LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

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Jacke
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LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Jacke »

Assaults I think I can get down to one good build. I would run them with Shotguns equipped with the best Laser Sights, Expanded Magazine, and Auto Loader.

EDIT: TrainInVain convinced me Close Encounters is a legitimate if not better alternative to Rapid Fire at TSgt. After some thought, I have to agree with him.


Assault Stunner
Lightning Reflexes - Arc Pulsar - Stun Gunner - Formidable - Close Encounters - Close Combat Specialist - Chain Lightning


Other perks are interesting, but I think these make the best combo. This is a Shotgun build for close combat with the Stunner for range.


LCpl - Lightning Reflexes

Closest thing to a must-pick perk in the game. Clears multiple enemy overwatch. First overwatch shot at the Assault is -100 aim and will miss, second is -80, third is -60, fourth is -40, fifth is -20, and the rest don't have any aim penalty.

Slug Shot (needs Shotgun) and Electroshock are nice but situational. Lightning Reflexes will save XCOM wounds and deaths.


Cpl - Arc Pulsar

Normally the Stunner does nothing against robots. Add Arc Pulsar and it damages them and makes them more vulnerable to Specialist hacking. There's a lot of ADVENT robots and adding them to Assault's possible Stunner targets can help.

EDIT: Arc Pulsar doesn't help Chain Lightning, as Chain Lightning only affects targets the Stunner can stun, ie. not robots, which even with Arc Pulsar are damaged, not stunned.

Trench Gun is an Shotgun AoE cone that could be very effective. Uses 1 ammo and can fire every 4 turns. But like Technical's flame attacks, aiming the cone can be tricky. And knowing where to move so that on the second action the cone can be lined up right is a skill that needs experience. Won't penetrate high cover and can damage allies.

Close and Personal is a powerful buff to close-range attacks within 6 tiles. Something the Assault is already good at with the Shotgun. Better one of the other perks.


Sgt - Stun Gunner

Continue buffing the Stunner with an aim bonus. Again, will buff Chain Lightning.

Killer Instinct buffs the crit damage when Run and Gun is active. That's only every 4 turns, 3 if Extra Conditioning is picked. Can make that first Run and Gun attack stronger. But Assaults usually use the Shotgun and that's going to be at short range, buffing an already strong attack.

Fortify is like a free renewable smoke for the Assault. But only once during 6 turns. Could be really good for those critical moments. But only every 6 turns ?!?


SSgt - Formidable

Add 2 ablative armour to the Assault, as well as resisting 50% of explosive damage. The Assault fights often at close range and will not be able to always take up the best cover. Almost always kitted out with plating and a vest for ablative armour and more HP. This makes the Assault even tougher. And the explosive damage resist stacks with Officers' Incoming!

Extra Conditioning allows Run and Gun every 3 turns rather than every 4. Very helpful and makes Killer Instinct a better choice. But not as helpful as more armour.

Aggression increases the chance an Assault will critically hit. More important for Rifle or SMG equipped Assaults at range. A Laser Sight can provide some of that better crit chance. But again, it's buffing something already strong on the Assault and I think a tougher Assault is a better choice.


TSgt - Close Encounters

EDIT: TrainInVain convinced me Close Encounters is a legitimate if not better alternative to Rapid Fire at TSgt. After some thought, I have to agree with him.

Close Encounters gives the Assault another action after a shot at a target within 4 tile range. But it can't be used after Run and Gun is activated. Requires more thought on when to active Run and Gun, but with Close Encounters the Assault is more flexible at close range. Can double-fire with the first shot within 4 tiles without the Aim penalty of Rapid Fire, even at two different targets.

Rapid Fire allows the Assault to shoot twice at the same target with -15 Aim. If the first shot kills the target, the second shot will not be fired. A classic XCOM perk. At close range, the Shotgun Assault can often take the -15 Aim and still have almost certainty to hit, so Rapid Fire doubles the potential damage per turn. Rapid Fire can also work on Rifle and SMG Assaults.

Hit and Run gives the Assault another action after a shot at a flanked or exposed target. Similar to Close Encounters, with the target needing to be flanked. But there are some targets that can't be flanked and don't take cover (Drones, MECs, Gatekeepers, etc.). Hit and Run is useless against them. Likely better to pick Close Encounters or Rapid Fire.




GSgt - Close Combat Specialist

When the Assault is not concealed and an enemy moves or fires from a tile within 4 tiles, take a reaction shot at them, with each enemy receiving no more than one shot. Consumes 2 ammo for each such shot, so another reason for the best Expanded Magazine. But an essential defensive perk.

Bring 'Em On increases critical damage by 1 for every 2 enemy visible. Untouchable makes the Assault immune to the next attack after killing an enemy. Good perks, but situational or weak compared to CCS.


