Part 6

Analyze Sniper, Support Trooper, MEC Trooper, and SHIV unit classes in XCOM: Enemy Within, including their abilities, costs, and best uses.

Sniper Class: Snipers possess long-range capabilities that often exceed the bounds of most maps. They can be customized to engage any enemy spotted by teammates, deliver devastating headshot (critical hit) bonuses, or disable enemy weapons. Their ultimate ability allows for a free action kill on exposed aliens or a double shot. Downsides include reduced accuracy at close range and the inability to move and shoot on the first turn without specific skills. When converted to a MEC Trooper, they gain 'Platform Stability,' providing +10 Aim and +10 Critical Chance if they do not move before shooting.

Support Trooper Class: Support Troopers primarily use rifles and have decent Aim. They can equip two accessories immediately and utilize them more frequently than other classes. This makes them ideal for using grenades (smoke or explosive) to support offensive actions and protect soldiers. The smoke grenade is exclusive to this class and can be upgraded to offer greater defense bonuses, revive soldiers, or allow multiple med-kit uses. Later tech upgrades enhance their utility, and they are capable of suppression. Their main weakness is a reliance on accuracy or overwatch fire for kills, with limited offensive skills. As a MEC Trooper, they gain the 'Distortion Field' ability, granting allies in cover (press the cover button to crouch behind walls or objects) +10 Defense.

MEC Troopers: MECs are mechanized troopers piloting power suits crafted from Meld, a special resource introduced in XCOM: Enemy Within. MECs have their own abilities, and MEC Troopers gain additional skills. MECs wield weapons stronger than any other for their tier. The significant drawback is the permanent conversion of a soldier from another class. MEC Troopers have a unique Aim stat growth system that is only marginally better than a Heavy's. This means a Sniper must reach Colonel rank before conversion to become a high-aim MEC, but a Colonel Sniper already possesses many valuable skills that might be lost. MECs are costly in terms of Meld, money, and soldier resources. It is recommended to convert squaddie Heavies into MEC Troopers, as the game often provides more rookies to become Heavies if you remove them from the available pool. While rocket launchers and heat ammo are lost, the Kinetic Strike module's speed boost allows for accurate close-range engagements. The MEC stat growth improves Aim compared to a Heavy. A specific MEC build for survivability and offense requires a Heavy to be converted.

S.H.I.V. (Super Heavy Infantry Vehicle): SHIVs are mechanical units requiring research and Foundry projects. The first SHIV has limited utility and skills. The second SHIV allows soldiers to take cover behind it and has 30 Defense. The third SHIV, while not allowing cover, boasts 40 Defense and can fly, achieving 60 Defense consistently. SHIVs excel at direct combat and outgunning enemies. Suppression requires a Foundry project. SHIVs are considered top-tier units (tied with Colonels and MECs) but are expensive, costing over $100 (excluding materials like Elerium and alloys). They could previously glitch and lose weapons, though this has been fixed on PC.

Squad Composition: The ideal squad composition depends on your playstyle, with many effective and unconventional combinations possible. For instance, a squad of Heavies can be effective despite their poor accuracy, and a sniper-only squad can succeed with leapfrog tactics. Early game XCOM: Enemy Within can present random class availability, forcing you to use classes that don't fit your preferred strategy if your preferred soldiers are injured or lost. Section 3 discusses commanding forces in battle, and Section 4 elaborates on class stats.

Situation Room: The Situation Room is initially inaccessible. It becomes available after a UFO is downed or a specific date passes without one. This room tracks the panic level of each nation, indicated by bars beneath their names. Nations are grouped by continent, which can be viewed by clicking on a nation's name. Losing a nation has consequences.