XCOM 2 Tips: Weapon Upgrades Guide

[@fitmcdeezy8778]

5 year old video and still helping noobs. Much appreciated sir

[@TapCat]

Happy to help!

[@Noble6233]

Tom hanks talking about xcom

[@TapCat]

It's like mama always said, "a KZbin channel is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

[@Noble6233]

lol

[@stardaggerrihannsu2363]

"You never know what you are going to get until you press play"

[@BenjiPrice502]

Now I can't stop hearing Tom Hanks lol

[@rdowg]

Tom hanks/nicholas cage

[@jamesgrose510]

"80% hit chance; you'll hit four out of five times." Are you RNGesus or are we not playing the same XCOM

[@TapCat]

Lol

[@theshinygoldenemperor2422]

TapCat First time on Commander Ironman a couple days ago. I got to my first Retaliation Strike with only kinetic weapons and spawned a faceless halfway through. In a stroke of genius, I launched a grenade at the faceless, not realising it would kill my other Grenadier and leaving the faceless to miss my sniper a few times. All the while, my Specialist was getting free 80% shots on the thing and missing EVERY TIME. The worst part? The faceless only had 3 health left, but regenerated and chased my soldiers into evac.

[@rich4958]

Cant savescum for hits so what I do is reload a save only if I miss more than 4 shots and make sure to change up my shot order and working my grens/ranger to hit and use my slinger/snipe to peel after armor, always good to hit elevation with snipe and have slinger always follow ranger and grens for a 2 hit extra with the handgun. Specs always use for hacks and try to leave one to two medical abilities for emergencies. Crits clean up so you dont need healing as much sans that Chrysalid that wrecks you.

[@omnipotiscience7251]

You have more of a chance to hit with 80 than 95.

[@firstdondiego]

I tell you what, I've had several situations where all 4 of my characters surrounded 1 enemy at point-blank execution-style range with 98% to hit and all of them still miss. Then a trooper who is not even on-screen or in line of sight insta-kill my soldier through a wall. This was happening every single mission to the point I had no soldiers and game over. This happened to me 4 times. Who made this game?

[@uzairdurrani755]

In XCOM, 80% accuracy means you will miss at least half your shots. And 50% percent accuracy just means your soldier really hates that wall next to the alien and will do his best to destroy it.

[@Odbarc]

Video game percentages: You: 80% means 50% and 20% means 1%. Them: 20% means 50% and 50% means 80%.

[@DracoAvian]

I've found the repeater is pretty fun if you can equip your entire squad with them. A squad full of 10-15% chance of insta-killing makes those kings and queens much less dangerous. That and ambushes often see at least one enemy getting executed.

[@astreinerboi]

I had the repeater make the first encounter with a sectopod really anticlimatic. i had my specialist on overwatch when suddenly that big fucking Robot stepped in. I thought now i'm totally fucked. But that specialist just insta killed it and saved the day.

[@sodium7127]

@@astreinerboi I had a similar experience with my first encounter with Julian. My specialist executed him on the spot before he could even attack. Luckiest moment I've had in this game since.

[@caracallazjoust1028]

Exactly one time, I had a repeater go off on one of the Alien Bosses. I was so happy!

[@DarthAssViolater]

Some soldiers i trust to take a 80% and hit all the time. Some i wont trust even if they got a 88% - 90% 🤣

[@potatogeneral4072]

Truth

[@wolfe8035]

True... there are just for some reason, some soldiers in Xcom that do noticeably better than others even though they have the same statistical stats.

[@fbi1319]

@@wolfe8035 because some soldiers have random rng aim stat or you forget that you assigned them on a covert action that gave them better aim

[@ThejokerNSorrow99]

Lmao man truth is truth

[@trumplostlol3007]

Those suckers can't hit a damn thing even with 95% success rate. Miss miss and miss at the very critical moments.

[@bluedragonrob1]

You are amazing for these. I just started playing and holy shit I got worked my first 2 days. Day 3 I had killed the King Snake and the Berzerker Queen and felt like I had cured cancer.

[@stevehamner9708]

Just getting started with XCOM 2 - really enjoying and learning a lot from your videos. I really like the summary page there at the end. It was good to know the 'why' for each decision, but being able to take notes from that summary really helped me be prepared for weapon upgrade time. Thanks again!

[@TapCat]

Glad to hear you found that useful, and hope the videos are a big help in your next campaign!

[@Wudanthe2nd]

killed the berserker ruler on my first shot with a repeater equipped. took me a second to figure out what happened lol. favorite weapon upgrade combo ( with continent bonus) is for the sharpshooter. 1)superior scope 2 ) superior expanded magazine 3) superior repeater I called it "Hand of God"

[@TapCat]

That's the thing with repeaters. They can do stone nothing for several missions in a row and then come up huge when you least expect it. I generally approach the game to maximize consistency, but there's no denying that repeaters can add a kind of fun to XCOM 2 that isn't quite like anything else.