MSgt - Chain Lightning

Fire the Stunner at every target the Stunner can stun, ie. not robots. Stun Gunner gives all those Stunner Shots a better chance to hit. And do this every 6 turns. A powerful perk that can turn a battle in company with other soldiers.

EDIT: Arc Pulsar doesn't help Chain Lightning, as Chain Lightning only affects targets the Stunner can stun, ie. not robots, which even with Arc Pulsar are damaged, not stunned.

Street Sweeper is another Shotgun AoE cone attack, similar to Trench Gun but stronger, taking 2 ammo and usable every 5 turns. And also blocked by high cover. Interesting, but not as good as Chain Lightning I think. Lethal adds 2 points of regular damage and 1 more critical damage. Makes the primary weapon stronger. But again, not as good as Chain Lightning.
Last edited by Jacke on Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
TrainInVain
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by TrainInVain »

I use the same build except for Close Encounters over Rapid Fire. I like that I can do anything I want with the second action after firing up close, such as fire the arc thrower. Or I can move out of cover, and take a close encounters flanking shot, then move back into cover.

My brother prefers Electroshock over Lightning Reflexes, he likes abilities that have a guarantee on what they do. It works for him. I've played with Electroshock in my first campaign, and it works fine but I prefer to have LR in case one of my assaults is needed as a haven advisor.
Jacke
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Jacke »

While reading the bug subforum, I found a report about Chain Lightning not affecting robots. This is working as intended. Chain Lightning only affects targets the Stunner can stun, ie. not robots, which even with Arc Pulsar are damaged and made vulnerable to hacking, not stunned. I corrected my initial post.
TrainInVain wrote:I use the same build except for Close Encounters over Rapid Fire. I like that I can do anything I want with the second action after firing up close, such as fire the arc thrower. Or I can move out of cover, and take a close encounters flanking shot, then move back into cover.
After some thought, I have to agree with you. I've replaced Rapid Fire in my Assault build with Close Encounters.
TrainInVain wrote:My brother prefers Electroshock over Lightning Reflexes, he likes abilities that have a guarantee on what they do. It works for him. I've played with Electroshock in my first campaign, and it works fine but I prefer to have LR in case one of my assaults is needed as a haven advisor.
I can understand your brother's thoughts on this, especially for a low aim Assault. But I think Lightning Reflexes is vital to clear ADVENT overwatch without using resources or shots, with the first overwatch shot always missing.

I almost always have 1 Assault on a squad. Just with the Assault's normal movement, advancing, flanking, or even falling back, overwatch shots can be cleared, making it safe for the rest of the squad to move without wasting shots, suppression, flashbangs, or grenades.
faket15
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by faket15 »

Close and Personal at CPL is very strong because it gives you an easy way to get 100% crit chance. Early game you fight a lot of 5 or 6 HP enemies. With a basic Laser Sight you can get up to 70% crit for a total kill chance of 80-90%. Close and Personal turns this into 100%. Similar situations happen during the entire game.
gimrah
Long War 2 Crew
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by gimrah »

I have 3 assault builds and use them all a bit differently.

Hi mob goes right side heading into close encounters. The most consistently useful build.

Mid mob and terrible aim goes extra conditioning and rapid fire. Not as versatile but decisive on a key turn and great with officer to command. KI is usually overkill and BEO is just too weak. Still LR because awesome and still C&P because that gives you 100 to crit most of the time and negatea the need for aggression.

If you get a very high aim assault I build around the arc thrower, via rapid fire. Use a shotgun up to TSGT and use him like a suboptimal regular assault. Then switch up to rifle at TSGT and he becomes like a ranger with a handy secondary trick. Then chain lightning = god mode.

But I advise building towards TSGT really: assaults get wounded a lot so they reach MSGT late IME.
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SonnyWiFiHr
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by SonnyWiFiHr »

HI mob is 16 ,17 or 18.?
With 17 mob they are no good in my opinion. Eaten stats kills them a lot. For me they tend to be less defensive gunners. Just to survive crit.
With shinobi on field they are extremly good.
I prefer defensive 15 Mob high aim over High mob one or I can build - def tank if I roll High mob low aim negative defense
This class is all around stats they have and month of campaign.
The Preacher
Dwarfling
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Dwarfling »

Normally for Assaults I go all right side (sometimes with CCS, sometimes with Streetsweeper), unless they came with 14 mobility or under, in which case I take Extra Conditioning and Rapid Fire. Also on those I take Stun Gunner because from experience they end up using the Stun Gun a lot, have good defensive stats and I top it off in the end with Chain Lightning. Still not convinced on giving them rifles, usually with the speed PCS and Integrated Warfare they can play the same as other shotgunners.
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SonnyWiFiHr
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by SonnyWiFiHr »

