Long War is a comprehensive mod for the computer game XCOM: Enemy Within. Long War expands the base game’s four classes into eight. These guides are designed to introduce new Long War players to the new classes. Most of the perks are identical to their vanilla counterparts, but Long War adds a few perks and changes others. On the Enemy Within DLC it can also be used to repair MEC Troopers. Requires: EMP Canon Research, 10 Engineers. Stun, Drone Hack, and Repair SHIV have separate commands from each other, but the Arc Thrower only holds two charges total: So it's two total of any combination of Stun, Hack, or Repair.
Author's Note:
- Arc Thrower in the soldier's inventory. After sending troops to the mission, we have to isolate one of the aliens from the rest, then weaken it for two or three points of life. Pistols are perfect for this task. Then you have to hit the wounded enemy with an Arc Thrower.
- @TheLaughingMan: Yeah, upgrading the Arc Thrower can be helpful, as instead of needing to get their health to 3 or below, it becomes 6 and below. And if you do still manage to get an enemy down to like 1-3 health, you have a 95% stun rate.
- On the Enemy Within DLC it can also be used to repair MEC Troopers. Requires: EMP Canon Research, 10 Engineers. Stun, Drone Hack, and Repair SHIV have separate commands from each other, but the Arc Thrower only holds two charges total: So it's two total of any.
Hello dear readers and welcome to the first XCOM/Rosario+Vampire crossover on .
A few days ago I made a boast: that I could cross two very improbable franchises. My friend immediately asked me to prove it. And here is the proof! Hah!
I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it…
The war lasted for a bit over two years... The Ethereals, a race of aliens, attacked Earth with an army of thralls wielding advanced technology decades beyond anything on our planet.
They seemed unstoppable... They struck hard and fast, killing and/or abducting the populace before the army could respond... They struck all over the globe, without discrimination...
But we didn't give up... A group of the most influential people from across the globe gathered together, pooling their considerable resources in order to activate a contingency plan from before the Cold War.
And thus the XCOM Initiative was put into effect. The finest minds and the best soldiers of Humanity were gathered together in order to combat the threat.
But even with them victory was pyrrhic at best... Conventional weaponry was barely effective, and the finest armor we could produce was as effective as cardboard... But even with eighty percent mortality rate we did not relent. And in time, we turned the tide...
Captured alien technology helped them improve theirs. Within a couple of months they succeeded in creating things only thought real in science fictions, like active optical camouflage and laser weapons... They finally had armor that could withstand several plasma hits... An year into the war and we developed plasma weaponry of our own... The alien substance dubbed MELD allowed XCOM to augment their soldiers to superhuman levels, or even gave them robotic bodies that laid waste to the invaders...
But the aliens didn't stay idle... Each success by XCOM only increased the difficulty of the battles as new and reinforced thralls joined the battlefield.
And they weren't the only enemies XCOM faced... Other groups tried to take the aliens' technology for themselves, or even help the invaders... The most prominent and dangerous of them being EXALT, which succeeded in sabotaging XCOM operations when others failed.
But the defenders of Humanity did not let that stop them... They rooted the groups one by one, while battling the alien threat...
Nothing could stop XCOM from defending the populace of Earth… They met anything that was thrown at them head-on and defeated it… The first contact in Germany, the first downed alien aircraft, the Outsider, the assault on the Alien Base and the counterattack on XCOM Headquarters, the Terror Attacks, the Covert Operations against EXALT, the first meeting with the true leaders of the enemy forces, the Temple Ship assault and the final showdown with the Uber Ethereal…
XCOM met all that and much more with nothing more than human enginivity and prevailed.
Now both the Enemy Within and the Enemy Unknown are beaten, never to return.
But XCOM hasn't been shut down… No. XCOM will stay true to their motto…
Vigilo Confido.
Ever Vigilant.
For even with one enemy destroyed, nothing guarantees that another one won't emerge to fill the vacuum...
'Are you certain about this?' The man who asked the question appeared to be in his mid-thirties, With short hair and dark eyes. He was currently looking up at a massive screen, frowning at the small image that took one of its corners.
'Yes, Commander.' The electronically disguised voice that replied belonged to the man whose image took the rest of the screen. His face was hidden in shadow, leaving only an outline of his bald head.
'The image is genuine.' The man continued, causing Commander Bradford's frown to deepen.
