Tips for any of the close-quarter classes/abilities?

[striderbob]

I'm having a really hard time using some of these classes/builds efficiently, when I try to get to an optimal range/position for Trench Gun, Fleche, Flamethrower, Point Blank, etc. I can't seem to do so without activating 1-2 other pods.

What strategies are others having success with?

[trihero]

- there's not much help for activating other pods, that is the risk for using close quarter's extremely powerful and efficient attacks, all you can do is try to make sure your guys don't die, so that the next turn you can continue chewing up the enemy with your close quarters stuff. Close quarters like shotguns/fleche are extremely powerful and accurate and can often one shot enemies, so the upside is you can finish some battles way quicker than screwing around blowing up high cover bit by bit which essentially takes 2 actions at least for every enemy

- if it makes you feel better, even non-close quarters combat draw extra pods with explosion noises, or even just the corpses lying around now draw other pods attention

- I use a support grenadier to cover the melee types (my favorite is assault, run and gun is awesome), either by flashbanging the enemy, smoking my guys, or both in the same turn (rapid deployment). It makes a world of difference. Consider this the opposite strategy to frag grenadiers that try to reduce cover for your ranged stuff; your melee guys don't need cover removal but they need help staying alive once they get up close

- Put good armor on the close range guys. They're going to be visiting your sick bay a lot and good armor helps reduce their time there

- Aid protocol on close range guys. It helps to have a field surgeon specialist anyways with a heavy melee team

- use officer abilities like Command and/or Fall Back to get them to safety

- develop your tactical sense as to when there are more mobs close by (you learn by screwing up)

- scout better with shinobi

- there are certain types of missions where you should avoid close quarters combat tactics unless you know there's nothing left - headquarter/supply raids/anything that's swarming has 40+ enemies and you don't want to charge in there because they will pull a lot of 8 man pods and that is not good. Don't bring too many close quarters units.

[redscare]

I'm having a really hard time using some of these classes/builds efficiently, when I try to get to an optimal range/position for Trench Gun, Fleche, Flamethrower, Point Blank, etc. I can't seem to do so without activating 1-2 other pods.

What strategies are others having success with?

I usually avoid them like the plague for that same reason. That said, they can be godsend when you get some reinforcements dropped in the middle of you team. Also good when you're finishing the mission and dealing with what *should* be the last pod.

[aedn]

Use your AOE attacks to open from concealment if you have time to setup ambushes after watching enemy pod pathing. use close combat classes in 2 man teams so they can support one another if your using them in larger combat missions, Assault / Tech , Shinobi / tech etc. Give them priority in the AWC to unlock perks that improve them, i recommend editing the AWCperk.ini in the long war config files to allow you to see all AWC perks, it drastically changes builds seeing your random awc perks.

put your best armor/ plating and a medkit on your soldiers who are going to be in the middle of the enemy in the early game. medkits protect from poison, and can be used to remove fire or acid debuffs. also, get rid of the glass canon pure offensive builds, or utility builds if you want to fight with shinobis & assaults. You need to build in some defense to avoid death.

Last but not least consider your mission. Shinobis and assaults work really well in smaller missions, in enviroments with lots of cover. Taking shotgun assaults on supply raids or open maps is fine, but you need to give them a rifle and use them in a different fashion.