03-15-2018, 05:42 AM
My daycare provider wanted some time off to spend March Break with her own kids, so I've booked today and tomorrow off from work to stay home with the little one... so between naps and such I'm going to have some "me" time and maybe update the game! So the kid is asleep right now. The cat is fed. I can basically do a play-by-play as long as no one wakes up! Off to save the world!
Right now I've got a "supply raid" mission on the my other screen, which could mean an injection of cash if things go well. Also, NO TIMER! Meaning I can take it slow and reload between engagements.
I've got a five-man squad, no one above the rank of Sergeant. One sharpshooter (pistol specialist), one grenadier (low-level), one ranger (also low-level), and two specialists: one medic and one hacker.
First things first: send out the Battle Scanner and get some intel! Aaaaand nothing on the scopes. Crap. Okay, so plan B: move the sharpshooter to the high ground.
...
I spread the squad out a little too much, and I remember how well that went the last time I had a rookie-heavy engagement, so I'm bringing everybody closer for mutual support.
...
Still no targets, but I've detected movement off to one side. I'm debating between using my Battle Scanner again or moving the sharpshooter to a more forward firing position... I'm going with the lower-risk Battle Scanner, but it's my last use for that item this combat.
...
Still no targets on the scanner. Again, plan B is to move the sniper while keeping the rest of the squad in mutual-support range.
...
First targets spotted! Small group of Advent trooper, officer, and shield bearer (these guys are jerks of the first order... they can slap a four-HP shield on every bad guy if given the chance). He will be my priority to take out, once the fun starts. Still not spotted yet, and I still haven't deployed the sharpshooter favourably yet, so time to move and flank. Slowly though, I don't need to be surprised by any more enemies, and I'm pretty sure I've got more than three targets for this mission.
...
Okay, the enemy patrol has come back around. Everything looks good, time to spring my classic grenade-and-swarm tactic. Stay tuned!
...
Like clockwork, the enemy patrol goes down! The trooper even dropped some loot, so I'm going to send the ranger to scoop the loot before it times out (she used her machete for the kill) while everybody else re-loads.
...
SHOOT! I moved my grenadier a little too far forward and triggered a Muton and two Vipers. The sharpshooter has already ended her turn and the ranger (after picking up two laser sights from the downed trooper) wasted a reaction shot with her shotgun than didn't connect. The grenadier still has a shot, and both specialist have yet to move. Time to formulate a plan!
The grenadier (Squaddie Dunn) has lousy hit percentages with her machine gun, but the Muton and one Viper are close enough that Dunn's last grenade can connect with them both. So that's her move. "Black Widow" Yuan can't see anyone yet, so her next move is to advance to cover (step one) and then see what she can hit... and now she has an 80% chance to hit a flanked and *now wounded* Muton, so that's her move... BUT SHE MISSES! The last trooper is my hacker specialist (who I've nicknamed Hacker because I'm super original)... he's got equally crappy hit percentages where he is (and no special gear), but I'm going to try moving him to flank that Muton and try to finish what Black Widow started. He moves forward... and reveals an automated turret! He's also in prime position to be flanked next turn, can't take out everyone, and has no support in the form of anybody with reaction shots... I think I'll have him fall back to a better defensive position and we'll see what next turn brings.
...
That could've gone better. The Muton advanced, and I did not take into account the greater blast radius of alien grenades... he lobs one cleanly that not only nearly kills Dunn, but damages Hacker and destroys his cover. Viper number one tries a tongue grab against Piotrowski (my low-level ranger) and when that failed, spits venom at her (she's now poisoned). Viper number two moves to a better position and scores a critical hit against Hacker. Miraculously, everyone is still alive and no one has panicked. Time for some payback! Tombstone, my sharpshooter, has good percentages to hit both Vipers, so I'm going to focus on the one Dunn wounded with her grenade and hopefully score a kill. Piotrowski can try to flank the second viper, and maybe a close-quarters hit with the shotgun will take it down too. That leaves Dunn and Hacker (with one and two health, respectively) to deal with the Muton, and Yuan in reserve to either send a heal out or try to finish what the wounded troops started...