'With all due respect, Councillor, this doesn't look like an Extraterrestrial... It looks more like a...'
'We are aware that the creature does not match any known Extraterrestrial profile.' The man on the other side interrupted him. 'But it is clearly not of human origin. This is why the Council is delivering this matter into your hands.'
'Very well...'Bradford sighed. 'I shall dispatch Operatives immediately.'
'The Council will await your report. Until we meet again, Commander.' With those parting words the Councillor terminated the transmission.
Bradford didn't move as he continued to stare at the image. It was a satellite image of a city, zoomed in on max. Flying over it was what at first glance appeared to be a human male with leathery bat-like wings coming out of his back and a spade-tipped tail flapping behind it. The photo was taken from above just as the creature was making a roll, allowing for a somewhat clear image of his face.
Bradford wasn't superstitious... Then again, he didn't believe in aliens before they came. Still, he wasn't going to believe that this was a demon or anything like that...
'The Commander had to deal with less weird things...' Bradford muttered to himself. He thought of the man who had this post before him, the man whose decisions and management of the XCOM program led them all to victory... They still called him by his title, even if he retired right after the war ended...
Another sigh escaped Bradford's lips as he walked out of the Situation room. He had a mission to plan and coordinate...
As he walked the short walk to the Mission Control room he couldn't help but wonder if this was how the Commander felt in the first few days of the War...
Amar smiled widely as he dived through the air. The Incubus was making his weekly flight high over the streets of Dubai, something he took up to keep his wings in shape. He wasn't worried that anyone would see him... There weren't many people who dared come out at night after the war with the invaders... And even if someone saw him then they would probably think he was a figment of their imagination...
The Incubus chuckled at that thought. Perhaps he could fly in one of the buildings below and Charm a girl or two, like his ancestors did in the past... Nobody would believe that a supposedly mythological creature had their way with someone...
Amar shook his head. He already had his fun for the night... He was just going to wrap this flight up and rest. His mind made the succubus banked to the side and headed towards one of the taller buildings in the district.
Landing lightly on his feet the Incubus paused to stretch his limbs before assuming human form. He didn't want any of his neighbors to see him as he made his way to his apartment...
Nothing disturbed the short walk to the door to the emergency stairwell that would lead him down and into the building. It was only when he opened the door that he got a surprise...
'Luvly night fer a stroll, ain't it?' A heavily accented voice said before the crackle of electricity filled the air. Amar collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut as the XCOM Operative discharged the Arc Thrower in him. The human watched with curiosity as the monster returned to its real form before bending over to check its vitals. A second later he nodded to himself and stood up.
'Bogie's tagged 'n ready to be bagged.' He spoke in an earpiece.
'Roger that, Sneaks. Fast Wing is on the way.' Came the reply from the Skyranger's pilot. The Operative grinned and grabbed the Incubus' body dragging it back on the rooftop as the sound of the hovercraft's relatively quiet engines became louder...
Amar woke up with a groan. His entire body felt numb and ached... And he was suffering from a headache, one that got worse the moment he opened his eyes... The lights above him seemed too bright...
'Ugh... What did I drink last night?' He asked as he stood up. A weight on his back informed him that his wings were out. Immediately he concentrated, returning to his human form in an instant.
'The subject seems to possess remarkable mimicry ability.' The accented female voice speaking in English made the Incubus look around in surprise.
He was standing in a circular chamber without a visible exit. The walls were covered in white panels that, coupled with the lights coming from the ceiling, made the room awfully bright.
A segment of the wall was different though. A large window allowed him to look into the room beyond. The owner of the voice was standing behind it, talking into a small recorder that was held in one hand, the other holding a datapad. Her eyes were looking at him with curiosity...
'The form is indistinguishable from a normal human.' Doctor Vahlen continued with her observations. 'It's amazing... So many of his kind might be hiding amongst us without our knowledge...'
Amar was feeling panic seep in him... Not only was he captured, but his captors were apparently humans and had seen his true form... And the woman behind the glass was making dangerous conclusions...
'Now hold on, miss...'The scientist blinked at the interruption before smiling at him. Amar shuddered at the sight... The smile looked polite, but he felt the malevolence behind it...
'Oh, did I forget to turn off the microphone again?' The way she asked the question made it clear that this wasn't a mistake... 'Oh well. Since you are awake we should begin. The Commander wants results as soon as possible.'
