XCOM EU Surviving impossible mode!

[Jackal2233]

Impossible/ironman mode discussion/tactics

 

It was fun while it lasted from early to mid game, now it's a grind. Still, I haven't had this much tension for a long time, so I can still say I'm enjoying the game. Anyways, let's discuss strategy for impossible difficulty. I wrote some on my other thread - but that's another discussion.

 

Here's how I play, tell me your opinions and share your tactics! This is just for the battlescape as the geoscape strategies are pretty much the same in impossible - build satellites with funding and play the gray market for money for your gear, take your time. Always make sure at least one uplink is in construction at all times - unless you have no power - heck I hate that!!!

 

Possible spoilers, but it's mostly gameplay related:

 

 

 

Squad makeup

 

General missions: Depending on the size of the UFO, most preferable to bring rookies supported by vets with supressing fire/disabling shot/etc. For optimal performance, I bring 2 assaults, 1 heavy, 1 support, and 2 snipers.

Terror missions: You have to advance fast and you don't really have time (or ammo) to miss shots on impossible especially with so many freakin aliens. You need snipers with disabling shot for cyberdisks, you simply can't waste your ammo killing cyberdisks when chrysallids are charging at ya. For me, I bring 3 assaults, 1 support and 2 snipers.

 

Essential skills

 

Assault: Need lightning reflexes ASAP (aliens overwatch VERY often, and always have to move your assault FIRST every turn)

Support: Need 3 medikits ASAP (and save one for a downed soldier)

Heavy: Excellent after bullet swarm (fire, bunker down, repeat)

Sniper: Squadsight (tactics change in impossible, it's not advance/spot/retreat, it's positioning your snipers far back, spot, and RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! And hope your snipers kill them off before they get in range of all your troops. But that's just my survival tactic.

 

Tactics

 

Advance, spot, retreat, overwatch

Works well in lower difficulties, not always so in impossible, they seem to be able to wait indefinitely for you. Making assaults with lightning reflexes a MUST. I take full advantage of this however, they wait for you; meaning you can pick them off with snipers, or carefully position your men before an all out attack to kill them off in 1 turn. On impossible, it's more like "advance with sergeant assaults (min), spot, fire at them with snipers with squad sight, retreat, overwatch far back ranks, bunker down front ranks unless in full cover, repeat"

 

Bunker down!!! If not, RUN!

The higher aim and crit chance with the aliens mean that until you get Caraspace armor at least, you really can't risk getting shot unless you want your promising soldiers to die before they reach their potential. The 80 defence at full cover is ESSENTIAL, making heavies very useful because with bullet swarm, they can attack, then bunker down and repeat. Partial cover at impossible is almost the same as no cover at all. Don't be afraid to abandon ground, sometimes you just have to - abandon ground meaning you stay OUT OF SIGHT of the aliens.

You can still go on overwatch, but wait AROUND the corner not at the corner. Even then, you must be careful, because if they have spotted that particular soldier already, they will creep up ALONG the cover and then flank you before you can pull off an overwatch shot.

Also - make sure when advancing, use bunker down unless you are sure the enemy is going to run across your LOS, you need all the defence you can get on impossible.

 

Snake formation

Never advance in a line on impossible, move up like a snake one at a time revealing as little fog as possible. Sometimes you can end up waking up 10+ aliens at once - and that's death until mid game.

 

Be aware of possible enemy movement

The times when you advance, fire and miss at a target, only to have the alien just move around the side and kill you - is often. Keep your distance until you know you got a clean kill.

 

Count your foes!

You have to be aware of all your enemies and try not to let anyone get away on impossible. I had one freakin sectoid run off, forgot about him, and he went right round back out of nowhere and shot my sniper in the ass. If they have run off, which happens... keep alert until he's dead.

Master this, and after a while even classic is a walk in the park. Trick is to NEVER take chances, 70% of stunning the target? Forget it, capture him next mission.

 

 

 

So what's your strategy on impossible?

Edited November 2, 2012 by Jackal2233

[Perraine]

Should this not really be in the Spoilers forum?

 

Good post all round though, some useful tips

 

 

I'll just add ... You NEED the OTS upgrade " New Guy" ASAP!!! ... All rookies have basically low (read:crap) stats, you don't see soldiers actual stats until they become "Squaddies" so this upgrade is essential. You can then browse through the new recruits and make a decision about whether to keep them or not, as some soldiers just aren't worth saving in reality ...

 

Also the "Close Combat" perk is essential for Assault troops, particularly on "Terror" missions ... Sometimes you have to "run and gun" them right into the thick of it and take a shot, so this perk gives them a "free" shot (no overwatch required) if the chrysallids come running near you.

 

[Jackal2233]

Oops... well I thought it's gameplay not story related so... lol

 

And yeah...

 

 

 

New Guy is most definitely essential (in fact, all officer upgrades are lol)

Close combat is definitely essential as well as rapid fire, on impossible you have to kill them off before they can counter-attack (cause counter-attacks hurt!!!), which means MAX firepower all the way lol

 

Also another thing I forgot, I always make sure I move my soldiers 1 move each at a time. For example, move assault 1 move, move heavy 1 move, then after all have used the one move, use the second move (for me if enemies are not detected yet - second move is overwatch). Things get VERY bad when you use the first move to get into cover, then see full cover ahead, then use the second move to get into the full cover, only to alert the aliens and then have to save Mr. "Leroy Jenkins"... lol

 

 

Edited November 3, 2012 by Jackal2233

[FMod]

"Never activate more than one group of aliens at a time" seems to do the trick.

Also, don't be ashamed to run away rather than shoot when that is the best choice. Aliens are really dumb and won't chase you, get a comfy distance and snipe away.

 

It's not even challenging. Have yet to lose a squaddie or higher.

[Jackal2233]

I wonder if impossible AI is different from classic AI because I noticed they just sit there on overwatch waiting for you a lot more. Making it easy to move up your assault, evade their shots with lightning reflexes, spot them, snipe away, then retreat, and repeat.