Part 22

XCOM: Enemy Within Assault Trooper, Support, and MEC Trooper class guides. Learn about perks like Killer Instinct, Smoke Grenades, and MEC Trooper conversions.

Assault Trooper Rank 7:

• Resilience: Confers immunity to critical hits. This is generally not recommended as it does not prevent damage from direct hits.
• Killer Instinct: Using Run and Gun grants a +50% critical hit chance bonus. This is considered more useful than Resilience for keeping assaults safe by prioritizing enemy elimination.

Support Class:

Supports are versatile units with access to grenades, healing capabilities, and decent damage output.

• Aim: 89
• HP: 8

Support Rank 1:

• Smoke Grenade: Throws a grenade that provides +20 defense to all units within its radius for one turn. This effect can apply to MECs, SHIVs, and even enemies.

Support Rank 2:

• Sprinter: Allows the Support to move 3 extra tiles per action bar. This is not particularly useful as it can make the Support move faster than the rest of the squad, though they can still assist MECs with smoke grenades.
• Covering Fire: Overwatch now triggers a reaction shot if the enemy attempts to shoot (Overwatch normally only triggers on movement). Be aware that standard penalties apply, and shots are likely to miss if the enemy is in cover (press the cover button to crouch behind walls or objects).

Support Rank 3:

• Field Medic: Medkits can be used three times instead of once. Useful for supporting MECs if they are acting as bullet sponges, or in the unlikely event a soldier is shot.
• Smoke and Mirrors: Smoke Grenades can be used three times. This is considered more useful than Field Medic, as avoiding damage is a primary benefit.

Support Rank 4:

• Revive: Critically injured soldiers (those not immediately killed when HP hits zero) can be revived with a medkit (at 33% health). Without this ability, critically injured soldiers are only stabilized. Critically injured soldiers take a significant will hit, making this ability less valuable in the long run.
• Rifle Suppression: (No description provided in source text).

Support Rank 5:

• Dense Smokes: Smoke grenades now provide +40 defense. This is considered useful.
• Combat Drugs: Smoke grenades provide the usual 20 defense but also grant +20 will, +10 critical chance, and +20 aim. This is less useful than Dense Smoke, as the primary purpose of smoke is to avoid being shot.

Support Rank 6:

• Deep Pockets: All items can be used one more time. This can be combined with Smoke and Mirrors for an abundance of smoke grenades.

Support Rank 7:

• Saviour: Medkits heal +4 extra HP. This is mostly useless, as it only increases healing from 6 to 10 HP.
• Sentinel: Overwatch fire now includes 2 shots instead of 1. This is mostly useless but could prove lethal in rare circumstances.

MEC Trooper:

MEC Troopers are created by permanently converting a soldier (excluding Rookies) and gain a perk based on the original class. MEC Troopers retain their rank, allowing for subsequent ability choices, and their Aim stat (but not its growth rate). Converting classes other than Heavy before they reach Colonel rank is detrimental due to lower Aim growth.

• Heavy Conversion Perk: +20 defense and immunity to critical hits, but only against the first target the MEC sees.
• Assault Conversion Perk: Take 33% less damage from attacks within 4 tiles.
• Sniper Conversion Perk: Any shot taken in a turn where the MEC has not moved gains +10 aim and crit chance. This is useful but less so, especially as it's recommended to wait until a Sniper reaches Colonel rank before conversion.
• Support Conversion Perk: All other units in cover gain +10 defense. This is considered useless unless multiple MECs or SHIVs are being used.

• Aim: 77 (slightly higher than a Heavy)
• HP: 8

MEC Trooper Rank 1:

• Collateral Damage: Fires a high-ammo expending shot that hits a small radius, dealing damage equal to the weapon's tier level and demolishing destructible cover. Useful in team situations.

MEC Trooper Rank 2:

• Advanced Fire Control: Overwatch shots have no penalty. Recommended if the MEC Trooper was formerly a Colonel Sniper.
• Automated Threat Assessment: Overwatch grants a +15 defense bonus to your MEC. Recommended otherwise.

MEC Trooper Rank 3:

• Vital Targeting: Enemies that have been autopsied take +2 damage. Useful and deadly.
• Damage Control: Upon taking damage, further damage is reduced by 2 for the next few turns. Not very useful, but can help the MEC tank more damage.

MEC Trooper Rank 4:

• One for All: Transforms into a high cover block that other XCOM soldiers (not MECs or SHIVs) can use for cover. The MEC cannot shoot or move while this effect is active. This is considered useless as it removes a heavy hitter from action for minimal benefit.
• Jetbook Module: (No description provided in source text).

MEC Trooper Rank 5:

• Repair Servos: Heals +2 HP per turn, up to a maximum of 6 damage healed. Useful for increasing MEC survivability.
• Expanded Storage: Grants the MEC +50% more ammo and one extra use of all limited abilities. Useful if limited abilities are regularly used. Increased ammo is less impactful as MECs often need to reload.