LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

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Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

Shredder as cover destruction? Are you by any chance still playing 1.3? They can't even blow up cars reliably. :|
faket15
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by faket15 »

gimrah wrote:Heat only affects frags / plasma.
HEAT actually works partially for Incendiary Grenades giving them bonus pierce but not shred.
gimrah wrote:Tandem affects all damaging grenades. Just not that much. Ordinarily minimum damage falls off with radius, but not maximum. Don't know how the formula works exactly, but clearly expected damage is affected. That does mean on those occasions when you hit more than one target with an incendiary, it does do something. Also when the target is in full cover (so quite often) and you therefore can't get the incendiary plumb on the target.
The way damage falloff works is by adding a second roll where your damage can be anywhere between first roll result * distance multiplier (round down) and first roll result. The distance multiplier is 1.0 if distance/radius < 0.5, 0.75 if 0.5 <= distance/radius < 0.75 and 0.5 if distance/radus >= 0.75

For an Incendiary Grenade before Volatile Mix the average damage on the center is 6.25 (5% to roll a 9, 20% to roll 8/7/6/5 and 15% to roll a 4). The other 4 tiles have a 0.5 multiplier resulting in a 4.575 average damage (0.83% to roll a 9, 4.83% 8, 8.83% 7, 13.83% 6, 18.83% 5, 23.83% 4, 19% 3 and 10% 2).
Redshirt4life
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Redshirt4life »

No, I'm using 1.5. I'm not having any problems with shredder. Its not 100% reliable destruction, but I heard sapper isn't reliable either. You have to know exactly what cover it can destroy and its in a limited AOE, right? Shredder working out for me at least and heavy armor is worth the cost IMO. If not for the cover destruction, then for the AOE damage and shredding. Does anyone actually skip heavy armor because of the cost?

Let me see, the last practical example of shredder doing the job was on my blacksite assault. My ranger was too far away to get into the fight. He was outside a building, and the threats were inside. So, I used shredder and it ripped the wall clean out, damaged and shredded every target, and left multiple targets exposed. Oh yeah, that ranger picked up Salvo in the AWC too, so he got to rapid fire the biggest threat, and implacable into a better position.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Redshirt4life wrote:No, I'm using 1.5. I'm not having any problems with shredder. Its not 100% reliable destruction, but I heard sapper isn't reliable either. You have to know exactly what cover it can destroy and its in a limited AOE, right?
I get the feeling you've tried Sapper a couple times, it didn't react as you expected, and then you shunned it forever because RD is an extremely attractive alternative. Sapper is far more reliable cover destruction than the EXO punch. In fact, I rely on EXO punch to NOT destroy cover while activating pods through walls, resulting in favourable positioning.

Sapper is like Formidable - how good it is depends on how well you understand the details of the game. As happens, there are some pieces of cover which you can blow up even without Sapper - prime example being those glass advert boxes which the AI loves to think is good, high cover (until a rookie blows it up). Sure I prefer RD myself as, in non-Ironman Commander, a well placed sniper that gets lots of flank shots (even on timed missions) will remove the need for cover destruction. Sorta doesn't work in Legendary as fat HP enemies tend to survive.

As for the rest of the perks, I've said my piece earlier in this thread months ago. The quick summary: I find flashbangs are worthless compared to smokes on Commander, given my preference for ridiculous engagements. This also means for a pure-smoke grenadier (every MSGT grenadier I had was this build), full kit is not so necessary - ghost grenade on a spec is awesome.
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Noober
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Noober »