Amar gulped. Commander? That sounded like a military rank... Was he captured by the army? Was he going to be used for strange and twisted experiments?
The answer to those questions, though he didn't know it, was yes...
'I-I'm sorry... Who are you? Where am I? What's going on here?'
'Ah, yes. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Doctor Vahlen and I'm here to pick your brain for any information we can gather.' The succubus took a step back. This... He couldn't let this happen... They could learn about the monsters... And then hunt them down...
Amar remembered all the stories he heard from his grandparents and the teachers at Youkai Academy... About how the humans hunted down any monster that revealed themselves, mercilessly killing them... Now it appeared that the apes had gotten more clever, going with capture and interrogation instead of outright kill...
'Y-you can't make me talk...' The incubus stuttered in fear as he took a step back.
'Pity...' the way Doctor Vahlen said that made it clear that she felt no feelings of that kind... 'I was hoping that we could have had a normal interrogation for a change... Oh well, we still have our old and tested method.'
'What, torture? You'll never get me to talk, human!'
'Oh, no, nothing as primitive as that.' Vahlen shook her head. 'No, we have other methods...' With that she pressed a spot on the datapad.
Amar looked around as two panels in the wall slid up.
A pair of mechanical arms with strange ovals on the ends stretched out, reaching towards him.
Irrational fear gripped him as the contraptions lit up with an eerie light. The Incubus could feel that the things would kill him... Instinctively he transformed into his monster form and started slashing at the glass in front of him.
Unfortunately the glass was designed to be able to hold back a Muton. While an Incubus' claws are sharp, they just scratched the surface.
The impassive face of Doctor Vahlen was the last thing that Amar saw before the protective shield closed between them.
And then there was only pain...
'Are you certain about this?'
Commander Bradford had that Deja Vu feeling as he asked the question, his eyes looking up from the report.
'Yes, Commander.' Doctor Vahlen nodded. 'The interrogation has never been wrong. It can't be wrong. And the autopsy results are correct. I checked them half a dozen times myself to be sure.'
'My apologies, Doctor...' Bradford lowered his head as he rubbed his temples. 'But this is just unbelievable... Legendary monsters, living right under our nose? Dozens of species right here, on Earth? And...' He scrolled down the datapad. 'If the memories and DNA analysis are correct, then they can and have reproduced with humans for ages?'
'I know it seems unbelievable, Commander. But it is true. The DNA test of the...' Vahlen hesitated for a moment. '...incubus, as he called himself, is compatible with a human's.'
'The Council isn't going to believe this...' Bradford sighed. Still, there was nothing he could do but send Vahlen's report.
With a few taps on the datapad the files were sent to the mysterious group via an encrypted channel.
'And now we wait...' Bradford said, leaning back in his chair. 'If there's nothing else then you're dismissed, Doctor.'
'I shall return to examining the... creature's DNA, Commander.' With that Vahlen left Bradford's office, leaving him to his thoughts...
The Commander was wrong. While the Council was a bit hesitant, they accepted Vahlen's report and decided on a course of action. And on the next day they contacted Bradford...
Xcom Enemy Within Arc Thrower -
'Hello Commander.' The man greeted Bradford in the same way they did his predecessor. 'The Council is most perturbed by Doctor Vahlen's report. If the subject's memories are true, then Humanity is facing a possible threat greater than anything we have faced before. Neither the Extraterrestrials nor EXALT were able to infiltrate our society this deep.'
Bradford nodded in agreement. While EXALT was composed of humans, their genetic modifications made them stand out if someone knew what to look for... It was the same with the Extraterrestrials' Thin Men...
But these monsters... They could take a perfect human disguise at will... It was a stroke of luck that the spy satellite was looking at that city in that moment... If it hadn't been there then they might have never found out about these new species...
'We have decided to increase XCOM's current funding to fifty percent of its war-time value. That should be sufficient for your new objective.'
'We are ready to receive it, Councillor.' Bradford said, straightening up. He was glad for the extra funds... XCOM had been operating with only twenty percent of the resources they used to have...
'Commander. XCOM's new agenda is not one of direct defense. You are to use your resources to discover more about our new enemy. We want regular updates. It is imperative that we know as much as possible on this new threat.'
'I shall have my soldiers and operatives start immediately.' Bradford nodded, his mind already working on figuring out where to start at. These creatures were good at hiding... Too good, if the fact that nowadays they were considered to be just legends and folklore...
