HQ Assault

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Snipethis
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:54 pm

HQ Assault

Post by Snipethis »

I was just starting my attack on the HQ with my A team in a Str 9 region and 46 enemies. Normally I methodically go through the buildings to make sure that I dont pull too many pods at once.

I clear the first viper pod (of 3) which I meet in the center near the drop-ships. Then 2 drones appear from the left and I gun them down. I can see the map edge being around another 10 tiles from where I shot the drones, so I figure its probably clear. I dash my assault by a tree and activate a rainbow pod of 8. I move some of my soldiers across to deal with them. As I open fire the sound activates another pod of 6 just behind the rainbow pod. In the same turn another pod of 4 activates across map (right hand side). So thats around 18 active enemies. Another turn of shooting and moving (I am careful not to rush forward - in fact I am pulling back now) activates another pod of 5 in the same locale (out on the left). Yet another pod of 5 walk in from a central location. Having killed a couple, I still have 25 enemies active. Next turn and another two pods of 5 - one from the left - again appear. So in total (including the first drones), there were 26 Advent in an area prob no bigger than 10 x 15 tiles. I thought with LoP this wasnt possible? Did I just get crazily unlucky?

(As it happens i lost 2 MSGTs, had one Psi knocked out by a Beserker and my Grenadier got burned down to 1HP. The gallant squad killed everyone, regrouped and went loco on the General.)
Dwarfling
Posts: 524
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:16 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Dwarfling »

More than likely they spotted a line of corpses that led them all towards you.
Phaseless
Posts: 225
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:06 am

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Phaseless »

I generally tend to retreat back slowly on hq assault missions whenever I activate a pod. Because there are so many enemies on this map that the possibility is just too high I might activate another pod while trying to creep up with my damager dealers and cc.
Also it allows me to set overwatch traps and I get nice shots with my snipers while I move my troops into safe positions. I have the feeling that the aliens use their most dangerous abilities less often when they need to move first. That's another plus. In case I'm not just seeing things.

I've never had it happen but I guess a potential risk is that the other pods might follow the trail of corpses as dwarfling said and then they'll have me boxed in in the end because I started retreating too early.

Would be interesting to hear other approaches. But so far, slow retreat has worked pretty well for me. I try not to use explosives until the area is almost clear or it's a really juicy shot so I don't attract too much attention too early.
ginyu549
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 3:58 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by ginyu549 »

Phaseless wrote:Would be interesting to hear other approaches. But so far, slow retreat has worked pretty well for me. I try not to use explosives until the area is almost clear or it's a really juicy shot so I don't attract too much attention too early.
I usually bring a stealth shinobi or 2 with spider armor and park everyone on a roof where I know it's safe. Sometimes that can take a long time to find, and/or patience to wait for the right timing. Then I scout everything out with the shinobi, since I have a spider suit I can grapple away from any danger if something moves up too close or whatever. Often times I grapple up on top of the little sniper tower things that have no other way to get up there and just park the shinobi there as a spotter.

After watching the pods for a while to get their patterns with the shinobi I selectively activate the pods one at a time with snipers from as far away as possible. I usually bring 2, sometimes 3 snipers, and you can seriously weaken even 8 pods before they get in danger range.

Often I park my other soldiers close to the snipers in spots where they can't be seen by the enemy until they are right on top of them, especially assaults, and sit them in overwatch.

Once you kill all the close pods I scout further with the shinobi, reposition the squad and repeat.

Using this strategy I can usually activate the command pod from across the map and take a few out before they get too close.

The key to this is making sure your shinobi doesn't get revealed (why I sometimes bring 2).

Things can still go sideways for me with this strategy, but since I have a lot of knowledge about where the enemies are and where they are likely to go I can mitigate really bad situations into manageable ones most of the time.
Phaseless
Posts: 225
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:06 am

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Phaseless »

ginyu549 wrote:
Phaseless wrote:Would be interesting to hear other approaches. But so far, slow retreat has worked pretty well for me. I try not to use explosives until the area is almost clear or it's a really juicy shot so I don't attract too much attention too early.
I usually bring a stealth shinobi or 2 with spider armor and park everyone on a roof where I know it's safe. Sometimes that can take a long time to find, and/or patience to wait for the right timing. Then I scout everything out with the shinobi, since I have a spider suit I can grapple away from any danger if something moves up too close or whatever. Often times I grapple up on top of the little sniper tower things that have no other way to get up there and just park the shinobi there as a spotter.

After watching the pods for a while to get their patterns with the shinobi I selectively activate the pods one at a time with snipers from as far away as possible. I usually bring 2, sometimes 3 snipers, and you can seriously weaken even 8 pods before they get in danger range.