Dwarfling wrote:Geez I dunno you guys, but I swear by my Sapper Grenadiers. They're basically my key combo piece to make my Rangers (even the OW ones), Gunners and even Sharpshooters be effective on timed missions. It does help that thru trial and error I've basically learned how every piece of terrain behaves against Sapper though.
Technic might be as good at cover destruction as supper grenadier if not better against realy heavy cover. Especially with EXO and Javelin perk.
And noone other then grenadier can pick BS and Sting.
BS is rather early perk and IMO it's one of the best way to hadle MEC threat consider you also bring a specialist with good hack/PCS/updated gremlin.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Noober wrote:
Dwarfling wrote:Geez I dunno you guys, but I swear by my Sapper Grenadiers. They're basically my key combo piece to make my Rangers (even the OW ones), Gunners and even Sharpshooters be effective on timed missions. It does help that thru trial and error I've basically learned how every piece of terrain behaves against Sapper though.
Technic might be as good at cover destruction as supper grenadier if not better against realy heavy cover. Especially with EXO and Javelin perk.
And noone other then grenadier can pick BS and Sting.
BS is rather early perk and IMO it's one of the best way to hadle MEC threat consider you also bring a specialist with good hack/PCS/updated gremlin.
A rocket vs a Sapper frag are very different use cases. Let's put aside the issue that you might have fucked your next battle by removing a lot of usable cover with a rocket. A Sapper supported by an Air Drop spec can spot-remove cover from important enemies more often than a technical. In fact, with more Air Drop specs, there's nothing stopping a Sapper from taking flashbang perks afterwards. Which brings to question whether a spec wants to take Air Drop instead of EV. Sure, you can adopt a plan to only rely on rockets for cover destruction on a key pod or two. But if you want high aim rockstars to do their job for every pod without taking time to get flank traps, then a Sapper is more reliable - takes less time (and space) to bait a priority target to move to sappable cover than to flank.

On the note of Mecs, Formidable is arguably better than BS at controlling them for the key turn. A technical with Shredder perk and a laser rifle can remove all the armour. Now, if you want to use that Mec to tank enemies then BS will be more useful. But that goes well beyond 'handling the Mec threat'.
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Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

It isn't like Sappers and Rocketeers are mutually exclusive, my base GOps team usually carries both a Sapper and a Rocketeer for tons of AoE and Cover destruction. Paired with a Ranger (not the sawn-off) there's rarely anything you can't tackle with them on a GOps.

And I'm not even dissing on the RD flashbanger Grenadiers, I usually deploy those as support to squads with Assaults, Sawn-Offs and Flamer Technicals for GOps, or as support for long ranged squads deployed on the long missions.

And to the question of BS being used to answer MECs: a Ranger with AP ammo is by far the most efficient solution to that. Followed by Sharpshooters. Not that it doesn't work but if you have a Ranger with AP on the squad, chances are its better off double shooting a MEC/Drone during that turn.
Noober
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Noober »

Dwarfling wrote:And to the question of BS being used to answer MECs: a Ranger with AP ammo is by far the most efficient solution to that. Followed by Sharpshooters. Not that it doesn't work but if you have a Ranger with AP on the squad, chances are its better off double shooting a MEC/Drone during that turn.
I understand this is just a matter of playstyle and yes there are other ways to counter a MECs but for me there is a huge difference of using BS vs shooty specs and it's a MEC farming for havens.

After having 8 invasions in last campaign I very well understood the value of kamikaze-scout MEC on those missions.
BS gives a -25 to hack defence of MEC on top of disorientation thus making it much more likely to be harvested by FO after midgame when both FO and invasions come to play.
And even early on control is far better option then killing and BS makes this option more realistic even for specialist with the average hacking skill. And in case of control failing there is a disorientation effect.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Noober wrote:MEC farming for havens.
If this is lower than Legendary, then Mec farming is best done by pushing a Spec to GSGT in June with 8-man GOps, not taking BS. My current values prioritise TA too much to take FO, but I can certainly vouch for the fun in having 3 Mecs in a haven before M2 Mecs start showing up. 8-man, no-infiltration spam also gets you a LOT of missions with M1 Mecs in them. BS loses a lot of value in an 8-man squad that considers Heavy GOps to be the norm.
Noober wrote:control is far better option then killing
Agreed. But if killing is a good enough option, then there's no need to go out of your way to control the Mec.
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Redshirt4life
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Redshirt4life »

Actually I never used sapper. The opportunity cost is too high. I could never justify taking it over rapid deployment. A free action CC is just plain too good to pass up, especially when it results in a 50% stun over a pretty insane AOE. Thise sting grenades end up being clutch every mission, so, I'm wrong in saying sapper is bad, but the alternative is really, really good. If I have any misconceptions on how sapper works feel free to clear them up. I've heard that its not 100% reliable cover destruction, and I heard the cover destroyed is in a limited aoe from the center of the explosion.