Dangit! While both Tombstone and Piotrowski connected, both Vipers are still up... I'm falling back Hacker and Dunn to better positions... Dunn still has lousy shot chances, so she's going on overwatch. I'm going to use Hacker's Combat Protocol ability to deal two damage to one Viper, guaranteeing a kill, then move Yuan to a better position to take out Viper number two. Success! That just leaves that damned Muton.
...
The Muton moved forward, but Dunn's reaction shot went way wide. He took out Hacker. Blast it! Okay, don't lose your head... one wounded Muton to go. I think now may be the time to deploy my Mimic Beacon... distract the Muton, heal Dunn, and redeploy the rest of the squad to take this jerk out. Mimic Beacon did it's job, but the ranger (who was poisoned) took another point of damage and went into a panic. The Muton moved forward to attack the beacon and triggered all kinds of overwatch fire... none of which connected. It was finally Tombstone that took him out. I'm spending the next two rounds reloading and calming everyone down. I know I have at least one turret to take out, but are there more aliens crawling around? Slow and steady. Also: Black Widow is out of heals. Man, things started out so well...
...
After careful, slow progress... Dunn was taken out by the turret. Which I managed to kill. But the mission didn't end, so there's still more aliens afoot. Great. Creeping forward, I find the (hopefully) last squad: another Muton, another Shieldbearer, and *pinches bridge of nose* a Lancer. Reaction fire connected and badly wounded the Muton, but they clipped the Ranger the Shieldbearer was able to trigger his ability, adding 3 hp to everyone left on the field. I'm going to use my last piece of kit - a flash-bang grenade - and try to position myself better.
After a little bit of a skirmish (where I held my breath as the Lancer sprinted in and tagged Yuan with the stun baton... no kill though!), I manage to mop everyone up. Two dead, two wounded. I hope it was worth it...
Right now I've got a "supply raid" mission on the my other screen, which could mean an injection of cash if things go well. Also, NO TIMER! Meaning I can take it slow and reload between engagements.
I've got a five-man squad, no one above the rank of Sergeant. One sharpshooter (pistol specialist), one grenadier (low-level), one ranger (also low-level), and two specialists: one medic and one hacker.
First things first: send out the Battle Scanner and get some intel! Aaaaand nothing on the scopes. Crap. Okay, so plan B: move the sharpshooter to the high ground.
...
I spread the squad out a little too much, and I remember how well that went the last time I had a rookie-heavy engagement, so I'm bringing everybody closer for mutual support.
...
Still no targets, but I've detected movement off to one side. I'm debating between using my Battle Scanner again or moving the sharpshooter to a more forward firing position... I'm going with the lower-risk Battle Scanner, but it's my last use for that item this combat.
...
Still no targets on the scanner. Again, plan B is to move the sniper while keeping the rest of the squad in mutual-support range.
...
First targets spotted! Small group of Advent trooper, officer, and shield bearer (these guys are jerks of the first order... they can slap a four-HP shield on every bad guy if given the chance). He will be my priority to take out, once the fun starts. Still not spotted yet, and I still haven't deployed the sharpshooter favourably yet, so time to move and flank. Slowly though, I don't need to be surprised by any more enemies, and I'm pretty sure I've got more than three targets for this mission.
...
Okay, the enemy patrol has come back around. Everything looks good, time to spring my classic grenade-and-swarm tactic. Stay tuned!
...
Like clockwork, the enemy patrol goes down! The trooper even dropped some loot, so I'm going to send the ranger to scoop the loot before it times out (she used her machete for the kill) while everybody else re-loads.
...
