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- Nov 19, 2011
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If you've played X-Com2 you'll understand the OP.
If you haven't played X-Com2, good luck.
Started replaying X-Com2 for the 4th time and something very unique happened, that rarely happens apparently. I'm going to remember this for a very long time.
In my previous playthroughs I got the UFO defense mission pretty late in the game, at the earliest it was halfway through. So my troops were somewhat prepared for such a tough mission.
This time many issues made it practically impossible.
It's really tough to describe how far you are into the game. I started in North America and unlocked everything, was unlocking most areas in South America. I'd estimate I'm 6-8 hours into it, 2-3 of it being 'Shen's Last Gift' DLC mission.
I just bought the ability to take 6 soldiers on missions.
Most of the enemies I've seen on missions are the standard footsoldiers & mechs, but over the last 3 missions I've been introduced to...
Mutons
Vipers
And they're moderately challenging when there's maybe two of them, and six of you.
Anyway, due to my two last missions injuring most of my active soldier roster, having only two Rangers and my SPARK being of optimal condition.
I hadn't even been able to fully construct an infirmary yet on my base, and it was a dozen 'days' away from completion.
So, in other words I'm on dire straights at this point, and the worst thing that could have happened..... happened.
Apparently a 'hidden event' was triggered, and I'm seeing the red UFO flying all over the world map and I'm thinking "Its a bit early in the game for..."
And the 'UFO Avenger Defense' mission begins.
Of fucking fuck fuck fuck I'm completely fucked.
Its the most memorable mission in the entire game because it has its own extensive cutscene.
And then the mission is you defending the landing ramp from enemies, and having to destroy a defensive matrix on the other side of the map.
As I said, my crew is on dire straights. But a SPARK & two rangers can be a deadly trio.
They're not a deadly trio against 5 footsoldiers & 2 battlemechs. (Appear in the 2nd turn)
2 Mutons. (3rd turn)
2 Vipers. (4th turn)
2 Bezerkers (5th turn) And it was the first encounter with these bastards.
Also, with all enemies their Health & Armor stats were much stronger than in previous missions.
So, by Turn 8, all of my soldiers are dead. Completely dominated. No chance of victory.
I played it again. Same result.
I guarantee any X-Com2 pro wouldn't be any more successful. The odds are simply overwhelming against my depleted forces.
If you're curious about the additional crew member that appear on the loading ramp, they're practically cannon fodder. They merely delayed the inevitable.
So... I was about to put the game down & erase my save. No point in several attempts if there's no chance at victory, right?
Well, let me go for one last Hail Mary.
I restarted the mission for the 3rd time, but made my SPARK sprint across the map to the defensive matrix. I completely lucked out with it being next to a gas station.
Roughly half of the enemies spawning were going after the SPARK, so when I camped the SPARK on top of that gas station cover, it made him very hard to hit. Though he couldn't hit the defensive matrix very often because he was attacking the battle mechs jumping on top of the gas station to attack the SPARK. Every shot taken by enemies to the SPARK were missing.
That distraction was very very worth it.
It was the exploit I needed to win this.
It still was a tough fight on the loading ramp, with 5 soldiers, then 6, then 7, and it got all the way up to 12 of (mostly useless) rookies and un-upgraded snipers. It was the numbers I needed to take on very tough enemies and attack them from multiple angles while not clumping the soldiers too closely and make them vulnerable to area attacks.
They started going down, one-by-one, and with 12 soldiers I started the push across the area to the Defensive Matrix.... and the SPARK was destroyed.
You did your duty.
You sacrifice allowed many organics to live.
You will be remembered.
And I surrounded the gas station with 12 soldiers and let them loose on the remaining enemies, which were footsoldiers & Mutons, destroyed the Defensive Matrix, got back on the landing ramp and GTFOed.
Total Playtime, just with that 1 mission - 6 hours.
Only losses were the SPARK & 3 'cannon fodder' rookies.
Anyway, I felt like typing about this because so many gaming sessions are forgotten about within a few days. But this was one I'm going to remember for a very very long time because it seemed completely unfair to get slapped with such a tough mission so early in the game to the point it seemed impossible.... but I kept at it and still failed...and finally it was a Hail Mary attempt... and somehow & someway it worked.
