Alright, we seem to have gotten a good victory here. Some ideas:
XPR-1 Plasma Rifle (using Alien Equipment Token)
By studying the recovered alien weapons, our scientists and engineers attempt to understand the principles of plasma weaponry and replicate it for X-COM troopers to use. The first attempt at such a weapon is not ambitious, copying its mechanisms from alien examples with only minor changes where necessary for humans to wield them.
Could break into the field of plasma weapons early. Given that it's pretty clearly telegraphed in the report that the aliens have subpar (no) armour, we can expect them to revise their own alien alloy armor, so this forestalls that for next turn.
"Mosquito" Combat Drone (using Alien Alloy and Alien Equipment Tokens)
A medium sized quadcopter, either connected by satellite uplink to its controllers back at base, or to local operators in the Skyranger. The drone is equipped with two weapons: a dartgun that fires syringe darts filled with either tranquilisers or poisons; and a taser that fires electrodes. Where necessary, downed alien scout drones are disassembled for inspiration as to how to fit all these systems together in a reasonably small drone. Alternatively, both weapons can be replaced with a single light machinegun. Alien alloy is also used in the quadcopter frame and blades, hopefully allowing it to take one or two plasma shots instead of going down immediately when hit. In combat, the drones are primarily intended to capture alien combatants, and support our troopers if needed.
Because it'll be funny to steal their scout drone idea and do it better than them. Also, as roseheart said, we need to get around to capturing some of them sometime. Using AA armour here will also give us experience in shaping it for a later soldier armour design that's ergonomic.
Mission Type: Combined ArmsThis mission emphasises the synergy of air assets and ground troops. While our troops conduct the ground assault, aircraft overhead fire extra missiles into the grounded UFO, breaching a hole for our troops to storm it. Additional fire, either in the form of missiles or strafing runs, can be called down on enemy positions by commanders on the ground, who have direct communication to HQ and the pilots for better coordination. If the reconnaissance UAV is still airborne, it is used by command staff to update ground commanders on the tactical situation.
Basically get air support, and breach that UFO. Hopefully those missiles aren't nuclear? Also kind of fixes the recon UAV idea from earlier, as I thought it would help our battle tactics to have aerial recon, but it doesn't seem to be doing that.
Edit: Votebox:
Regular Designs
XenoCeramics(1):Blood_Librarian
Jackdaw(1):Stabby
ACE(2):Madman, roseheart
XPR-1 Plasma Rifle (0):
Mosquito Combat Drone (1): Cnidaros
Mission Design
Surprise&Capture(1):roseheart
Combined Arms(1): Cnidaros
Surprise and Capture is super vague, and it seems like what we are already doing. I mean, I assume we are doing our best to catch them off-guard by intercepting their missions as soon as we detect them, and I assume we're not putting in calls to Ethereal HQ to warn them. Unless you mean stuff like setting the Skyranger down further away and infiltrating on foot?