[@dylandugan76]

I once killed the Archon ruler with a repeater the first time I encountered it from an overwatch shot when it stumbled across my squad. The achievement for killing it popped up before I even knew that it was present during that mission.

[@fbi1319]

I killed the berserker ruler by getting skirmisher 2 Rangers to melee it and they all used their bladestorm abilities and fucking chain stunned him so hard that he was just a sitting duck it was fucking hilarious

[@alexanderjackovich6905]

The same thing happened to me right before the Berserker Queen destroyed my whole team since I was not prepared to encounter her.

[@TimbaWolf65]

Personally, I like to assign repeaters to my grenadiers, or anyone who happens to pick up "Shredder" from the AWC, for that matter. Shredder troops are generally the first to fire on hardier targets like sectopods and gatekeepers, so it seems to me they're the best suited to capitalise on that bonus. Obviously, this means I have to compensate for the slightly lower aim stat, but I find prioritising them for the perception pcs does a pretty good job of that. Mind you, none of this is intended as criticism for your guide; it's pretty solid, actually. I'm just throwing my own thoughts on that particular upgrade into the conversation. :P

[@TapCat]

No worries, I know most veteran players have their own preferences. Most of it boils down to part judgment call and partly what best fits your play style so there really is no one right answer. I don't like repeaters because I'd rather have a more consistent effect but they are really sweet on the occasions when they pay off.

[@TimbaWolf65]

Yeah, I can easily see why one would put a low priority on repeaters, I just enjoy having the potential to kill some of the scarier enemies outright. While definitely a small chance, it's served me pretty well in the past. I do want to say that the advice in this video isn't entirely lost on me: I've been playing _XCOM 2_ since the PC launch back in February, but I've actually struggled on settling on a secondary weapon upgrade for shotguns. I do appreciate the advice on that one, especially.

[@vicio19995]

@@TimbaWolf65 i see you point, but i still put it on the specialist, even more if is a "overwach" specialist, as ir they hit it, they get more shots, and is just a good bonus that you are really not counting on it

[@Yubnub_dunduY]

Repeaters belong on low calibre weapons and/or soldiers who take the most shots

[@gildedphoenix]

Repeaters are fun and good to use, especially with Inside Knowledge. I will never have a greater satisfaction than repeater shutting down Julian Sectopod with an overwatch shot. Totally worth the moment

[@therealG-iz5cv]

Im glad you made all these videos, 7 years later they are really useful

[@TapCat]

Glad to hear that!

[@GrandSupremeDaddyo]

I was debating the usefulness of a repeater on my Specialist. She missed a crucial shot and I was on the backfoot for several turns. She was heavily wounded and I tried to evac her when she stumbled across a Sectopod. She one-shotted it and restored my faith in RNGesus.

[@TapCat]

That's the beauty of the repeater. If you can stomach the fact that there are missions where it will do nothing at all, the payoff from the successes can be an amazing payoff for your patience.

[@richardbohacik2685]

Yeah, repeater is quite a fun thing. I had it on one in superior quality of my grenadiers and he took down sectopoid down with the first shot on two consecutive missions and at least one full health gate keeper, I have enjoyed it a lot 😄 And one grenadier had expanded magazine and one had autoloader and both worked fine :)

[@TapCat]

I've come to appreciate repeaters more and more as time passes. And if you can get the Resistance order that makes a superior repeater 20%, they almost seem OP. Put one on a reaper with Banish and an expanded magazine and it's never failed to execute a target for me.

[@tudorcosmin-andrei4203]

Just got the game today and it’s lots of fun, it actually makes you think 💭 And with help from your channel, makes a lot of fun. Many thanks again, greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

[@TapCat]

Glad to hear it and good luck!

[@serder910630]

Personally, I had a couple of rifles with scopes only to help with squaddies/recruits aim.

[@TapCat]

Thanks for posting this, it's an angle I didn't even think about. I would definitely agree that scopes are useful for any low-level soldier. And for those with the Alien Hunters DLC, the Bolt Caster is another way to help generate some hits/kills for aim-challenged lowbies.