This was going to be tricky...
'Good. Until we meet again, Commander.' The Councillor said and terminated the transmission.
Bradford stood silent for a minute before he left the room...
Just as Bradford predicted, it was tricky. But it wasn't impossible... He had the teams investigate every rumor, every tale they could, checking its credibility. They had many false leads in the first couple of weeks... But finally they struck the metaphorical gold...
Jean Laurent frowned as he observed the small village through his Plasma Sniper's S.C.O.P.E. It looked ordinary enough… Like a village of hunters and lumberjacks… But the French XCOM Sniper knew better than that. Secluded deep in the woods of Sweden, this village was full of monsters... If Jean was to guess, there were no humans around here…
Which meant that he wouldn't have to worry about killing anyone important…
Or at least he wouldn't if the orders were to slaughter the inhabitants… Unfortunately for him it they weren't… No, he was to observe and then capture live specimens for extraction… Something that was a child's play for an experient Major like him.
Sighing Jean lowered the rifle and switched to his Plasma Pistol. His form blurred and he disappeared from view as his Ghost Armor activated.
He knew that he wasn't the only XCOM operative on the site… A full squad equipped with Ghost Armors were around, doing the same thing as him. A dozen more soldiers were in the surrounding woods, prepared to take out any stragglers. And somewhere high above several Skyrangers were circling, ready to drop down reinforcements in case things went really dicey.
'This is Nightmare. Approaching the first house on the East side.' He transmitted through the comm channel as he entered the village proper. More confirmations were transmitted through the comm system, indicating the different groups moving into or approaching the village.
It was time to catch some prey...
The operation went smoother than anything in XCOM history. The soldiers struck fast, appearing just long enough to zap their targets with the Arc Thrower before disappearing, the unconscious monsters disappearing moments later with the help of a smaller version of the Ghost Grenades. Sometimes the soldier stood for a few more seconds, grimacing at the Goblins' amphibian appearance before they disappeared.
It was over an hour later that the disappearances in the small community were noticed. The Goblins started sending search parties, trying to locate their brethren.
Many of those parties failed to return…
Some of the monsters tried to run in the forest. Only one made it more than
Finally the dozen or so remaining Goblins took their monster forms and grouped into the largest building, hoping that the structure coupled with their numbers will offer some protection from the unseen assailants.
They were wrong…
Flashbangs broke the building's windows, allowing the Goblins to give out short screams of surprise and fear before they detonated. They didn't even hear the XCOM soldiers bursting in through the doors.
Several discharges of the Arc Throwers later and they were incapacitated… Cheers echoed over the Mission Control chamber back in the XCOM headquarters. This was their first mission without a casualty on either side.
The Skyrangers descended into the village's square as the soldiers dragged their unconscious captives.
And back in the base there was a large empty circle around Doctor Vahlen, who was unsettling everybody with her smile...
This was the first XCOM operation against the Monsters, but it certainly wasn't the last… Several other isolated communities were attacked, the empty villages destroyed in a manner to indicate attacks from other monsters. And then there were the rampages as well, events that usually went in the tabloids and were usually dismissed as over exaggerated animal attacks, drug hallucinations and the like.
Doctor Vahlen was quite happy with all the new subjects to examine, interrogate and autopsy…
But while XCOM were great at covert ops, they weren't good enough to fool everyone… One in particular, an ancient being with many plans that spanned centuries, managed to not only notice what was happening, but also track down the source.
The Kishin had succeeded where others had failed… But it had centuries of experience and his powers to his side…
It was time for one of the most powerful monsters in existence to speak with one of the most powerful men...
'Hello Commander.'
Bradford was beginning to suspect that the Councillor's greeting was recorded and played every time… There was just no way it could sound the same every time he contacted him, even with the electronic disguise in place.
'The situation with the monsters has changed. As of this moment all attacks on monster settlements are to cease.' Bradford blinked. This wasn't what he was expecting when he received the notification for the emergency transmission from the Council…
'XCOM is to continue monitoring the settlements, as well as respond to any hostilities shown by these monsters.' The man on the other side continued. 'The Council has found a way for one of your operatives to infiltrate the monsters' society.'
Bradford frowned as the bald man continued with his explanation. The idea was crazy… To send a single, underequipped operative deep behind enemy lines, with nearly nothing in terms of support… And the operative they wanted…
Well, crazy plans worked best. XCOM's short history was full of them. And the one in question was in need of vacation...
