a similar idea for chimera Squad-got past the progeny and realized how much of a slog it would be

[@anonymousanonymous9587]

XCOM but the ships fly off handgun recoil

[@0XiDiZE]

He's back! Trust Drifter to find any and all XCOM shenanigans

[@InsaneFrame]

Yes a new challenge think ill be doing this but no mindcontrol added in!

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Good luck, Commander. o7

[@LAZERAK47V2]

One thing that might've really helped with the early game (other than pure RNG in the first mission) is an early Psi Lab rush. Getting access to a Psi Trooper and their crowd control abilities could've easily helped out with the problem enemies like Purifiers, Mutons and Spectral Zombies, while also providing rechargeable ranged attacks.

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

I actually did rush the psi lab. The problem is losing the first council mission means you miss out on the first scientist. This sets things back, as psionics is locked behind having at least 2 scientists recruited.

[@p19070]

So happy to see the Drifter back with a 2hr video

[@eclipsesunmoon4959]

I've never seen so many glitches in just a couple of Xcom WOC playthroughs as I have in this video, good job making it through! Would like to see a Phoenix Point challenge, I can barely beat it normally.

[@jesseward6938]

Thank you for introducing to a new band, I always need my good music in my life.

[@FratoiuAlex]

Imagine you have a 90% chance to hit the toilet while unloading your weapon. Imagine the xcom rules to apply here

[@Dale_Nightking]

3:40 when you’re talking about the probability of landing an additional hp of grenade damage Drifter, did you forget about the 100% chance shot that failed? It’s all 50/50 in this game. It hits, or it don’t. That’s XCOM baby. Welcome back sir

[@lhevakitt]

Finally some good KZbin video for us to watch!

[@jordanleighton6893]

3:49 about a 3.5% chance if the 20% figure is consistent, for those who are curious

[@jordanleighton6893]

Ope he then said it lol

[@giakohi1239]

how dare you make me check every week for 4 months, how lucky you are im still watching the banger content

[@quaternarytetrad4039]

I took one look at the video title and thought, "Drifter! You're mad!" And yeah, this was an extremely painful run. But dang, if it wasn't hilarious!

[@scottishboy112]

48:33 - All I can say to that, as a Final Fantasy 14 player. . . “Such devastation! This was NOT my intention!”

[@trentonguarienti3389]

At about 1:25:00 or so, where you dominate the trooper but it doesn't activate the pod, that's consistent. Im not 100% sure how it works internally, but the wont detect that trooper until the start of their turn. It's either an issue with how the game calculates detection (ie, maybe it only checks on soldier movement or on a position change) or with how it counts the mind control status being counted on alien turns, so it won't update until the alien turn starts

[@quinnlee-miller9792]

About the Templar Party stack, imagine getting a Skirmisher and Templar to buddy up; Combat Presence and Bond could grant 3 Parries.

[@PeterOlson]

The double parry trick is pretty amazing. Will definitely use that in the future.

[@tarkdraan310]

I know you only mentioned it off handed but I would love to see one of your challenge runs on Phoenix Project. If it is half as good as your XCOM runs it will be awesome.

[@kala457]

The revolver at the start is the type of gun that leeson shoots with 0:50

[@vegeta002]

I've seen people claim before that Solace isn't protecting the PsiOp with it from being mind controlled, to the point that they take 2 Solace units or give the PsiOp a mindshield. It may be a bug, a mod conflict, or a shaken soldier (which apparently disables Solace) but it's not a new thing.

[@Mimpyyme]

Lmaoo the fact that you used the Oxford dictionary definition is so funny

[@Alastair_Ulven]

Honestly I think Pheonix Project challange runs would be really cool. Either with or without Terror from the Void mod. Though if you do I will warn you about using the Aspida's alternate weapons, the Themis and Apollo with manual aim. As far as I understand it the Aspida due to having 2 weapons 1 on each side of the vehicle, means the manual aim fails to aim both correctly. So as an example if you aim to the left both will shoot towards the left, causing the shots to be parallel. Meaning it nearly always misses half it's shots. This doesn't happen with non manual aimed shots. Honestly it is so annoying that I allow myself to reload if the normal shot fails. But only if I know I could have hit everything by targetting a larger bodypart if manual aim worked correctly. (Basically I mean if the aim circle is completely over a target with nothing exposed) Especially important on the Acheron as it targets center mass which for the archon is the very lanky hanging body. Instead of the giant top part.

[@happygol-lucky5938]

I want the record to show that at 16:00, following the wipe, I got a commercial that started with 'Wake Up, Drifter', and I fucking thought it was part of the video.

[@wesleyzucoloto659]

Just made my month, ty for the excepional runs

[@runehawk11]

But tell me, can you beat XCOM 2 by using only...ballistic weaponry? Skills and Mechs are on the table, so long as what you use can shoot conventional bullets. No melee, or explosives BUT the reaper's detonation counts as you are shooting the object with your firearm. This also goes for stray explosions from cars by missing your shots. Basically anything that uses your weapon's ammo capacity in some way. Everything is allowed including Psionic Troopers with passive effects, Hacking (but only for objectives and security towers) along with any class and armor. (Maybe grapples will come in handy more often to keep distance. Or use the Skirmisher as they have more actions.) If you want the added challenge, use only 4 soldiers. Or worse…One. I hope this idea interests you! I'd be keen to see if it's possible! Also, do you upload vods on Twitch? I'd love to watch your progress on previous challenges but I didn't see any there! I can't wait to see the next challenge run!

[@TheDriftersBroadcast]

Streams are on my Archive channel on KZbin. There's a link in the video description.

[@jock118v2]

Ain’t seen x-com in so long glad to see this appear in my recommended o7

[@DegenerateWeeb69]

Definitely think you could have used flamethrowers. They don’t use any gunpowder or blackpowder and are just a spicy firehose.

[@vegeta002]

Neither do the grappling hooks and grenade launchers as far as I know, but those also weren't used. Despite the definition shown, he seemed to be focused specifically on not using weapon-based projectiles (aka "an object that is thrown or shot forwards with force"), which could easily include a stream of flames.

[@DegenerateWeeb69]

@@vegeta002 yeah, no projectile other than hand thrown challenge does make for a harder challenge

[@CyarSkirata]

When I've played, I've never seen turrets *not* be harbingers of doom. I *always* grenade rooftop ones at the first opportunity I get for that reason.

[@uknowhattho]

48:28 Well, "uranus" is kinda the end of a barrel that "shoots" projectiles so... Kidding aside that bit made me rofl.

[@evilbob840]

Two things: first, turrets. I'm surprised you think of turrets as so easy -- I've always had trouble with turrets being really accurate. If I am not behind full cover, they rarely miss. Second, null lance. I peeked at the game files and both the avatars and the commander's avatar use different psi amps than the ones you can build. Interestingly, the avatars' ones do the same damage with null lance as the tier one psi amps (6 - 9 damage).