Often I park my other soldiers close to the snipers in spots where they can't be seen by the enemy until they are right on top of them, especially assaults, and sit them in overwatch.

Once you kill all the close pods I scout further with the shinobi, reposition the squad and repeat.

Using this strategy I can usually activate the command pod from across the map and take a few out before they get too close.

The key to this is making sure your shinobi doesn't get revealed (why I sometimes bring 2).

Things can still go sideways for me with this strategy, but since I have a lot of knowledge about where the enemies are and where they are likely to go I can mitigate really bad situations into manageable ones most of the time.
That sounds like a great strategy, making full use of the big map and the amount of time you have.
Definitely will try Things your way on higher strategies and/or Advent strengths.
Snipethis
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Snipethis »

Thanks for the replies.

Dwarfling : It never occurred to me that they were so smart. Lots of times I have seen pods walk past their murdered colleagues like nothing so assumed that was default behavior.

Phaseless & Ginyu549 : Thanks for the tips. I play on commander but to be honest I should be playing on Legend as my guys are quite OP (I have a DFA sniper that rolled rapid reaction from AWC). I get a bit cocky and mostly just barrel straight down the middle to reduce the time per mission. Thats why I really enjoyed having my arse handed to me on that mission!
Psieye
Posts: 829
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:27 am

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Psieye »

Snipethis wrote:Thanks for the replies.

Dwarfling : It never occurred to me that they were so smart. Lots of times I have seen pods walk past their murdered colleagues like nothing so assumed that was default behavior.

Phaseless & Ginyu549 : Thanks for the tips. I play on commander but to be honest I should be playing on Legend as my guys are quite OP (I have a DFA sniper that rolled rapid reaction from AWC). I get a bit cocky and mostly just barrel straight down the middle to reduce the time per mission. Thats why I really enjoyed having my arse handed to me on that mission!
LW2 pods go into orange-alert when seeing a corpse. The biggest clue they're half-alert is that they actually use cover. How they behave when they're in orange-alert depends on what the pod decides to do: go straight to you? Try to flank your estimated position? Camp your objective?

As for charging in, I don't blame you. HQ assaults are 8-man GOps with no reinforcements or timers to me. Oh and annoying building layouts that block LoS - that provides the variety to 'mundane to 8-man' GOps. A Shadowstep/LR tank trivialises the General if you kill the rest of his pod - have the rest of the squad run away and the tank plays tag with the General while a sniper kills him with impunity.
My three 8-man GOp squad Commander campaigns:
1st
2nd
3rd
Snipethis
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Snipethis »

Psieye wrote: As for charging in, I don't blame you. HQ assaults are 8-man GOps with no reinforcements or timers to me. Oh and annoying building layouts that block LoS - that provides the variety to 'mundane to 8-man' GOps. A Shadowstep/LR tank trivialises the General if you kill the rest of his pod - have the rest of the squad run away and the tank plays tag with the General while a sniper kills him with impunity.
Actually I save one incendiary grenade for our friend the General and that normally lets an assault run up to say hello. But with 1.5 I see the changelog has 75% burning down from 100%, so I might need to keep a Psi with Stasis nearby.

Right now (end Sep) I am having major issues with Elerium Crystals. There is a bug with the Black Market. Cant buy them. When I do so it asks for confirmation... then doesnt take my money nor give me the crystals :(
Psieye
Posts: 829
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:27 am

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Psieye »

Snipethis wrote: Actually I save one incendiary grenade for our friend the General and that normally lets an assault run up to say hello. But with 1.5 I see the changelog has 75% burning down from 100%, so I might need to keep a Psi with Stasis nearby.
Stun gun. Assault already has the better solution.
My three 8-man GOp squad Commander campaigns:
1st
2nd
3rd
Snipethis
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Snipethis »

Ah yes. But if I have an assault near enough to stun, they are near enough to kill as it procs either untouchable or something else valuable. I havent invested in stun guns at all!!
Psieye
Posts: 829
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:27 am

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Psieye »

You don't need to be at close range to stun. Cover destruction + holo + stungunner perk should be enough to get to 100% hit chance. Hmm, I feel I'm forgetting if the General has innate defence. Also, does the arc thrower get affected by Focus Fire?
My three 8-man GOp squad Commander campaigns:
1st
2nd
3rd
quarter
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 5:51 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by quarter »

Just Kubikiri him from across the map after you Holo & Double Tap.
Snipethis
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: HQ Assault

Post by Snipethis »

I've never been a fan of Kubikiri. On my rapid reaction sniper I have AMF, and on the DFAs I have Double Tap. I am training another sniper.. maybe I make him the boss killer.
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