[XCOM2-Spoilers] Operation Regal Beast (Easy-Ironman)

Operation Regal Beast

Location: Abandoned Research Facility
Briefing: Investigation - Unknown Site
Objective: Investigate Vahlen's Signal; Central must survive

Cast of Nitwits:

Aragorn "Son of" Arathorn | Ranger
Spark-001 | Mech
Katya Kazanova | Sniper
Dmitri "Rocket Red" Pushkin | Grenadier
John "Central" Bradford | Pincushion

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Some blah blah explanation and signal stuff I never listen to. Probably why I don't know the storyline.

I send Aragorn and Spark out to scout and they see a couple Snakemen on guard duty. We set up accordingly trying not to be spotted.

Once we're setup, I place everyone in Overwatch except Aragorn who rushes in and slices one of the Neonate Snakemen in half. The other panics and slithers for cover. Spark misses it but Katya takes it down with one shot form her sniper rifle.

Aragorn takes point and while Spark is here to protect Central, I keep Central in full cover off to the left with Spark down the middle. I know he provides cover but I'm leery of keeping multiple units too close together.

As Aragorn moves forward a couple Vipers (type of Snakeman) wander into the room and he takes one down as Central proves why he's not 'field-ready,' firing wide.

Aragorn takes up a defensible position while Spark, Katya and Rocket line up in the back. We've entered a building and I need to get everyone in there for combat. Rocket gets an angle on the remaining Viper and with 92% chance to hit, he goes for it and rips the Neonate Viper apart with his cannon.

There are bats and snakes around which make this place creepy; not to mention the holograms of another type of Viper, a Muton and an Archon. We have two exits out the back and I send Spark, Aragorn and Rocket to the right with Katya and Central to the left, violating the ideal that Spark is protecting Central.

I change my mind at the last minute and send Rocket Red at a run to back up Central. Vipers come down from everywhere in the cavern. I lost count of them and while Spark and Aragorn took potshots, they missed these slithering beasts. One came out of a grate behind Katya and she reacted quickly putting it down with her pistol. Central took one out at the far end of the area. It seems he's warming up to field-work. Our rear is wiped but we've got an umbrella of Vipers ahead of us with our target location in the middle.

My first move in the combat is to order Aragorn closer to his nearest enemy instead of just taking the shot which aggros two more Vipers. Instead of taking his 100% on the nearest enemy he takes out one with higher ground at 75%.

Spark moves in and can't get any two in the area effect of his rockets thus he takes out the one closest to Aragorn. Katya sees one with her Squadsight and takes it down with ease. Dmitri (Rocket Red) can't see any targets, moves in and launches a grenade at one that could flank Aragorn.

Central has a couple choices. Open the door to the small building with our mission target location inside or try to take out one of the remaining Vipers. I can't remember how the Reaper Ability works, so I hesitate, but my gut is always to rush forward in berserker mode. Central guts two Vipers with his sword and ducks into cover. Wow, that looks like all of them. Well done guys.

Whup, a new one comes in from behind and targets Katya while another slithers between Spark's legs for position. Base tells us there are no more coming except some strange reading which may be y'know a Queen or something like that. No biggie. Press on.

Aragorn takes the one by Spark out with ease and Katya makes a risky forward maneuver, turning back at the last second to dispatch the other in a 50/50 gamble.

Uh oh, our target is not in the building but there's a reading she might be in the back of this cavern. Fun. What could go wrong? I eat a biscotte and consider dinner. All the troops reload while I eat my snack.

Spark takes point while I lazily order the troops forward to get organized.

Entering the back of the cavern, Spark finds some high ground down the middle; Aragorn goes left while Central goes right. Katya has to run to keep up with the rest of the group. Bats fly in front of my cameras. Snakes flee Aragorn's steps.

Oh great, a Viper King. I love this game but am not a fan of the "boss monster" style of play. Still, a couple reaction shots do some damage and another Viper slides out of the rocks.

While journaling I knock my mouse off the desk and move Central way back as if fleeing the fight and Katya gets snagged by the Viper King who's not just a Boss but a Ruler, which means it will act every time one of my troops takes a move or shoot action. This could be bad as I just had my most powerful unit flee the area by mistake. He's close enough to run back full tilt and stab the Ruler. I should use Reaper to kill it's peon on the way but I don't. As soon as Viper King is stabbed, it drops an injured Katya and summons a gate to flee. I bet I'll see it again. Better shred the armour before it gets away.

Dmitri can't risk rockets on the 'King' as Katya and Central are adjacent. He moves for a better position to shred the armour with his cannon. The Viper King gets away. Dangit.

Bah, lets' just kill all the rest. Screw prisoners.

We do.

Easy-peasy.

Mission Type: Alien Nest
Objective: Completed
Turns Taken: 14
Enemies Killed: 15/16
Soldiers Wounded: 1
Soldiers Killer: 0
Rating: Excellent

Promotions:
Dmitri moves up to Corporal where he can actually shred armour. I guess he couldn't before. Whoops.
Aragorn also moves up to Corporal and gains Blademaster.
Katya is injured for 21 days but as the previous two, is promoted to Corporal. She has to choose between Long Watch and Return Fire. I really like the idea of Return Fire however Long Watch seems to be what's worked best in the past so that's what she takes.
Spark gets promoted too! Yippee! Now an Aspirant instead of a Squire he may choose between Bulwark (better cover for adjacent friendlies) and Adaptive Aim (removes recoil when in Overdrive). I really don't know but take Bulwark. Likely a mistake.

Conclusion: I don't feel like I was challenged, perhaps I should move this up to Veteran difficulty where I usually play, however even with the ability to load/save (not in Iron Man mode), I do tend to lose the occasional trooper.

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