SHOOT! I moved my grenadier a little too far forward and triggered a Muton and two Vipers. The sharpshooter has already ended her turn and the ranger (after picking up two laser sights from the downed trooper) wasted a reaction shot with her shotgun than didn't connect. The grenadier still has a shot, and both specialist have yet to move. Time to formulate a plan!
The grenadier (Squaddie Dunn) has lousy hit percentages with her machine gun, but the Muton and one Viper are close enough that Dunn's last grenade can connect with them both. So that's her move. "Black Widow" Yuan can't see anyone yet, so her next move is to advance to cover (step one) and then see what she can hit... and now she has an 80% chance to hit a flanked and *now wounded* Muton, so that's her move... BUT SHE MISSES! The last trooper is my hacker specialist (who I've nicknamed Hacker because I'm super original)... he's got equally crappy hit percentages where he is (and no special gear), but I'm going to try moving him to flank that Muton and try to finish what Black Widow started. He moves forward... and reveals an automated turret! He's also in prime position to be flanked next turn, can't take out everyone, and has no support in the form of anybody with reaction shots... I think I'll have him fall back to a better defensive position and we'll see what next turn brings.
...
That could've gone better. The Muton advanced, and I did not take into account the greater blast radius of alien grenades... he lobs one cleanly that not only nearly kills Dunn, but damages Hacker and destroys his cover. Viper number one tries a tongue grab against Piotrowski (my low-level ranger) and when that failed, spits venom at her (she's now poisoned). Viper number two moves to a better position and scores a critical hit against Hacker. Miraculously, everyone is still alive and no one has panicked. Time for some payback! Tombstone, my sharpshooter, has good percentages to hit both Vipers, so I'm going to focus on the one Dunn wounded with her grenade and hopefully score a kill. Piotrowski can try to flank the second viper, and maybe a close-quarters hit with the shotgun will take it down too. That leaves Dunn and Hacker (with one and two health, respectively) to deal with the Muton, and Yuan in reserve to either send a heal out or try to finish what the wounded troops started...
Dangit! While both Tombstone and Piotrowski connected, both Vipers are still up... I'm falling back Hacker and Dunn to better positions... Dunn still has lousy shot chances, so she's going on overwatch. I'm going to use Hacker's Combat Protocol ability to deal two damage to one Viper, guaranteeing a kill, then move Yuan to a better position to take out Viper number two. Success! That just leaves that damned Muton.
...
The Muton moved forward, but Dunn's reaction shot went way wide. He took out Hacker. Blast it! Okay, don't lose your head... one wounded Muton to go. I think now may be the time to deploy my Mimic Beacon... distract the Muton, heal Dunn, and redeploy the rest of the squad to take this jerk out. Mimic Beacon did it's job, but the ranger (who was poisoned) took another point of damage and went into a panic. The Muton moved forward to attack the beacon and triggered all kinds of overwatch fire... none of which connected. It was finally Tombstone that took him out. I'm spending the next two rounds reloading and calming everyone down. I know I have at least one turret to take out, but are there more aliens crawling around? Slow and steady. Also: Black Widow is out of heals. Man, things started out so well...
...
After careful, slow progress... Dunn was taken out by the turret. Which I managed to kill. But the mission didn't end, so there's still more aliens afoot. Great. Creeping forward, I find the (hopefully) last squad: another Muton, another Shieldbearer, and *pinches bridge of nose* a Lancer. Reaction fire connected and badly wounded the Muton, but they clipped the Ranger the Shieldbearer was able to trigger his ability, adding 3 hp to everyone left on the field. I'm going to use my last piece of kit - a flash-bang grenade - and try to position myself better.
After a little bit of a skirmish (where I held my breath as the Lancer sprinted in and tagged Yuan with the stun baton... no kill though!), I manage to mop everyone up. Two dead, two wounded. I hope it was worth it...
They say Hitler loved dogs; that doesn't mean I want to travel back in time and discuss the merits of the Border Collie with the guy. He's still an a-hole.