'Very well. I shall have our operative on stand-by at the drop point.' Bradford nodded.
'Until we meet again, Commander.'
The screen went black, leaving Bradford to sigh to himself before walking out.
He had a long-term mission to plan...
A/N
Well, here you have it. The first chapter. Was it good? Was it bad? Was it even worse? Or was it so bad that I should bury this idea in the core of the Earth or send it into outer space, never to be seen again?
Stay tuned for the next chapter, where I'll reveal the new main character.
Do skoro, as we say in Bulgaria.
Long War is a comprehensive mod for the computer game XCOM: Enemy Within. Long War expands the base game’s four classes into eight. These guides are designed to introduce new Long War players to the new classes. Most of the perks are identical to their vanilla counterparts, but Long War adds a few perks and changes others. When necessary, I will explain the perks in greater detail but I will assume for the most part that the player is familiar with what perks do.
Disclaimer: I typically use the following Second Wave options in my campaigns that slightly influence how I use certain classes: Red Fog, Hidden Potential, and Aiming Angles. Red Fog decreases player and AI accuracy for every point of health (not armor) damage sustained, up to -30%; it also decreases mobility for damaged units. This is important because with Red Fog enabled, inflicting minor damage is helpful because it can effectively neuter an enemy. Also, it makes Medkits more important for the player to ensure your soldiers are fighting at full effectiveness. Hidden Potential grants randomized boosts to a soldier’s stats at level up. Keep that in mind when deciding whether a particular soldier should be given a certain perk. Aiming Angles increases player and AI accuracy the closer a unit is to flanking another. Again, keep that in mind with certain perks. If you don’t play with these Second Wave options, the following guide will still be relevant.
The Sniper – General Notes
The Sniper receives some great perks in Long War, but function essentially the same as in vanilla. However, Snipers now have access to two main weapon types: Sniper Rifles (same as vanilla) and Marksman’s Rifles (also called Strike Rifles at Laser tech level and beyond). MRs do less damage and have shorter range than Sniper Rifles, but give the Snap Shot ability by default, allowing you to move and shoot*. I prefer MRs with my snipers, because they still get Squadsight for an additional 5 tiles outside their normal range. My Snipers are generally on roofs or at the back of my squad, and are still able to hit most enemies at range with their MRs.
*MR/Strike Rifles used to confer the Snap Shot perk automatically in LW, but this was changed in the latest version. They no longer grant the perk, but they also receive no aim penalty after moving. Sniper rifles only gain the ability to fire after moving if you select Snap Shot at Corporal; they still have a -10 aim penalty. Essentially, if you are planning to use Strike Rifles, Snap Shot has no use at all.
Perks
Specialist: Squadsight
One of the great things about Long War is that it finally makes both Squadsight and Shap Shot useful. In vanilla, Snap Shot was almost worthless, because although it made your Snipers better close-to-mid-range fighters, it failed to perform that role as well as any other class. Even with the nerf to Squadsight and buff to Snap Shot in Enemy Within, Squadsight was still the better perk by far. Now, all Snipers have access to Squadsight, and you may choose to combine that ability with Snap Shot if you desire. Squadsight lowers your ability to land critical hits by 30% on targets outside your normal range; enemies that are in Squadsight range will have a yellow crosshair on their icon. With Sniper Rifles/Marksman’s Rifles only, Squadsight applies to overwatch shots.
Lance Corporal: Low Profile – Gunslinger – Lone Wolf
Gunslinger was a must-have ability for Squadsight snipers in vanilla XCOM, but in Long War it is far outclassed by the other two perks. I almost exclusively use Low Profile with my snipers; although Long War boosts the effectiveness of low cover compared to vanilla XCOM, the ability to turn all cover into high cover is incredibly useful. Lone Wolf has its advantages if your sniper is going to be off on his own somewhere, but it’s hard to beat Low Profile. It does combine better with some later perk choices, however. Gunslinger is much less useful, because if you are using Strike Rifles/Marksman’s Rifles on your Scouts you will still have decent accuracy at mid-range and will have little need for a more-accurate pistol. It’s also not worth giving up Low Profile for.