What are you running in these squads? Your using formidable to counter explosives, right? And you'd always have a non-ow specialist (all my specialists are OW because I prefer active rangers) for air drop and robotic CC. What else? Let me know the makeup and I'll give er a go.

For my main squads cover destruction I rely on technicals and gunners. Technical rockets are the answer to breaking large amounts of cover for serial streaks. Demolition provides more specific cover destruction for must-kill targets. He also has hail of bullets, which ignores cover, and flush, which forces them out of cover. These squads also have active rangers that stack aim bonuses to fight enemies through cover alongside at least one soldier with pistol perks, clutch shot being a great way to finish a target behind cover, and finally a shredder gun or two.

I also have one squad that runs without grenadiers at all. They are led by a holo-targetting sharpshooter with lead by example. I normally use these on non-timed missions. Its made up of an Overwatch specialist, overwatch infantry, technical tank with pistol perks, crit assault, sword shinobi, and a swiss army gunner. The sharpshooter officer is giving a surprisingly large amount of aim between the holotargetter and lead by example.
Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

My default early to mid-game GOps 5-man Sapper team that needs to do a Ex-Light to V-Light Hack GOps looks like this:

Shinobi: Usually a Bladenobi. Officer. Medkit.
Technical: Usually has FitH. Hopefully the 1st pod is actually moving towards us to open with flamethrower. Has a flashbang.
Grenadier: Sapper. Sometimes has to open on the 1st pod with an incendiary. 3frags 2incendiary or 4frags 1flash.
Ranger: Rifle, usually an OW that still hasn't reached Rapid Reaction or a Crit Ranger. Carries AP ammo.
Specialist: whatever is available.
#6: whatever if you get enough infiltration time. Not needed.

Normally you'd activate against a the 1st pod encountered + solo drone, hopefully the pod got incapacitated with fire, normally you'd use a frag here to be done in one turn. Then you'd scout for a 2nd pod, hopefully activated thru overwatch trap. Most likely eats a rocket and grenades to kill in one turn. Then for the 3rd pod your Shinobi can outright -1 them and you can set whatever is left on fire. Sometimes you activate both 2nd and 3rd, in that case you can reveal the Shinobi and get rocket'ing while you control the rest with flashbangs and fire.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Redshirt4life wrote:I've heard that its not 100% reliable cover destruction, and I heard the cover destroyed is in a limited aoe from the center of the explosion.
The latter is true: expect only the center of the frag to have cover removed. The former is true in that there are still some things you shouldn't expect to blow up with Sapper. But the list of terrain object types which get reliably destroyed by a frag gets pretty big with Sapper - most notably, cars.

And yes, you're right in assessing RD so highly. While I prefer to use it for smokes (or shaped charge) than flashbangs, it's undoubtedly very good.
What are you running in these squads?
I've not had time to see if it's feasible in Legendary but on Commander I do this. There's a timing window on Commander where you can start doing 8-man GOp missions from around early June, get GSGTs out ridiculously fast and go full ham until August when Coilguns and M3 Advent change the meta again. The game is balanced assuming soldier ranks will max out around when M3s are common so getting highly risky 8-man missions to pay off in EXP creates a period when you can seemingly do whatever missions you want. I've had campaigns burn because this rampage spiked vigilance in all the wrong places that a normal playstyle wouldn't get. Strategic layer perils aside, on the tactical layer the gimmick is to stack Aid Protocol and smoke grenades with LoS blocking (and various equipment to shut out debuffs) to control everything which needs to check Aim to hit.

Listen to Dwarfling for how to do things properly on Legendary.
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faket15
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by faket15 »

Dwarfling wrote:And I'm not even dissing on the RD flashbanger Grenadiers, I usually deploy those as support to squads with Assaults, Sawn-Offs and Flamer Technicals for GOps, or as support for long ranged squads deployed on the long missions.
When you talk about long missions are you talking about untimed missions in general (including Troop Columns, Supply Raids and UFOs) or only about HQs and Golden Path missions? Do they actually have enough grenades for the really long missions before FK? Do you give them something else to do in turns when they don't use grenades, like Officer levels, pistol perks or a good rifle + AWC shooting perks?

