Avenger Defense

[Sines]

A few questions about the Avenger Defense in Long War.

First off, whats the time window on the UFO chasing you? Once you start taking evasive manuevers, I think you can't pull troops out of missions, havens or even AWC/GTS. So, you're going to need to leave more than a few soldiers available than usual. I'd like to know when I should start being paranoid.

Second, does the mission play the same? I'm talking about enemy layout and distance to the beacon, and the like. Also, what is the max party size for this mission. Is it 10, or something else?

Third, how is the Defense Matrix? ADVENT Turrets now have Squadsight, and it seems like if the Avenger Turrets have squadsight, it'd make them much more valuable. Not just because they can shoot against aliens (Vanilla Defense Matrix had very few things in their range), but because then they'd be able to focus fire the beacon once you've spotted it, without having to rely on a Sniper.

[trihero]

I don't really understand your first question about time window.

If you mean: when does a UFO start to chase you? There's a chance after each blacksite mission, and it can be a dark event. The game tells you straight up when a UFO hunts you. There's no guarantee when a UFO event will occur so you could make it to december without seeing one while I see one by october. But if a UFO hunts you, you should be immediately paranoid and keep 12 troops on standby, since like you said you get no time when doing evasive maneuvers.

If you mean: when a UFO starts to chase you, when is it over? It's over when it catches you, or you get a successful evasive maneuver. I don't think it just disappears if you wait long enough. It seems to either catch you or you dodge it at most by a month after it starts.

2nd question, yes it's the same general map layout with your ramp, the center area full of cover then a basin area then the emitter is on the left or right. Yes, the best strategy is still use a cloaker then squadsight snipe the beacon with a sharpshooter or two while everyone else play delaying defense. The max is 12. You should take 12. It is a very serious/tough mission. The enemy has large pod sizes and tends to use advanced aliens. I don't think bradford sends you any extra troops, or at least he never sent me any, so better pick your 12 carefully.

3rd question they are the same as in vanilla. I.e. no squadsight. But if they're upgraded that's a ton of firepower and you would like it to help out. Each turret can fire twice in one turn (or fire + overwatch) and they do 8-10 damage upgraded, it's not insignificant whatsoever.

[Sines]

What I meant by the time window, is how long after you get the notification before it actually catches you (or you evade it, I guess)? Twelve people is a lot of people to keep on standby, not doing any missions, running any havens or training in the GTS/AWC. It paralyzes you, so knowing what I can safely get away with would be very helpful. For example, if it's just started chasing me, and I spawn a 4 day infiltration mission, will I have my troops back (barring injuries) before the UFO catches me? What about a 10 day mission? Or can it catch me at any time, and I'm best off turning all my rebels to Supplies / Recruit, and only consider running missions I might be able to stealth with a 1 or 2 man party?

[trihero]

What I meant by the time window, is how long after you get the notification before it actually catches you (or you evade it, I guess)?

As far as I know you can't tell: it can catch you at any time post notification.

I *speculate* it can't catch you within 7 days of notification, but I am only going off of experience there both from vanilla and lw2 it doesn't seem to snatch you that quickly. I feel like it's true that it doesn't go longer than a month before it decides to catch you or you evade it, so that is the upper bound.

Yes it is paralyzing; I would suggest to just run low man stealth missions and say no no no no no to 10+ days on a mission with your best troops. Yes it's time to recall those soldiers in havens if that gives you enough padding for 12 soldiers. I had to skip a rare UFO wreck mission and delay liberating an HQ because of it but I was glad I kept my best troops back.

[Hazelnut]

I really enjoyed these in vanilla, but in late Nov on Vet with LW2 and not got one. Had a UFO chase but avoided it. Built and maintained the defense matrix for no reason so far. Hoping I get chased again soon

[Jacke]

What's the earliest a UFO showed up on Legendary, by time or by response to something done? If it goes to an Avenger Defence Mission, when's the latest you can edit the troops loadout?

[trihero]

You can get a UFO dark event or as a response after you succeed a black site mission.

You are allowed to select/outfit your 12 troops as it goes to avenger defense, but you don't have any time to reposition troops from havens or anything when the UFO catches up to you.

[Undershaft]

So there is no way to increase your chance of avoiding it? Staying on the ground? Flying to the other side of the world?
The UFO can catch you whatever you do and the only way to get rid of it is to pass the evasion check? Any way to influence that, by the way? Upgrading Officer Bradford with some hyper-reactive pupils?

[Hazelnut]

I really enjoyed these in vanilla, but in late Nov on Vet with LW2 and not got one. Had a UFO chase but avoided it. Built and maintained the defense matrix for no reason so far. Hoping I get chased again soon

Got it last night just as I finished my first UFO mission of LW2. Played a couple of turns and terrain is wierd - start on a bluff that extends 20+ tiles away but is only <10 wide. Turrets haven't even had a target yet. Looking forward to continuing tonight. Not sure how it will go, but my feeling is that I have my best 12 with the best equipment (up to coil) and we're going to mess the ayys up!! Famous last words? Well the last round before I had to stop yesterday saw incendiary bomb, sting nade, bunker buster going off followed by a succesful haywire. Shock and awe, no conserving the consumables with so many making a beeline for our defensive position.

[trihero]

So there is no way to increase your chance of avoiding it? Staying on the ground? Flying to the other side of the world?
The UFO can catch you whatever you do and the only way to get rid of it is to pass the evasion check? Any way to influence that, by the way? Upgrading Officer Bradford with some hyper-reactive pupils?

Nope, these are tinfoil hat guesses. I've gotten caught just sitting there scanning and also by flying all over. No way to influence it. You either pass the evasion check or you don't, and it will happen. The UFO doesn't fade away.

[Undershaft]

That's a shame, actually. It would be a nice way of keeping you on your toes, having to avoid certain regions you would like to scan or start a mission in, or preventing you from leaving a region until the UFO passes over. I find the Avenger assault a bit too brutal to be completely up to a single roll of the dice, at least early on in the campaign. One should be able to influence it in some way.
Thanks for all the replies, by the way.