Corporal: Disabling Shot – Precision Shot – Snap Shot
Disabling Shot is an incredibly useful shot late in campaigns, when tough enemies like Cyberdiscs, Mechtoids and Sectopods start appearing. DS suffers a -10% aim penalty and only does 1 damage, but it disables the target’s main weapon (note that this means the target can use secondary weapons or abilities). The weapon remains disabled until the enemy reloads, and DS has a 2 turn cooldown. DS is also useful when trying to capture enemies; since LW nerfs the Arc Thrower’s accuracy, it often takes several attempts to capture an enemy, and it is much safer when their weapon is disabled.
Snap Shot is a valid choice if you prefer long rifles over Strike rifles. Precision shot operates differently based on your weapon choice: for long rifles, it provides +30% critical chance (and removes the -30% critical chance malus for Squadsight shots) and additional damage on critical hits based on weapon tech level; for Strike rifles, it provides an unlimited range shot with no other bonuses (in other words, it’s almost completely useless). Precision Shot is a valid choice for users of long rifles, and is usually preferable to Snap Shot since Strike Rifles already grant the move-and-shoot ability. PS synergizes nicely with some later perk choices.
Sergeant: Executioner – Aggression – Damn Good Ground
Your choice at Sergeant depends on previous choices. Executioner is a good all-around option, but so is DGG. Aggression, too, combines with other possible perk selections that involve critical hit chance. Plan your build ahead of time in order to ensure you are combining your perks wisely.
Tech Sergeant: Tactical Sense – Ranger – Sharpshooter
Again, your choice here mostly depends on previous (and future) perk selections. Tactical Sense is better for Strike Rifle scouts, and combines well with Low Profile. Since your Sniper will be closer to the enemy, Tac Sense will aid their survival. Sharpshooter, meanwhile, combines well with Executioner, Aggression, and Lone Wolf, and is better for long rifle users. Ranger is generally not as good as either.
Gunnery Sergeant: Lock-n-Load – Bring ‘Em On – Vital Point Targeting
All three perks here have their uses and ideal situations. Lock-n-Load is an excellent perk; it extends your weapon’s ammo by 1 (stacks with the Extended Capacity Mags item) AND allows you to reload your weapon for free at the beginning of a turn. Essentially, this means your sniper will almost always have the ability to fire their weapon.
BEO adds +1 damage to critical hits for every enemy within sight of the Sniper, up to a maximum of +5. Note, however, that this is critical damage, not critical hit chance. So, if your shot doesn’t land a critical hit, you won’t benefit from the additional damage. However, the Sniper has other perks that increase critical hit chance (DGG, Lone Wolf, Aggression, Sharpshooter); combined with these perks, BEO is deadly.
VPT is useful for snipers, but is even more useful combined with Ranger and Mayhem (more on Mayhem below). I usually default to LnL, however, because it stacks very well with ITZ.
Master Sergeant: In the Zone – Double Tap – Mayhem
This rank is all about previous choices. In the Zone combines well with LnL; if you empty your magazine killing multiple enemies with ITZ, you can reload for free at the beginning of your next turn and start chaining kills again. Double Tap is good, but it’s even better on a Gunner because it can apply HEAT ammo twice to strong robotic enemies; the sniper does not benefit from special ammunition types. Mayhem has been changed in LW; for Sniper Rifles/Strike Rifles, it provides a +2 damage increase. Combine with with Ranger and VPT, and you’ll be doing +5 additional damage to enemies you have autopsied. Of course, you would probably do more damage anyway with Double Tap or ITZ. Double Tap is a nice option, though, because it can be used regardless of whether an enemy is flanked/exposed or not, and does not have to target the same enemy (although it does have a one turn cooldown.)
SAMPLE BUILDS
Mobile Sniper:
Squadsight – Low Profile – Disabling Shot – Executioner/Aggression/Damn Good Ground – Tactical Sense – Lock ‘n Load – In the Zone
This is my standard Strike Rifle build. I favor this build because it provides flexibility to the Sniper; you still have great long-range shots, but you can also move and shoot without penalty. Low Profile is great with Strike Rifles, because anywhere you take cover will provide high cover bonuses. Disabling Shot is the default choice, because Precision Shot is almost useless, and Snap Shot is useless for Strike Rifles. The next rank is a matter of preference; I typically use Executioner because my Sniper is on the move a lot, and thus cannot always take advantage of DGG. Aggression, meanwhile, provides benefits regardless of enemy health level. Tac Sense is a requirement because your Sniper will often be in range of enemy attacks, although if you feel like gambling you can opt for Sharpshooter. LnL is great for ITZ snipers, and Strike Rifles are great for ITZ because you can move, flank enemies, then unload with ITZ. Long rifles are better off with Double Tap, usually, because they do more base damage than Strike Rifles.
