Xcom 2 Long War | Guide

XCOM 2: Long War Guide

6. Common Long War 2 Myths (Busted)

• “You can’t skip missions” – False. Skipping ~30% of missions is optimal to avoid fatigue spiral.
• “Shinobi are useless in combat” – False. Late-game with Hunter’s Instinct and a storm gun, they shred flanked enemies.
• “Always take 100%+ infiltration” – Not always. Sometimes 125%+ reduces enemy count to “Extremely Light” – worth waiting extra 2 days.

Part 1: The Paradigm Shift

Before we discuss tactics, you must unlearn the vanilla mindset.

1. You are not a Superpower; You are a Resistance. In vanilla XCOM, you are the underdog who eventually becomes a super-soldier factory. In Long War 2, you are always outnumbered. You cannot fight the aliens head-on. You must pick fights you can win, retreat when outmatched, and use guerilla tactics (concealment, explosives, and evac) to survive. xcom 2 long war guide

2. The "Alpha Strike" is Harder In vanilla, killing all enemies in one turn is the goal. In LW2, pods are larger (often 7-12 enemies), and they are "kinetic"—meaning if you shoot a gun, any pod nearby might hear it and run to help. You cannot kill a whole pod in one turn easily. You must plan for a prolonged engagement. XCOM 2: Long War Guide 6

3. The Avatar Project is a Timer, Not a Countdown You cannot "game over" the Avatar Project instantly like in vanilla. It is a swinging pendulum. It will go up; you must learn to manage it, reduce it via raids and special ops, and buy yourself time. “You can’t skip missions” – False

Part 6: The 10-Step Early Game Checklist (First 60 Days)

1. Day 1: Set havens to 8 Intel / 3 Recruit / 2 Supply. Assign a rookie as advisor.
2. Day 2: Start Laser Weapons research. Build Ring.
3. First Mission: Gatecrasher (but harder). Use 4 rookies. Play ultra-safe. Do not open more than 2 pods.
4. First Liberation mission: Look for the "Liberation 1" icon (a broken star) on the Geoscape. Infiltrate with 5 soldiers.
5. Second Region: Expand as soon as you have 10 soldiers. Intel the second region to 100%.
6. First Retaliation: It will happen. Accept losses. Evacuate if 3+ civilians die. Save your soldiers.
7. Weapon Tech: As soon as Lasers finish, build 4 Laser Rifles, 2 Laser SMGs, 1 Laser Sniper. Ignore shotguns initially.
8. First Supply Raid: This is a trap. The enemy strength is often "Extremely Heavy." Skip it unless you have a 150% infiltration.
9. Class Promotion: Promote 2 Shinobis, 2 Specialists, 2 Technicals, 1 Assault, 1 Sharpshooter. Leave Rangers and Gunners for later.
10. The April Crash: Around April 15th, Advent Strength will double. Do not panic. Fall back to your starting region and defend. Liberate it by May.