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[Vector]

.

[Mephansteras]

Meph, how come no squad size I yet?

Funds have mostly be dedicated to the Air War. I am planning on getting it soon, though, to help with training up  our soldiers.

Sorry for disappearing. Executioner is A-OK; I'm back now.

It's cool. Life happens, and I don't expect this LP to be anyone's highest priority.

[Mephansteras]

Spoiler: Operation Cold Future (click to show/hide)

The evac team sets down in the observatory compound, eyes peeled for Exalt activity


Our operative is ready and waiting on the roof. He just need to get the data transmissions going from the two transmitters and get out of there while the evac team covers him.



The team heads up the stairs to meet up with the operative. We will use the top of the building as a base of fire to engage exalt while he hacks the transmitters.



Exalt can be heard moving around, but the team is carefully staying out of sight for now


The team meets up with the operative and readies to make contact


As expected, Exalt troops are spotted as soon as we move to the edge of the rooftop.


The enemy quickly flees back out of sight, chased by Krauss' laser fire



Another Exalt operative moves into view, taking cover behind a truck


He makes the mistake of poking his head out for Vector to see


Krauss chases him off as well, but doesn't think she quite killed him


More Exalt troops move in



The injured exalt shows more bravery than sense, and it gunned down by Tiruin as he tries to fire on us from an exposed position


Our Operative heads down to the transmitters, dodging fire from a sniper and getting eyes on the exalt troops as he hurriedly sets up the first hack




Toaster heads down to give him some well placed explosive support


Tiruin and Krauss follow up on the now exposed enemies, taking them out



While Vector and the Operative take out the sniper



As usual, Exalt starts dropping reinforcements in




And per XCom procedure we give them a warm welcome



Our operative starts moving to the second transmitter, noting for us where the additional Exalt troops are stationed



Toaster gleefully uses this information to our advantage


While the rooftop crew cleans up a bit



With the hack complete, our Operative guns down a final Exalt before making a break for it


Exalt troops move in to try and block our escape





Our Operative takes the only sensable route out, up over the roof of the nearby building.


While the rest of the team starts falling back, trading the occasional shot with the few Exalt troops still in sight




Even more Exalt reinforcements drop in. Time to get out of here!




Our Operative dashes for the LZ before the Exalt troops can even tell what is going on


Being a little too far away, the rest of the team ducks out of sight under the staircase


Exalt moves up to try and find the team


But is too slow to stop our escape






We received a good amount of funding from that mission in addition to uncovering more clues about the location of the Exalt base

Spoiler: Soldiers (click to show/hide)

Tiruin, as per your plan you have been given Ranger

We use some of our available funds to train our officers a bit more. We can now take 7 soldiers on most missions.


We also fulfill a request from China for some Sectoid corpses for study.


However, the aliens do not relent. Before the Sky Ranger has even finished unloading we get word of a Terror attack in Mexico!


A few promotions are made:



(O'Neill is given a Perk since I haven't heard back yet)

And our first 7-soldier team is assembled



Next Up: Operation Fallen Crown

[Toaster]

So much for the "honor" of going on every terror mission.

[Sheb]

I had a redhead Scot on my playthrough too, I nicknamed her Owlbread. :p

[IronyOwl]

21 days. Haha well, I guess that's only 4-5 missions worth. >_>

[RAM]

Do you loot missions that you escape from?

[Tiruin]

Do you loot missions that you escape from?

Err, loot missions? You mean 'get any loot from mission despite escaping and not downing all nasty, mean aliens'?
No?
You leave everything behind. :c

[MaximumZero]

I see you there, "Swarming" activity. Time to blow some shit up.

[Jim Groovester]

The injured exalt shows more bravery than sense, and it gunned down by Tiruin as he tries to fire on us from an exposed position

Meph, you monster, dehumanizing these people. Poor, misguided, stupid, obnoxious, squishy, and deliciously killable, maybe, but people nonetheless.

Do you loot missions that you escape from?

Partially. In a mission abort, you get a fraction of the materials you receive from the aliens killed, but none of the materials from successful completion, with the idea being that the XCOM operatives are taking what they can with them as they hightail it to the Skyranger. E.G., you get weapon fragments but no power sources and the like

For covert extractions, I think the same is true, but I don't know for sure. For extractions you're not usually killing very many EXALT anyway so it's hard to say whether you're getting the full rewards.

[i2amroy]

For covert extractions, I think the same is true, but I don't know for sure. For extractions you're not usually killing very many EXALT anyway so it's hard to say whether you're getting the full rewards.

The same holds for extractions, but the limiting factor isn't really how many you kill (I always slaughter all of the EXALT in my EXALT missions anyways, though it's much easier in the "defend" type covert missions), but rather is the fact that exalts don't normally drop weapon fragments or anything else.

Also once you've got the "get bonus fragments" foundry research you literally get like 3 weapon fragments just for showing up, even if you leave immediately, though at that point you are usually rocking 600+ weapon fragments anyways.