Classic Sniper:
Squadsight – Lone Wolf – Precision Shot/Disabling Shot – Executioner/Damn Good Ground – Sharpshooter – Bring ‘Em On – In The Zone/Double Tap
I call this build the “classic” Sniper because it is most similar to snipers in other media; this soldier is a “Lone Wolf” who is capable of killing or maiming enemies from long range with long sniper rifles. This build works best with long rifles and requires some preplanning and positioning, but is deadly in the right hands. It sacrifices Low Profile for Lone Wolf (this Sniper is usually not in range of enemies and doesn’t draw shots) and Tactical Sense for Sharpshooter (Tac Sense is obsolete for the same reason, and Sharpshooter is great for long rifles). DGG is preferred, because ideally you’ll be parking your sniper on a roof or hill for most of the mission. BEO stacks with Squadsight, so the enemies do not have to be in sight of the sniper, just the squad. LnL is still good, but less useful in this case. ITZ/Double Tap is a matter of preference: do you want your Sniper to specialize in crowd control? ITZ is the choice, then, because you can kill multiple enemies per turn. However, it is harder to use with long rifles because you cannot move and shoot, so you will need to rely on cover destruction to set up your ITZ sprees. Double Tap is great for dealing massive damage to one tough enemy.
Pure Damage:
Squadsight – Lone Wolf – Precision Shot – Executioner/Aggression/Damn Good Ground – Ranger/Sharpshooter – Bring ‘Em On/Vital Point Targeting – Mayhem/Double Tap
This is more of a class philosophy than a single build because you can really create two different builds designed around dealing massive damage: a Critical Hit build or pure Damage build. I’ll show both paths and how they use perk synergy to maximize effectiveness.
Critical Hits: Squadsight – Lone Wolf – Precision Shot – Aggression – Sharpshooter – Bring ‘Em On – Double Tap
Using a long rifle, you will receive the following bonuses: +10% aim and +10% crit chance with Lone Wolf; +30% crit chance and bonus crit damage with Precision Shot; up to +30% crit chance with Aggression; +10% crit chance against all enemies, plus +10% aim against enemies in high cover with Sharpshooter; up to +5 critical hit damage with BEO; 2 shots every other turn. For maximum benefits, you would receive +80% crit chance if there are no allied units within 7 tiles of the sniper and three or more enemies in sight of the squad with Precision Shot, plus additional damage per critical hit (varying amount based on tech level with Precision Shot, plus +1 damage per enemy in sight of squad from BEO), plus 10% aim (+10% more aim against an enemy in full cover).
Pure Damage: Squadsight – Lone Wolf – Precision Shot – Executioner/Damn Good Ground – Ranger – Vital Point Targeting – Mayhem/Double Tap
This works best with long rifles, but you could also use Strike Rifles (although Precision Shot would be much worse; in that case, go with Disabling Shot just for versatility). You receive +1 damage from Ranger, +2 from VPT on autopsied enemies, and +2 from Mayhem, for a total of +5. You also receive 10% aim on enemies if there are no allied units within 7 tiles of the sniper, and +10% aim and crit chance against enemies with 50% health or lower with Executioner (or +10% aim and crit chance if you have an elevation bonus on an enemy with DGG, in addition to the standard elevation bonus). These bonuses combine to provide boosts to aim, crit chance and base damage, although your crits aren’t as deadly as the previous build option. You could swap out Mayhem for Double Tap; you would do 2 less base damage but have an extra shot every 3rd turn.
Final Notes
Xcom Enemy Within Cheats
The Sniper is useful from the beginning of a campaign to the end; although she won’t be your primary killer most of the time, she is definitely useful as a supporter and in emergency situations.
Your Sniper should target the most threatening enemy if possible. Long War provides many options for your Snipers, and you could even deploy two different snipers builds in the same mission if you wanted. She doesn’t rely on items as heavily as any other class; I usually slap a Scope on for even more accuracy and critical chance, plus either Alloy Plating for Strike Rifle scouts or Extended Cap Ammo, Smoke grenades or even a Medkit in the other slot. A respirator (or Chitin Plating) is also a good idea for long range snipers, because it provides immunity to strangulation.