You are talking my language.
-10 defense Assault tank . -10 - dodge this is trouble usually on any class. AWC stuff is very important also.
I will try to build Stun gunner but right now it is just waste of move compared to - If they hit they crit Advent. Judging how everybody is using Stun Gunners I maybe try one in early camp.
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Psieye
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Re: LW 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Psieye »

My last campaign gave me high aim, low mob assaults. I had 1 shotgun assault (who I used the most) and more rifle assaults who were nice to have around. It feels so wrong to not run up to close range with an assault but that's rifle assaults. We're hard-wired to think of assaults as "shotgun in the face" soldiers that doing Hit & Run from maximum range and running out of vision just feels wrong. It feels so right when a shinobi does that instead.
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SamXjones
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Re: LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by SamXjones »

but what to do with low aim low mobility assult? Panzassult? :o
Dwarfling
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Re: LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Dwarfling »

My build for Low Aim and Low Mobility Assaults:

Lightning Reflexes: too good for the rest of the team and this soldier needs to keep moving forward.
Close and Personal: the range you'll shoot at.
Stun Gunner: now you get great odds to hit with Stun when out of shotgun range.
Extra Conditioning: because this soldier is better when R&G is up.
Rapid Fire: to combo with R&G.
Untouchable: because crap aim makes for crap reaction fire, but CCS is ok if you must.
Chain Lightning: because together with Stun Gunner and R&G you can control a whole battlefield.

Use Shotgun. Give this soldier your best Speed PCS as soon as you can. Always leave 1 free utility item slot for the +1 mobility.
Dwarfling
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Re: LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Dwarfling »

PS: That's what I used for my last Gatecrasher's Assault (13 mobility, average aim, 7hp). She's a MSgt now and she basically bailed me out of a messy double giant pod activation in the Psi Gate mission by stunning something like 10/11 targets for 3 actions. She was kinda crappy up until Stun Gunner, being able mostly to kill when R&G was up, but after Stun Gunner, a basic Speed PCS and the Extra Conditioning Rapid Fire combo she's one of my best. She'll probably stun one or two Avatars in Water World and easily hand me the win there. I doubt she can even die, she has over 20hp with Warden and a Stasis Vest, and she can commit to kills with Untouchable.

She rolled Deep Cover and Low Profile in the AWC, with Grazing Fire and Rapid Deployment, but chose not to train those.
Padishar
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Re: LW2 1.5 Assault Builds

Post by Padishar »

Edit: The aim values are for rookies.

I have three builds because I want to use many of the perks.

Low aim, at most 60: Close combat run'n'gunner:
LCPL - Electroshock - This suits well for low aim; can do something when targets are afar and RAG not available or it's unwise to use it.
CPL - Close and Personal - Will shoot mostly at close range, I want 100% crits.
SGT - Killer Instinct - Make those 100% crits do extra damage when it matters.
SSGT - Extra Conditioning - Synergy with Killer Instinct.
TSGT - Close Encounters - Low aim so I don't want Rapid Fire.
GSGT - Untouchable - No Formidable, so some defensive perk is needed. Low aim makes Close Combat Specialist a bit weaker as well.
MSGT - Chain Lightning - To pair with Electroshock.

Regular aim, 60 and a bit more: Jack of all trades:
LCPL - Lightning Reflexes - All Assaults could have this, so good.
CPL - Arc Pulser - Extra hack assist can be useful, and can just kill drones.
SGT - Stun Gunner - Make Arc Pulser easier and utilize long-range flanks for accurate stuns.
SSGT - Formidable - I wanted this for above one too, but Extra Conditioning is so useful there.
TSGT - Close Encounters - To potentially shoot and stun/arc pulse at the same turn.
GSGT - Close Combat Specialist - This is just so good.
MSGT - Lethal - A bit more damage for every shot, makes one-shot kills a bit more likely.

High aim (for an Assault), 65-70: Cooldowner:
LCPL - Slug Shot - That MEC is way over there... no big deal! Decent soldier aim makes this abiility great for long-distance flanks. Sometimes you just want to kill instead of stun.
CPL - Trench Gun - Reliable AOE for more accurate Assaults to hit targets even if they are on the far side of the cone.
SGT - Stun Gunner - Decent aim+better tier Arc Thrower+this: Stun even through cover sometimes, esp. low cover.
SSGT - Formidable - The other two perks are not as useful for this guy.
TSGT - Rapid Fire - Aim penalty is offset by soldier aim. Works with RAG, so can do a Shinobi-style kill from a distance.
GSGT - Close Combat Specialist - This is just so good, esp. with decent aim.
MSGT - Street Sweeper - Keep the AOE flowing, again best for accurate shooters.

PCS's can be, for any of them: Health, defense (if already 10 or so, I prefer health on negative defense units), mobility (esp. if 13-14 initially). The first one can have Emergency Life Support as an option as well, because he can be left at risky places due to Untouchable. They also use RAG the most which can sometimes reveal more enemies and leave them exposed.
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