[@mjohnsimon1337]

@@TapCat during my 2nd playthrough with the DLC, the Bolt Caster was next to useless. No one could aim with the damn thing. It went from being one of the most reliable weapons to the most useless and I'm kinda sad :/ I had to unequip it it was becoming THAT unreliable

[@alihunter84]

Reminds me of whats considered a "fun" maths problem thats often taught in math classes as its considered relatable by gamer teens. Its statically better to never miss than do more damage with a hit. Its a point that i learned about when i first got into table top games but it goes back a long way in strategic war games and pretty much applies across the board. The damage loss from missing a shot pretty much always negates the gamble and damage loss of a miss and potential reaction from the target. Always go for accuracy over damage total. The same idea works with Crits in games. 100% crit chance typically gives 150-200% damage. Thats likely to negate any damage bonus on a gamble with high damage in the long run. The outcome is accuracy first, crit chance second, crit damage 3rd (if it even applies in whatever game), base damage 4th. *shudder* theres defo a crossing point from considering yourself a cool kid thats a bit nerdy...to being the guy that just typed that... sorry

[@renatosousa9971]

Wow never thought about it this way, it makes a lot of sense

[@missfire9480]

Wouldn't base damage be second? as crit chance and crit damage are unreliable and so doing more consitent damage over time would yield better gains then some rare 1.5 and 2x multi's that might just over kill the target anyways where as base damage allows for consitent damage even against larger hp enemies ?

[@kreativwiebetonblock1327]

@@missfire9480 Crit chance tends to be capped at values that are reliable enough. At a high crit chance, more of it will make it more reliable than more base damage. Also in some games there is a lot of armor, making base damage a rather bad choice as it won't reach good values anyway. Of course it depends on the balancing of the game.

[@stupididiot9336]

@@kreativwiebetonblock1327 yup, generally maxed crit chance and bonus crit dmg are the way to go once your base dmg multiplier reaches a certain point. You dont really ever see people trying to max out their atk stat in games, it's always crit crit crit

[@passionfly1]

Thank you for making this video! Now I have to restart my game because I was putting the wrong upgrades on the wrong weapons for the wrong classes (I also built my base very poorly too). All of your recommendations make perfect sense now! Thank you!

[@Tee2020tavares]

love the videos you have helped me big time,I started playing on ps4.

[@TapCat]

That's great to hear, welcome to the channel as well as XCOM 2!

[@voidkat4202]

+TapCatVids what if i stay with normal weapons like assault rifle or normal machine gun cannon but with superior upgrades, im just curious and also interested to the result :)

[@TapCat]

Whitefang, I haven't tried that (nor do I recommend it!) but you'd have a few things to look forward to. First, your grenadiers would still only shred 1 armor per attack and that is going to make the late game enemies extremely challenging. Similarly, every soldier will do considerably less damage and that will also hinder your ability to get kills. Your enemies will live longer, get more attacks against you, and that will result in more hospital time and deaths for your squad. I think that if I were going to try this, I'd get as many Superior Repeaters as possible looking for cheap kills whenever I could get them. I'd also play on rookie or veteran because doing it on Legend will almost certainly be a massacre. All that said, there is an achievement in XCOM 2 for not using any of the upgraded gear so if you're really gutsy, you could go for it.

[@voidkat4202]

+TapCatVids so meaning its less damage using cheap weapons?

[@TapCat]

Yes, exactly.

[@TheStygian]

The repeater has served me very well... I had the story Avenger defence mission. (At the time the hardest mission I faced yet because there were simply that many enemies rushing me.) And ofcourse the nightmarish King Archon shows up! Who ploughed through my team in the previous mission and left them limping and carrying their unconscious home before it escaped! So - while I was being overrun by 3 mech's, 2 archon's, 2 spectres and an assortment of Advent soldiers and zombies (there was also an undying loyalty dark event) my unassuming specialist fucking blew the king Archon's brains out while he was in the middle of my team. Just flat out one shot it at 2/3 health. That saved the whole mission! And in 2 other battles the same specialist (Her name was Andrea) also one shot the Assassin and Warlock chosen on 2 separate occasions. Absolutely hilarious and satisfying.

[@AdvancedSquadLeader]

The picture in the end, GOLDEN. Thanks

[@TapCat]

Thank you for the feedback. I don't think anyone else has ever mentioned it before, but I thought a quick summary that viewers could take a screenshot of might be helpful.

[@AdvancedSquadLeader]

I would even suggest starting the video with that. Its very helpful for a beginner like myself (evenm though I played and finished XCOM EU) to not miss anything. Makes it super clear :)

[@AkidZolkifli]

I was going to rematch the video to write the notes you said, but you summarised it at the end! So so helpful!

[@patthapon13807]

It's really up to how you fight. My playstyle is to fight at long range so I just strap scope to everything. It also gives me confidence to fight at long range so I wouldn't get closer to risk getting hit.

[@zwecko6190]

It's 2024 and I still loves this game and ur videos ❤

[@TapCat]

That's awesome, thank you!

[@AbsurdistAsian]

Rangers wipe the floor if they have the random Death from Above ability. I have one, so the loadout is: Autoloader + Laser Sight. But it's situation-specific, the Ranger has to be on a higher ground. I have one and she constantly finishes every enemy off. I usually start with the lowest health advents, and with a very high crit + double shots (I forget the ability's name) she can finish off higher health enemies. For tge Sniper I tend to use Scope and Autoreloader. Not a fan of Cone, I use Serial and like to carefully pick my shots. Like the Ranger, a Serial Sniper will shoot everything in sight and up to 9 aliens in one turn with the reloader. These are two of my favorite builds & upgrades.