I read some of your posts talking about soldier composition for timed missions and they are very similar to what I use. I would like to see what is your composition for untimed missions if you have time to talk about it.
Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

I consider long missions both the ones without timers or those with a large amount of enemies that need several turns to chew thru. The ones you usually take DFA Sharpshooters to and are usually the ones doing the most killing: Supply Raids and UFOs, Troop Columns, HQ, Facilities, GP Missions. On those you'll usually hit spots where your damage dealers can't cope with the number of active enemies, that's usually when you start using up your flashbangs. Paired with Gunners you can buy enough time for the DFA and the Rangers. My Support Grenadiers always have high aim, so I give them a spare rifle, so even if you use up all the flashbangs they're still decent. Also I pick Protector over Heavy Ordinance because I think 5 Sting are stronger than 3 Sting 2 Incendiary. And I don't think Incendiary are so expensive you can't buy an extra if you want 3 flash 2 incendiary on a GOps. They also make good officers but most of the times it seems my Shinobis are higher ranked (since I train a lot of them and can alternate tube time).

4-man Light Supply Raid: usually you exploit DFA but it can be hard on the first pods.

DFA Sharpshooter: AP, Medikit.
Shinobi: Medikit.
Gunner: Medikit.
Grenadier: 4 Flash 1 Incendiary. Rifle. Can be subbed for a Technical.


8-man HQ Raid / Facility / GP: usually I bring one of everything but Assaults and Technicals, then double on Gunners, Sharpshooters or Rangers.

DFA Sharpshooter: Ammo and Medikit or smoke.
Shinobi: Medikit.
Gunner: Medikit. Ammo if enough HP.
Ranger: AP Ammo. Handles MECs and Berserkers.
Grenadier: 4 flashbangs, 1 Incendiary. Rifle.
OW Specialist: Medikit. My OW Specialists typically pick M.Protocol. If Field Medic also, other medkits can be subbed.
Gunner: for double suppression.
Sharpshooter: for extra damage.
gimrah
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by gimrah »

I would bring a FK grenadier on a supply raid, a troop column, avenger defence, even a facility. Late game having a couple of EMP bombs is great on those missions. I like to take Formidable so I have the option for longer missions to lose the plating, go all grenades and still have a couple of ablative. But an HQ is probably too long: I prefer double gunners for CC and cover destruction from demolition. And invasions have too many enemies: I prefer soldier who can kill things consistently without consumables (bladenobis, assaults etc).

The 4-man Light supply raid is a new thing I'm getting my head around for Legend: in past campaigns I wouldn't risk it but in Legend resources are scarcer and you can't afford to turn down the opportunity. I don't like shinobis much in 4-man teams. Yes in a perfect world you can kill everything with a shinobi spotting for a sniper, but only if the map and pod placement allow. And using the sword is difficult on supply raids because of activation risk. I go for a DfA sniper, a gunner, a shooty ranger, maybe an OW specialist. That squad is actually pretty robust in a multi-turn stand-off fight, especially if the gunner has a combat awareness PCS and the ranger has fortify. The gunner can suppress with little risk of getting hit and losing suppression. The ranger can shoot then hunker, or double shoot with fortify or aid protocol. The sharpshooter can pop away from the safety of range.
Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

gimrah wrote:But an HQ is probably too long: I prefer double gunners for CC and cover destruction from demolition.
It's a matter of redundancy. I already bring 2 Gunners to an HQ if I got them. They do both damage dealing and control. But sometimes that's just not enough. Sometimes a Muton football team will walk into you while you're engaging another pod. And now you're faced with questions like "Do I use 3 soldiers to kill the Berserker before it gets to me?" "Will a Muton dash thru suppression and grenade my guys sharing high cover?". Flashbangs can buy you enough time to figure out solutions. Will you run out? Probably. But now there're less pods to worry about and the map gets easier.
gimrah wrote:DfA sniper, a gunner, a shooty ranger, maybe an OW specialist. That squad is actually pretty robust in a multi-turn stand-off fight
Which one of those is the Officer? Anyway no composition is perfect, if you run into a 2xStunlancer pod and you can't kill both you can expect a stunlancer to dash the suppression. By having the Grenadier you buy more time for the DFA against skill users. Hopefully he/she doesn't miss (haha yeah right :D ). By having the Shinobi I can make most pods take a -1 before they reach my frontline but said frontline is smaller. Sometimes I gotta suppress and pray nothing else walks into me, but at least the Shinobi can tell me in advance. Since my Shinobis go Officer they can help a bit with Command or Focus Fire in the meanwhile. Everything is a compromise with a 4-man.
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