If you haven't played X-Com2, good luck.
Started replaying X-Com2 for the 4th time and something very unique happened, that rarely happens apparently. I'm going to remember this for a very long time.
In my previous playthroughs I got the UFO defense mission pretty late in the game, at the earliest it was halfway through. So my troops were somewhat prepared for such a tough mission.
This time many issues made it practically impossible.
It's really tough to describe how far you are into the game. I started in North America and unlocked everything, was unlocking most areas in South America. I'd estimate I'm 6-8 hours into it, 2-3 of it being 'Shen's Last Gift' DLC mission.
I just bought the ability to take 6 soldiers on missions.
Most of the enemies I've seen on missions are the standard footsoldiers & mechs, but over the last 3 missions I've been introduced to...
Mutons
Vipers
And they're moderately challenging when there's maybe two of them, and six of you.
Anyway, due to my two last missions injuring most of my active soldier roster, having only two Rangers and my SPARK being of optimal condition.
I hadn't even been able to fully construct an infirmary yet on my base, and it was a dozen 'days' away from completion.
So, in other words I'm on dire straights at this point, and the worst thing that could have happened..... happened.
Apparently a 'hidden event' was triggered, and I'm seeing the red UFO flying all over the world map and I'm thinking "Its a bit early in the game for..."
And the 'UFO Avenger Defense' mission begins.
Of fucking fuck fuck fuck I'm completely fucked.
Its the most memorable mission in the entire game because it has its own extensive cutscene.
And then the mission is you defending the landing ramp from enemies, and having to destroy a defensive matrix on the other side of the map.
As I said, my crew is on dire straights. But a SPARK & two rangers can be a deadly trio.
They're not a deadly trio against 5 footsoldiers & 2 battlemechs. (Appear in the 2nd turn)
2 Mutons. (3rd turn)
2 Vipers. (4th turn)
2 Bezerkers (5th turn) And it was the first encounter with these bastards.
Also, with all enemies their Health & Armor stats were much stronger than in previous missions.
So, by Turn 8, all of my soldiers are dead. Completely dominated. No chance of victory.
I played it again. Same result.
I guarantee any X-Com2 pro wouldn't be any more successful. The odds are simply overwhelming against my depleted forces.
If you're curious about the additional crew member that appear on the loading ramp, they're practically cannon fodder. They merely delayed the inevitable.
So... I was about to put the game down & erase my save. No point in several attempts if there's no chance at victory, right?
Well, let me go for one last Hail Mary.
I restarted the mission for the 3rd time, but made my SPARK sprint across the map to the defensive matrix. I completely lucked out with it being next to a gas station.
Roughly half of the enemies spawning were going after the SPARK, so when I camped the SPARK on top of that gas station cover, it made him very hard to hit. Though he couldn't hit the defensive matrix very often because he was attacking the battle mechs jumping on top of the gas station to attack the SPARK. Every shot taken by enemies to the SPARK were missing.
That distraction was very very worth it.
It was the exploit I needed to win this.
It still was a tough fight on the loading ramp, with 5 soldiers, then 6, then 7, and it got all the way up to 12 of (mostly useless) rookies and un-upgraded snipers. It was the numbers I needed to take on very tough enemies and attack them from multiple angles while not clumping the soldiers too closely and make them vulnerable to area attacks.
They started going down, one-by-one, and with 12 soldiers I started the push across the area to the Defensive Matrix.... and the SPARK was destroyed.
You did your duty.
You sacrifice allowed many organics to live.
You will be remembered.
And I surrounded the gas station with 12 soldiers and let them loose on the remaining enemies, which were footsoldiers & Mutons, destroyed the Defensive Matrix, got back on the landing ramp and GTFOed.
Total Playtime, just with that 1 mission - 6 hours.
Only losses were the SPARK & 3 'cannon fodder' rookies.
Anyway, I felt like typing about this because so many gaming sessions are forgotten about within a few days. But this was one I'm going to remember for a very very long time because it seemed completely unfair to get slapped with such a tough mission so early in the game to the point it seemed impossible.... but I kept at it and still failed...and finally it was a Hail Mary attempt... and somehow & someway it worked.