[@chadjacobsen4020]

just started xcom 2 and im a TOTAL beginner at this game. Never played xcom before so your videos are really helping my build right now. had to start over because i kinda know what im doing now. lol Awesome vids! keep it up!! (subbed)

[@TapCat]

Thanks for the positive feedback, I'm very glad to hear that you're finding these videos helpful. Good luck with your new campaign!

[@chadjacobsen4020]

TapCat they are becoming very helpful my friend. I am starting a new campaign as soon as im done typing this. just got home from work and nobodys here to bug me amd i have a whole bottle of Jameson to help. lol cheers!!

[@catandthesixxness]

By the way thanks for the informative videos! I was able to defeat Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within on normal difficulty. XCOM 2 isn't a dramatic step up in challenge but it is different enough to need a little help with the new elements. The hardcore have their favorite strategies but beginners need a baseline for success and your videos are perfect for that. Thanks for all the tips.

[@TapCat]

Thanks for the feedback, the "baseline for success" for beginners that you described is exactly my goal when creating these videos!

[@Turburki]

Thank you Tapcat! subscribed when I found your XCOM 2 videos! well made and explained! I just started playing the game and your videos helped me a lot in understanding how the game works.

[@TapCat]

That's awesome, J Law, I'm very glad to hear that my videos have been helpful. Thanks for watching as well as taking the time to leave the positive feedback!

[@skyefox]

I found Stock/Extended Mag to be effective on my Grenadiers until getting enough scopes, since I was essentially using them to activate holo targeting for the rest of my squad. Also had a decent amount of success with a scope and Hair Trigger on my Sharpshooter, the free action on the first shot allowed for additional follow ups without having to rely on Gunslinger the whole time (I did a bit of a standard sniper build, taking only Quickdraw and Lightning Hands).

[@aesheronanglvd3th309]

I personally really dislike taking stocks and repeaters on the same weapon. Back when the stock dmg could proc the repeater it was fantastic, but now they work against each other, you should really specialise in one or the other imho. A specialist with scope+repeater and the abilities that buff their overwatches can be very interesting. Had one get steady hands as well that could really tear things up on the enemie's turn by just reloading and overwatching.

[@FatalJapan]

I just started playing my first ever rts (xcom2) and your guides have been so helpful.🙏ty so much for continuing to put out content.

[@TapCat]

Glad to help!

[@intense_pickle]

thanks to a repeater, i took down the viper king...it was an all or nothing shot and i was sure my squad was getting wiped out, but because i chose repeater, it was toast ;) that's why you take it

[@spicymilkshake6599]

I’m late to the party, but I just got hooked to this game, and you are now my KZbin Xoom Guru. Liked and subbed.

[@TapCat]

Thanks, glad you find the videos helpful!

[@williamriggs3462]

Hey these videos have helped me a lot in my game play. Thank you very much .

[@TapCat]

You're more than welcome William and thank you for watching!

[@justinvanvolkenburg5298]

To me, Autoloaders and Expanded Magazine are interchangeable. Especially when used for missions with The Lost. The stock is good for the Specialist, especially since I usually give them Guardian for a skill.

[@justinvanvolkenburg5298]

Also, the repeater usually is used because it makes the weapon looks good. I also have seen it be extremely useful, especially the one time it took a Chosen Warlock out the first time they attack.

[@spaceyonqui1235]

I like to get stocks on grenadiers with shredder, comes handy more often than you might think.

[@stevenshatswell53]

I'm super late, I just picked the game up on sale, but I'd like to praise the repeater. Put it on my Ranger and she instagibbed the King Archon Ruler during an extract VIP mission. That instagib saved my ass from having to start a whole new campaign since that King Archon would have wrecked my unit.

[@TapCat]

Repeaters can be amazing. They can also go several missions in a row where they do stone nothing. Personally, I prefer the upgrades that are more consistent but if you're comfortable going with the "jackpot or bust" approach then they can be a lot of fun.

[@stevenshatswell53]

@@TapCat I have three units running repeaters on every mission. I usually get a few executions every mission because I have them on my high volume shooters. The Ranger that got the instakill mentioned above has a repeater for the hell of it though. She gets a couple instakills every so often. Btw, you're awesome for replying to a comment on such an old vid. Top notch community involvement my guy!

