I was spoiled for it too (Codex), although honestly, at this point, my initial reaction to any new enemy is "flashbangs out". I actually got caught off guard by it by a recent mission, it got to clone once and use a rift, which I was moderately impressed by. It struck me as something that gets increasingly dangerous the longer she's alive.
The Spokesman is disappointed in my progress. Why? I'm doing great. Establishing new regions, building relays, etc. I think that because I delayed the dark events by two weeks, I had less stuff to do (no retaliation for example), so it seems like I'm doing less. I'm really being highly productive here. I also got a lead on the New Mexico facility (meaning I don't actually have to contact the resistance there), so that gives me a nice buffer. Still uncomfortably close to the avatar project finishing, but I'm on the verge of building the shadow chamber, which might do something.
GODS I HATE FORGETTING THAT CONCEALED ASSAULT UNITS WILL NOT ASSIST IN AMBUSHES!!!
Seriously, how many times have I forgotten that setting an Assault into Overwatch will have them NOT take part cause they want to stay concealed, thus resulting in one or so guys staying up and then gunning down my crew...
Honestly, that's never been a concern for me. I was really worried about it initially, but my phantom is probably the biggest help on any given mission.
On the other hand, I just had another retaliation mission, and this one had the first Crysallids I've seen. Buggers were pretty damn unimpressive when they just ran at me full-force and got shredded, but the whole "burrowing" thing through me for a loop, twice. It's just so unusual that aliens get to attack on the turn you see them, I got really messed up and two of my squad were dying because of the poison (and on an unrelated note, that poison. Jesus.). Both times it was my Phantom ranger who set them off, fortunately the second time the Crysallid went for someone way in the middle of my pack instead of my exposed Ranger, cause she would not have survived. As it stands, I still needed to call in an evac for my wounded, or they would have been killed by the poison.
Meanwhile, Shadow-Chamber yay. But I'm sooo low on, well, basically everything. Not nearly enough supplies, elerium, alloys, intel, etc. I mean, at least I have the infrastructure to replace it, but damn.
I've never seen a Jane Kelley survive the first mission. She always seems to get critter in cover or flanked due to over eager use of the sword ability.
Mine is a major.
Mine is a colonel and has been on every mission, she's had her share of, fortunately, light injuries.
Mine is also a colonel (with Blast Padding). She's been injured pretty heavily though, like right now she is working off a huge wait in the AWC (like half my entire base).