[Rince Wind]

I'd like to join in on the fun and take the Chinese LC Scout.


Name: <Rina> <Wizard> <Wind>
Gender:
Nationality:
Appearance: Some bright armor (not pink if at all possible, everything else is fair game), the 2nd deco, default face, green hair and a basecap

Preferred class: scout
Preferred weapon: shotgun/better shotgun
Preferred equipment: flashbang and HE grenade, or flashbang and arc thrower if one is needed on a scout
Preferred tactics: trying to get flank shots with that shotgun and scouting in front of the team.

Upgrade path:
battle scanner -> sprinter -> tactical sense -> resilience or smoke and mirrors -> in the zone

[MaximumZero]

We blowin' shit up yet?

[Mephansteras]

Yeah, did the mission. Just need to do the write-up. Should have that done tomorrow.

@Rince Wind: Sure, I'll get her customized up once I boot up X-Com again.

[Mephansteras]

Spoiler: Operation Fallen Crown (click to show/hide)

The team airdrops down to the ravaged harbor town.


Looks like the aliens tried the same tactic they did up in Canada, although this time the local security forces knew to neutralize the organic hosts to keep the chryssalids from overrunning everything quite so much


Unfortunately, it looks like they weren't completely successful



Our soldiers rush forward and start blasting zombies







A few of the surviving zombies shamble forwards, one of them even climbing up onto the ship. It is quickly dispatched by Oney


And another is struck down by Grey


However, a few of them moved back into the town. Worried for the civilians that may be back there, Ra throws out a scanner to get eyes on the monsters


Which gives our snipers a chance to take one of them out



The rest of the team takes on the remaining close zombies



Alerted by the sounds of combat, more zombies move in on us


And despite our efforts, the zombies claim a victim


Quartz blasts the offending zombie. Pity they don't feel pain.


The rest of our troops work on clearing a way forward




More zombies moving in from the fog. Is there no end to them?!


Grey and Maelle clear the way so that our assaults can move up



At close range, the scatterlasers are brutal. But the zombies are tough, and it can take more than a singe blast to take one down.




Another victim. Damn the aliens!


The zombies advance on our position. Oney holds point with admirable determination


And at last the monsters are within rocket range. Greene does his work well


The shredded zombies are easy targets for Maelle up on her perch


Oney uses the respite to fall back and reload, and gives a civilian directions to safety in the process


The rest of the squad moves up, clearing the way for more civilians to get to safety



The last of the zombies dealt with, the squad starts looking for more survivors...or enemies



Shadows in the fog


Chryssalids! The source of the infestation, at last!


They advance with terrifying speed...right into our sights



With civilians at risk, we waste no time engaging the insectoid monstrosities





With that threat ended, the squad fans out to collect any survivors in the area



More enemies can be heard, out in the fog


Another group of Chryssalids rounds the corner of a nearby building


Ra is on point to intercept them this time


Grey hurls a flashbang into the middle of the pack, disorienting it


And our troops move in to engage the enemy




Hurt and dazzled, the surviving insectoid scurries for cover


And a fresh zombie shambles into view


Greene decides that this situation calls for more...extensive measures


The injured chryssalid is quickly dispatched


While Quartz and Oney dispatch the zombie



A quick search of the area reveals one more group of zombies clustered on one of the boats


And Green knows just what to do with a cluster of enemies


The rest of the squad moves forward, quickly taking out the closer zombie



After that...well, it's like shooting fish in a barrel




The remaining zombies are trapped on the prow of the boat, unable to figure out a way to get to us


They are dispatched with the teams customary precision






While far from a perfect mission, I am quite proud of the troops. They saved more civilians than I had expected, given the spread out nature of the terror site.


And it seems that our efforts are barely enough to keep Mexico in the council. At least for now.

Spoiler: Soldiers (click to show/hide)

Four promotions and no injuries! A good solid mission from the team.



RedKing, you can choose between Opportunist (removes the penalties for Overwatch shots and +2 Aim), Smoke Grenade (Automatic smoke grenade and using smoke grenades as your first action does not end your turn), Paramedic (Once per turn you can use a medkit as a free action)


Quartz Mace, you can choose from Disabling Shot (Prevents the enemy from using thier primary weapon until they reload), Precision Shot (High Critical Chance shot with Sniper Rifles or a full Squadsight shot with Marksman rifles), or Snap Shot (Allows Sniper rifles to Move and Shoot with a -10 Aim penalty)


Remalle, you can choose between Executioner (+10 Aim and Crit against badly damaged enemies),  Aggression (+10% crit chance per enemy in sight, max 30%), or Damn Good Ground (+10 Aim and Defense when at a higher elevation than enemies)

With Xenoneurology nearly complete, we begin work on the Alien Containment center


The next day Dr. Vehlen announces the completion of our research into alien capture technology



So of course we begin deliberations into what to research next?


In the meantime, we begin construction of our first Arc Thrower