[@skylar9046]

This is just me personally, but my preferences (/ indicates one or the other, and is in preference order): Shotgun (Ranger): Laser Sight, Expanded Magazine/Auto-Loader, Hair Trigger Sniper Rifle (Sharpshooter): Scope, Auto-Loader, Hair Trigger (I personally have never used a Sniper build; I'm attached to Gunslinger.) Cannon (Grenadier): Expanded Magazine, Auto-Loader/Stock, Scope Assault Rifle (Specialist): Expanded Magazine, Scope, Repeater Vektor Rifle (Reaper): Expanded Magazine, Repeater, Scope/Laser Sight (Admittedly, this is exclusively to get the most out of the one use of Banish. And yeah, I had the Repeater in Banish once execute a Gatekeeper in a 4-alien kill thanks to Annihilate: 2 Archons, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Faceless. 2 per Archon, 1 for the Gatekeeper, 1 for the Faceless.) Kal-7 Bullpup (Skirmisher): Expanded Magazine/Auto-Loader, Scope, Repeater/Hair Trigger (Mainly focused on as many actions as possible)

[@debclatterbuck6708]

Nice vid. It was very helpful. I find that always putting auto loaders on grenadiers can work well and also frees up expanded mags for others. If you are always aware that grens have auto loaders it helps to keep track of it mentally, too... (just like specialists always having stocks allows one to more fully concentrate on battlefield tactics rather becoming involved in the tedium of checking which squad member has a stock when that muton is down to two health). Grenadiers use the launcher regularly and so need their primary ammo much less than, say, a pure sniper build.

[@angelcolon6693]

I was really intimidated by xcom 2 but your guides have given great help and reduce that intimidation. I had my rear gaped by souls games i tjink i can take xcom now lmao

[@shakarnfoster1569]

You're the best man thanks , me personally love hair triggers with specialist. Saved me so many times 😂

[@johnnemesh5459]

Save your expanded mags for the Reaper, Skirmisher, Sharpshooter, and Grenadier, in that order! All of these classes have weapons that only have 3 shots, and need the mags FAR more than the Ranger! Personally, I prefer Rangers with Bladestorm, Untouchable, and Reaper more than shotgun centric buildouts. Rangers with Bladestorm are basically immune from the Lost, and if you slash most enemies, you will either kill them outright, or kill them with Bladestorm on their next movement.

[@ravana2348]

Great vid man, only thing is by the end of the game I had all the superior scopes to outfit all my people and all of the instant kill ones to xD so by late game I had insane accuracy nearly 100 on all my people and had best chance to instant kill xD but great video keep up the good work u deserve more recognition c:

[@TapCat]

I've never equipped Superior Repeaters on a full squad but there's a twisted corner of my mind that has always wondered how much mayhem one could wreak with all those executions. I think the reason I've never done it is that I'm convinced that the executions will be nowhere to be found when it's time to take down an Avatar or several pods activate at once because... that's XCOM baby! At any rate, whether it's optimal or not your way sounds like a lot of fun for anyone willing roll the dice.

[@ravana2348]

TapCatVids It helped a load on the last mission set my squad to over watch and chewed threw enemies and got an instant kill on a sectapod (probably wrong spelling) the turn before and on the second to last avatar it's a fun as hell run but I prefer out fitting my sniper with superior auto loader and extended clip use serial mop up 4/5 guys then throw down a kill zone as my last move and can clear out 2/3 pods with one guy :')

[@Philip-0]

It's worth noting that killing with explosives destroys any upgrades your target may have dropped.

[@TapCat]

This comment triggered flashbacks to Dr. Vahlen yelling at me about using explosives.

[@RecklessInternetting]

I like to put auto-loaders on my rangers. I usually run Rangers up the guts of an enemy pod, and find that the auto-loader functionally means you have 8 shots rather than the 7 the expanded mags offer (at least if you aren't a moron and manage your ammo well). And that frees up the expanded mags for other people who need it. Laser-sight is definitely non-negotiable. Agree with you on that

[@RatedSlayer]

Your voice is really nice and unique plus your videos are very helpfull, u gained a new sub my friend 😁

[@TapCat]

Thanks, and welcome to the channel!

[@denstuff3166]

Love your videos! Really helping me with my commander ironman campaign. im still two missions in after several op gatecrasher massacres lol. Playing on PS4 and been looking for this kind of game for a long time now. More power to you!

[@TapCat]

Thank you, glad to hear you're finding the videos successful. Good luck with your campaign!

[@ianhargrave8240]

I had a repeater kill the boss at the end of shen mission

[@rberg79]

once again, great and useful analysis. thanks.

[@TapCat]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@speeddemon7678]

I would like to point to anyone reading this comment in War of the Chosen the vulture tactic has been moved to resistance orders for the skirmishers. So be prepared to do a resistance op for that order.

