Two advent lockboxes later, we have our new (in about 6 days) squaddie, MAXIMUM DAKKASPLOSIONS. (well not in all caps, but it looks like its in all caps in the armory, hehe)
But theres also this. Theres datapads we can decrypt for intel, and this would take something like a week off the research time. I'd say its worth it. We can take a break on alien encryption to knock open one of those alien data caches.
We also have a rumor for reduce contact cost! Something that sounds awesome and certainly to get after I finish the relay, which happens less than a day later.
Reinforcements, got it. We'll get to that in a bit. Some time later, we get 71 intel from the alien data cache, and return to the alien encryption research.
A day later, Max is now a squaddie.
Oh fine, lets do this first then. To the proving grounds! Two exosuits built, them skullmining started. One for Max (they are after all, only a squaddie currently, with less health), and one for Caroline, our kinda-scout/mostly-psiblade. Max get the Liquid Explosives mod for his grenade launcher (more crit stats on grenades), along with an Adv. Stock and Adv. autoloader. Athing gets Untouchable, Kaos gets Fanfire, Pies gets Ever Vigilant, Ann gets DFA.
Not on ze screen: Max, Preacher, Big Bird, Ann. Currently in the lead with 31 kills is Rince Storm, with Caroline in 2nd with 22. Athing is in third at 18.
Time to find a train.
...eep.
That would be a pod made up of an Adv. Gunslinger, Advent Breacher (aggressive shieldbearer with a shotgun), a normal Shieldbearer, and a Muton Berserker Firestarter. Look at its health pool! Its gigantic and
breathes fire. It doesn't need shielding to go with it, much less two shielders!
Looks like you're in for trial by fire, Maximum.
This. This I can deal with. its only...4 plasma weapons, and a Muton Pyro. Pyros get dragon rounds and unsurprisingly, set you on fire with them. To balance that out they have no grenade and can't counter-melee you. Kaos goes up into higher ground and spots an Advent Guardian as part of the firestarter pod, augh.
Guardians are defensively-minded, sniper-armed shieldbearers. Why is this map full of shieldbearers...
It appears the game
meant it when it said this would be a difficult mission. Caroline is flanked and can't move without setting off the alert, and so is Kaos.
The more I play this campaign the more I appreciate the gas grenade. I didn't use it at all last time!
Those advent are probably dealt with, assuming the poison still does enough damage. For some reason, the pod didn't bother moving into cover. It would make it more difficult if they'd bother doing so.
Thankfully, the overwatch focuses entirely on the other pod. Sniper duo take out the muton pyro, and a couple others kill some but not all of the vipers. Kaos moves into better cover, shoots the firestarter with lightning hands (for a lovely 9 crit), and gets to use fanfire far earlier than I ever thought he would, because I'm not going to just leave those scamper balanced points in an overwatch with this sort of problem on our hands. There are 8 visible targets from his position. The firestarter pod are all guaranteed hits, since they are in no cover whatsoever and he's got lots of aim bonuses. Heck, he's even got a 55% crit chance for most of them!
I may need to readjust my opinion on gunslingers with Mod Everything and Pistol Buff, once we get to plasma pistols. That is a hell of a lot of weakened enemy kills.
Kaos, I blame you not picking kill zone for this ridiculously good luck. I was expecting
problems and
viper dodging from that start!
Though the firestarter is still alive...Caroline dashes outside its immediate area and picks up some viper loot instead, 2 elerium cores and 2 alien strongboxes. Everyone else overwatches and hopes it doesn't rush at them.
...and for some reason it just stands there. Its took poison damage, its no longer poisoned, but really? No fire or painful melee?
Max somehow flings it into the side of the nearby building with a mag cannon shot. Ok.
Big Bird collects the rest of the loot: Advent lockbox x2, Alien strongbox, adv. autoloader, scope, corrosive shrapnel, adv. laser sight, adv. heavy elerium, repeater, blade flourish, PCS: adv. agility.
Did you know characters glow purple while fortress is active? It looks neat.
Urist finds a pod of advent. We're up to adv. troopers & officers proper now, and this group has a Sentinel. Sentinels are defensive, and have both Ever Vigilant and Guardian.
Can you pull off another impressive deadeye, Ann?
Awesome. You even got a crit!
Kaos misses his shot, but honestly? I'm
pretty sure you can miss a shot, considering you killed 7 enemies in one action last turn. Maybe even two misses.
Critical Injury, by Big Flockin Bird.
Maximum Dakkasplosions, bringing the boom! (if only those supplies weren't in the way, there was a bigger potential boom!) Furtukan picks off the injured trooper with soulfire and Caroline halves the officer's hp. Urist just barely misses the kill, with 5 damage, which gives the kill to Pies' combat protocol. Athing climbs up next to Cypher to take a shot at the remaining trooper and similarly flubs with a 7.
I'll give this trooper credit, he was a brave hybrid person-thing, shooting our MEC instead of running into heavier cover.
But lets not push it too far, shall we?
Look at all those alloys and supplies! Huzzah!
...oh, right. Mods. Blade flourish is 10% increased dodge pierce, Adv. heavy elerium is +2 to psi attack damage but -10% aim.
Promotions: Cpl. Maximum, Colonel Min Ju 'Witchy' Caroline (Reaper for chain melee kills, or Null Lance for killing or severely wounding everything in a line from you, ignoring cover and armor?).
We now have all the advanced training GTS perks unlocked, they would cost about 1k supplies total, but let us train up rookies very high, fairly safely.