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Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Dwarfling wrote:
gimrah wrote:But an HQ is probably too long: I prefer double gunners for CC and cover destruction from demolition.
Flashbangs can buy you enough time to figure out solutions. Will you run out? Probably. But now there're less pods to worry about and the map gets easier.
Yeah, long untimed missions still want consumables - they let you 'expand' your "safely scouted" territory early in the mission. You have more options when you have more "territory" to safely move around in.
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gimrah
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by gimrah »

To Dwarfling's question, probably no-one is the officer in that team, which is admittedly suboptimal in itself!

And if you rely on suppression for CC then yes things that run it become the priority for the sniper and ranger. So flanky snakes and scouts notably. For lancers I'll probably get some damage on it and rely on suppression to kill it, especially if the gunner has lockdown/mayhem.

For additional CC on an HQ I've been experimenting with an arc thrower specced assault. I concluded I quite like it but would have been better with rifle than shotgun (not as many things ran towards me as joinrbs would have me believe). But having an accurate arc thrower is really nice to shut down the inevitable beserkers while you thin out the rest of the football teams. Also supports the specialist on hacks. Also allows you to get at least a disorient on a dangerous enemy (eg a rocketeer in good cover that your sharpshooter can't see).

Don't get me wrong, I really like grenadiers and I could definitely see myself taking them on those missions sometimes. Especially if they have some shootiness, e.g. good aim and some good skills from the AWC.
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

gimrah wrote:a rocketeer in good cover that your sharpshooter can't see
I've been wondering: what is the AI decision tree for a Rocketeer? I know they can move and rocket, but I've yet to see them do that if they (and any other active enemy) can't see anything at the start of their turn. Granted I haven't exactly been letting them live long enough to observe them.
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gimrah
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by gimrah »

It's probably like everything else: if the AI can't see any of your soldiers it'll do something silly. But if anything can see any of your soldiers it'll act like it can see everything. However I think moving reduces the range for an advent rocketeer (cos they don't have scatter). So flanking one isn't good at shutting them down because they can and will just run at you and rocket at close range. But if they are further away and have to move to get LoS, then they may still be too far away.

I can also say from experience that incoming/formidable tanking a rocketeer isn't advisable, as they destroy cover pretty well and also set things on fire. So better than nothing but still not great.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

gimrah wrote:It's probably like everything else: if the AI can't see any of your soldiers it'll do something silly. But if anything can see any of your soldiers it'll act like it can see everything. However I think moving reduces the range for an advent rocketeer (cos they don't have scatter). So flanking one isn't good at shutting them down because they can and will just run at you and rocket at close range. But if they are further away and have to move to get LoS, then they may still be too far away.

I can also say from experience that incoming/formidable tanking a rocketeer isn't advisable, as they destroy cover pretty well and also set things on fire. So better than nothing but still not great.
Hmm, that would explain why rocketeers never shot their rocket if they had to move in just to see anyone again. I should mind control one some day and see for myself.

As for tanking a rocket... here I'd go on a rube goldberg tangent of having a Psi with Fortress wearing WAR suit as unexplodable cover. Then I ask "say, does Bastion work on Sparks?" as if getting a Psi that high to pick Bastion of all things and also investing in a Spark is a trivial thing. The pragmatic thing would be to take cover behind an already-exploded car when tanking a rocket.
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gimrah
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by gimrah »

Yeah but Bastion is super late game if at all. And it has some buggy interactions, possibly with hazmat cancelling it out.
Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Dwarfling »

I think someone (or me) should put up some sort of guide/chart of Sapper frag interactions. I don't have a lot of time and it's gonna look ugly but I think I can get it done. Eventually.
Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Grenadier builds

Post by Psieye »

Making a Sapper guide is a 2 step process: a bunch of cropped screenshots (or just a long list of object descriptions) and then some caption under each to describe what happens. Someone else could do the former.
My three 8-man GOp squad Commander campaigns:
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