[@ElodieHiras]

My setup tends to be: Ranger: Laser sight + Hair Trigger. Sniper: Scope + Hair Triger/Repeater Grenadier: Expanded mags + Scope Psi trooper/Specialist: Stock + whatever. Basically, I want to get kills ASAP, and pods tend to come in 3-4 enemies. So I can kill and then reload on the move. Grenadiers are the exception because I use their Demolition ability to smash cover, and that's ammo intensive. Rangers can OHkill enemies, and since I always give them Untouchable, I often move them to tactically-advantageous-yet-defensively-questionable positions. An extra action can make or break a fight against a Gatekeeper by smashing through those last 7 HP it has. I don't often use Kill Zone because I notice most KZ shots tend to miss, maybe I'm just unlucky. Usually, it's Serial, and even then I often find myself 1 HP short of killing a PITA enemy. Besides, Death From Above gives a bonus action after a kill on an enemy at a lower elevation so it's basically a sharpshooter's free reload. Grenadiers tear down enemy cover and armor, so my setup is ammo intensive. Plus, their accuracy is shit. I use my specialists as hackers and Overwatch breakers. Stocks save on uses of Combat Protocol so that instead of using it for it's intended purpose of breaking Overwatch, I use it to nuke Sectopods and such. Besides, they're usually my best shooters anyways.

[@christianfitzgerald7359]

I love your content it helped me through legend mode 2 times

[@TapCat]

That's awesome, Christiation, congrats on getting the wins on Legend difficulty!

[@christianfitzgerald7359]

TapCat yeah I didn't even care about cover until i watched your video s and then I realized just how much every advantage was

[@marcof6235]

For the Repeater/ Specialist, another reason it works is because they have improved overwatch - more shots means more chances to instagib.

[@kennethwright1893]

Repeater takes down Gatekeeper...Repeater takes down Sectopod for the Win! It always surprises me when this happens, but it always makes me smile and be happy! :)

[@exukvera]

Outfit a reaper with the banish and anihilate skills and equip his rifle with the superior clip and repeater to have the harbinger of death. Almost certain insta-kill on rulers and the chosen with the chance of taking 1-2 extra aliens with them.

[@mihf772]

Repeaters are pretty much just a nice surprise

[@Zigadeezac]

Repeater is my new filler upgrade, was playing last week and took out the royal berserker in the first encounter. Was all set up for an overwatch ambush on a different set of enemies and then the royal berserker comes running in first shot was a miss second . . . execution.

[@scottshamblin6251]

Thanks for these xcom 2 videos, they are very helpful.

[@TapCat]

Thank you, I'm glad they're you're finding them useful. Good luck, Commander!

[@shadow_wolf7234]

Ok as great as a laser sight on a ranger is I always use scopes every time I do so they basically never miss I had a ranger with a scope never take a shot with a chance greater than 45% and they never missed and I had a sharpshooter with a laser sight always crit

[@ChrBrandt]

One thing I think you missed was to put a repeater on the handgun of your sniper especially if it is a gunslinger. Under ideal circumstances he can fire almost 10 times in one round and that almost garentees an execution on one of them.

[@TapCat]

That wasn't an oversight. It isn't an option to equip the handgun with weapon upgrades. While experimental ammo will affect both the rifle and handgun shots, the weapon upgrades only go on the sniper rifle.

[@chrisjordan2784]

That purple armor looks amazing

[@TapCat]

Agreed, there is some nice looking armor in this game.

[@georgiababylon3160]

Oh Hello TapCat!!

[@ab6318]

not in my game. 95% miss even at 95% hit

[@Malacite]

So here's a dirty little secret that the game does not tell you - if you miss your shot, and you have both a Stock and Repeater, the guaranteed damage can actually proc the execution. It is hilariously stupid when it happens. Nothing like shooting at one of the Alien Kings or an Avatar, technically missing the shot but then through the magic of whatever fuckery the Repeater does instantly killing it. Similarly, I highly value hair triggers on Rangers. Yes expanded magazines are beautiful for double shot spamming (or autoloaders in a pinch) but what's even better is getting some sweet Crits and then being able to double shot again right away. I hope XCOM 3 has more variety with attachments and more freedom with modding your gear in general.

[@asifcra7839]

Talon rounds with laser sights are the best combo for rangers.

[@TapCat]

Agreed, a ranger who can consistently crit is a damage monster.

[@loodlebop]

"Early on when you build the tactics school" yeah I'm like half way through and don't have that. I'm still going into big fights with just 4 units lol

[@TapCat]

That's rough. I'd suggest you build one ASAP but I have a feeling you've already figured that out. The "good news" is that you'll get an achievement if you can finish the game without upgrading your squad size.

[@cloudybrains]

Same boat here. I just prioritized what the game was telling me to build first, but it turns out it tells you to build fairly unimportant stuff.

[@loodlebop]

clickhead fucking game. It wants you to fail! Lol :)

[@svkbw1921]

I run hair triggers on the specialists because they have the most abilities that won't end the turn

[@friendlyneighborhoodpothead]

Thanks for all the tip dude really appreciate it

[@TapCat]

I'm happy to help, good luck with your campaign!

[@michaelsimmons8731]

Nice video but I was disappointed that you not did discuss three slot upgrade choices you get when you receive the US continent bonus

[@xx_gamer_xx8315]

My sniper had a repeater as a third attachment and one shot a full hp sectopod.

[@Saddleback117]

On my first playthrough WOTC repeaters were my last choice option, then I killed the berserker queen in one turn thanks to the repeater on my heavy.

[@Laireso]

Advanced warfare center gave my new ranger Rupture. It's absolutely amazing and I don't even have run and gun on her. I'm playing Legend ironman though so I'm trying to not get attached.

[@xenkiv1087]

I usually put a repeater on a skirmisher's gun since they can fire twice in one turn.

[@GeaForce]

-Repeater is bad [Alien hunters comes up] -Equip all your units with repeaters

[@Ailobyte]

I disagree about expanded magazine for sharpshooter I think their much better served with a quick-reload mag instead (i dont think thats the exact name for it its been a while since ive played) Why? Its a free reload, and 3x2 is more than 3+1 (and so on with advanced & superior versions). More shots can be popped off + it wont cost a sharpshooter a shot mid-battle to reload. (Technically the same principle applies to all weapon classes, but i think its best used with the sharpshooter for reasons stated.)

[@RKOmegaRed]

also just a quick fun fact....u have to take down 3 enemy avatars with everything going on......the advanced or superior repeaters will kill an avatar with one shot as well 😆

[@hexaanon1284]

i once lucked out with using a normal repeater and executing the viper king with a rook, *didn't have the same luck with the berserker queen*

[@Gothos]

First time I saw a Sectopod in XCOM2 it got killed by repeater overwatch as it moved into sight range. Meat over Metal indeed, was hilarious :D

[@alphaone321]

Love ur damn tutorials

[@RKOmegaRed]

i finally ended the campaign after 2 weeks of play and i have to say that the extended mags and repeaters came in handy big time on the last mission .....im on the console version and we only get a squad of 6 + the commanders avatar..... it was hell fighting off the waves of aliens at the end but with upgrades , ruler suits , psi soldiers and super SPARK......it was a done deed. this is the best xcom yet no spoilers 😁

[@TapCat]

Congratulations on successfully completing your campaign!

[@RKOmegaRed]

was tough.....believe me but i was a little confused on the final scene (under water)

[@themoosemanguy1537]

XCOM 3. Terror from the deep.

[@RobsRobotChannel]

This isn't a guide, it's customization preferences. How do the attachments work. Can you create them anywhere? How do custom guns work. Can you free them up while a soldier is dead? Can all attachments work for all guns? Does it make sense to save attachments or simply use them when you get them? Do the upgraded gun types have special requirements for their attachments? There's a ton of questions you could answer without just sharing your "playstyle preferences".

[@Yellow13Firestorm]

Normally, the repeaters go on the sniper or the ranger. I just feel like if i want a percentage chance of instant death, i should put it on the guys that are going to hit the most often. Rangers up close, snipers at range. Expanded magazine on the grenidiers, snipers, and sometimes specilists depending on what i want to do with them, as well as stocks. Even some chip damage is better than no damage. espicially if they keep missing a lot. I kinda don't use the laser sights personally. the auto loaders, yeah, those go on the grenidiers, and snipers. sometimes on the ranger too. Scopes are pretty much sniper exclusive though because they're so valuable.

[@TapCat]

It's a shame that you can't put a repeater on a gunslinger's pistol, because that would give you by far the most opportunities for executions. Personally, I don't like repeaters for rangers because you're killing almost anything you hit as it is.

[@Yellow13Firestorm]

Fair enough. There are mods that let you add repeaters (and almost any other weapon mod) to anything else, but i was speaking purely vanilla. I might try that though now that you brought it up.

[@DracoAvian]

I find the best candidates for repeaters were specialists, since their rifles don't seem to require specific mods to synergize well with the class.

[@macclure]

Reaper+Repeater+Banish make so easy to kill Chosens

[@TapCat]

Very true, although this video was made prior to War of the Chosen so I couldn't point it out at the time. Great advice for the here and now, though!

[@uberwebd9824]

thanks for video, it answered many questions

[@TapCat]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@lilyslife206]

Great audio voice , could always try doing audiobooks :)

[@chrisvalen]

Gave all my specialist exo suit handme downs from the grenadiers. An they all use damage bot.

[@slippindaily]

Your videos are great for XCOM 2 fans. I like the way you explain the details, they oddly make sense out of what could be a confusing game to some. They only pet peeve I do not like... is you smacking your lips and breathing heavy after each sentence. It could just be me though lol.

[@TapCat]

You know what? That bugs me too! I'll try experimenting with putting the microphone a little farther away when I record and see if that helps.

[@birnodin]

A Superior Repeater has 15% instant kill. It should work with rapid fire on the ranger? If you stand in front of the viper king, the berserker queen or the archon king, you should have 0.15 + (0.85 * 0.15) = 27,75% chance to kill this beast in on shot. I hope that is correct and if you can see in the shadow chamber (can you see kings there?) that such a beast will appear, then take 2 rangers with repeaters. ;-)

[@TapCat]

One issue with that plan is I don't think I've ever had a ranger with rapid fire until after all of the alien rulers were dead. You'd have to wait quite a while to go on the DLC mission and by that point the rulers aren't that big of a challenge to begin with. I'm also pretty sure that they don't get reported in the shadow chamber. But all that said, it would be undeniably good fun to execute a ruler and I've sometimes fantasized about equipping my entire squad with repeaters toward that end.

[@craigbarnett3925]

Sounds like the head lixie from Fairly Odd Parents

[@TheGreatRakatan]

I've now played almost a whole campaign and I've gotten a single scope, and I had to buy it from the black market. I have a ton of hair triggers and spare ammo parts. Even my drop RNG is bad.

[@TapCat]

I had the same issue in my last campaign. I don't know if they've adjusted the odds of getting certain items or if it was just a series of unlucky rolls but I'm hoping it was a fluke.

[@bruutwillis7760]

Thank you for the helpfull video's. Bought this great game yesterday on ps4.

[@TapCat]

You're more than welcome, enjoy!

[@ScornedOne1080]

I did one mission with a Grenadier that had the repeater. The insta-kill procced twice killing a MEC and Sectopod . . . it was a good day.

[@TapCat]

Yeah, I don't really recommend repeaters because they're so unpredictable... you can go several missions in a row where they do actual nothing. But when they hit, it can be hilarious fun and strangely satisfying given that you have no control over their success or failure.

[@ScornedOne1080]

Oh I understand that, which is why you keep the grenadier on the heavy armor targets. Sure, it's only going to insta-kill 3 times out of 20, but that's armor that's instantly gone, which saves shots from your other troops. So while unreliable in that sense, it is a decent investment to have at least one grenadier with it (course you could be funny and put it on all your troops and watch the hilarity). It's one of those things were either one troop has it just in case, or everyone has it. Strategy involves a bit of lucky anyway, so nothing wrong with something coming out of left field to complicate matters for the opposition.

[@TapCat]

I'm with you, I also think that they're not a bad bet on specialists if you pick some of the abilities that grant more overwatch shots. As long as someone is willing to just have fun with it and not stress when the repeater doesn't proc for a while, they can be a nice change of pace from min/maxing all the time.

[@ScornedOne1080]

That's what makes it more of a support proc instead of a reliable source for damage/enemy kills. That's why you only have 1 trooper with it. Hell, on the target rich final mission, this item would be an asset.

[@ninjae4976]

In war of the chosen, can we still get armed to the teeth as continental bonus with modular weapons so we can get four weapon upgrades to each weapon?

[@barrymusgrove6739]

I'm getting hammered via snake king on easy, so will listen to your lessons oh master and load a new game

[@TapCat]

Good luck to you with your new campaign! The single most important thing is to avoid Operation Regal Beast until you have the equipment (and promoted soldiers) to deal with the Viper King on more equal terms.

[@barrymusgrove6739]

I think that's the one killing me I assumed on easy it's like Masseffect or something a walk through but it'ts not

[@TapCat]

Yeah, the description for Rookie is very misleading. Even the lead designer for the game has acknowledged that and I suspect that if there's ever an XCOM 3 that it will come with a genuinely easier mode of difficult.

[@robinrondo]

Thank you

[@generictoasterstroodle1080]

For some reason once I went into the switching equipment option I couldn’t go back. What should I do?

[@rayx3415]

Hello TapCatVids XCOM2 is my first play SLG game, those video that you posted for how to kill faceless and chrysalids really saved me! by the way, your voice sounds awesome. recently I am planning to by the Sheng's Last Gift DLC, is the SPARK unit a useful unit or just for fun? if it is a useful unit, how should I build up a SPARK unit? thanks.

[@TapCat]

First, welcome to the channel and to XCOM 2! To answer your question, the SPARK unit is most similar to a grenadier but is significantly less powerful. I don't recommend using them if your goal is to have the most effective group, but obviously you can play one one for the fun of it. Just be aware that it will be somewhat more difficult to complete missions if you do.

[@rayx3415]

Thanks of your reply, actually I just taste my first victory of bring down Avatar Project few hours ago. I have to admit most of my weapon upgrades of different classes(except specialist, they are flexible) are based on your video and they are very effective. once again thanks for your guidance and I will start second round soon.

[@TapCat]

That's great, congratulations on beating the game!

[@hellhound7572]

I dont use rangers only during lost missions

[@TaylorCoffman87]

Watching this at 1.25x makes it perfect

[@Clemduchateau]

Good stuff, keep it up =)