The sections describe the 6 Ws (What, Where, When, and etc.) to fully understand what the soldiers and the base needs are for both the short and long term. Such information includes resource management in knowing what to keep, buy, and sell.

Note: Harmony is needed between the two needs to sustain a healthy progress to deal with increasingly difficult threats.

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I enjoy helping others by writing about technical topics to a higher standard and provide key findings for a higher chance of success!

The guide is for everyone, but much friendlier to new players. Everything will be explained to be on the same level as those who are the most experienced. The writing will be easy to follow with plenty of screenshots for those who are too lazy to read everything!

The cost of most goods like Alloys, Crystals, and Scientists/Engineers are doubled in this difficulty. Such price changes applies to both Resistance HQ and Black Market, as well!

Note: The information and images shown in this guide are based off of Legendary difficulty.

Both the Resistance HQ and Black Market fully refresh their inventories after each council report.
Recruiting Scientists/Engineers from HQ is much more affordable as supplies are more readily available than Intel.

Note: A strategic save file is needed before the day of supply drop to obtain desirable merchandise.

Each monthly report generates a supply drop that are green crates instead of white ones.
The permanent crates can be stacked endlessly but will reset to always 3 days if it was scanned before.

Note: Precious time can be saved when delaying the collection until they are needed right away and the demand for supplies decrease after the first couple of months.

Early Intel needs to be used primarily to contact new regions for territory expansion.
Backup is essential when the Advent facility is too far away and requires several new contacts.

Note: The only purchase exemption is when hiring a much needed Engineer or Scientist during the early game.

Each new Radio Relay will lower the cost of Intel when making new contact to adjacent regions.
The Relay will also provide more monthly supplies that can be used to build more while controlling the new contact costs.

Mission objectives that require hacking will give a random option of some very useful rewards.

Insight is the best one because of expediting the research that lead to the Plasma Rifle.

Satellite Data gives a major scanning speed boost before any rumor expires due to time.
Cheaper contact cost is not always worthwhile as the limitation usually has to do with reaching contact limit.

Note: In the possible event of receiving Insight, research must be switched to a project that requires the most time prior to conducting a mission.

Both 50 Intel and research time are needed before the conditional reward can be utilized.
The reward itself has barely any resell value and only useful as a backup emergency.
Facility Lead is predominantly useful when progressing through the key missions too slowly.

The loot from dead enemies can be enhanced with the Vulture Combat Tactics from GTS.
Such ability allows earlier collection of rare materials like Elerium Cores and other equipment.
A concealed Ranger is needed to safely recover loot in the heat of battle without triggering any alarm from nearby pods.

Around July of the first year, superior quality equipment will become available for purchase.
Such equipment is still sold at the same price, regardless of quality. Hence, it is best to save up on Intel earlier unless the best ones are generated much earlier.

Note: Intel will become more abundant after Skullmine research to purchase freely without strict restriction.

Scientists will be limitless as they will also work on Shadow Chamber projects.
All projects on legendary difficulty take twice as long to complete anyways.
A base of 9-10 Engineers are needed to comfortably excavate and staff the facilities after.

Note: The cost of hiring successive Scientist or Engineer will go up as the game progresses.

The rule of thumb is to look for a price of 1 Intel for at least 2-2.5 supplies or better.
Intel should only be used as a last resort when supplies are needed now during the early game.

The price is independent on the amount sold and requires some luck for a good deal.

Materials are sometimes offered as random hacking rewards during any mission.
Some Alien Alloys can be sold off when buyers show interest in them as there is an existing surplus.

This rare material only be obtained from supply raids and loot drops.
They should be conserved in normal circumstances but excess of 8 can be sold off during early-mid game for extra supplies.

The results of the same mission can provide very random amount of rewards when doing a redo.
The very last turn needs be repeated several times when eliminating the final enemy.
The two key materials to look for are the cores and crystals because they are high value.

A shortage of Elerium Crystals is needed before researching the Elerium project.
The best time to get extra stockpile is just before completing Plated Armor research.

Veterans still benefit from the Advanced Warfare Center but hired as replacements only.
The specialist veteran will still need time to build up their tech score before fully blossoming.
Luck will determine what the hidden ability is and preferably a talent obtained when colonel rank.

Note: Hidden abilities does not work retroactively with the starting soldiers who have reached colonel rank already before the AWC was built.

Most quality of dropped enemy items will be either basic or advanced grade until later on when superior grade is available.

Before the AWC, the advanced grade will be preferred for the starting soldiers while the basic ones can be sold off in the early-mid game.

The best soldiers are the ones who acquired ultimate abilities from the AWC.
Those with strong hidden abilities must equip superior grade weapon upgrades and PCS!

They will go beyond their limit and inflict maximum carnage to all enemies until the end of the game!

Note: The senior Specialists whose tech score have built up since the start will tag along with the elite squad for more Intel farming.

The cost of all upgrades range from 20-30 Intel each, regardless of quality difference.
Weapon upgrades that have scored C or below are considered obsolete by mid game and should be sold off for extra supplies.

Note: The Lock and Load Continent Bonus allows free reuse of any equipment without destroying the current one when replacing.

Such upgrade maximizes the full use of multi-attack abilities like the Guardian.
Enemies that would have required several shots to be taken down can be done in a single turn.
Normal magazines would have been spent already due to the sheer stress test.

Note: The same upgrade pairs well with Sniper's Kill Zone, Ranger's Rapid Fire, and Grenadier's Chainshot.

The cost of all upgrades range from 40-50 Intel each, regardless of quality difference.
PCS that have scored C or below are considered either mediocre/obsolete and needs to be sold off instead.

Note: The Perception and Agility PCSs need to be stockpiled and not sold off as they can be used repeatedly on any soldier.

The Sniper has the most deadly ability called the Kill Zone that can be activated multiple times.

The additional aim from perception ensures a higher chance for those shots to connect.
The engaging enemy pod caught in the designated area will be severely weakened or destroyed.

All PCS except Conditioning and Speed does not have fixed values.
The actual values of the described PCS are hidden during the purchase.

Note: A save is needed in advance to determine if the product was worth keeping after viewing it in the inventory.

Such random continent bonus allows free reuse of any equipment without the penalty of destroying them during the replacement process. Otherwise, the normal restriction is in place to avoid using any standard quality to be sold off as extra supplies.

The best time to sell is when buyers are very interested in specific unimportant items.
They include the types that were not labeled as essential and anything of basic quality.

Note: Advanced grade can be sold off when there is a large surplus of it or Superior quality exists.

Cores should only be sold when needed in the early game and only during buyer's interest.
They are useful in the mid-late game and can only be be obtained from Vulture GTS tactic and Supply Raids.

This rare loot contains Intel with the cache type being the higher grade.
The sell value even with interest still has a worse ratio than 2 supplies for every 1 Intel.
The Intel does require research time and the rewards can be used to rush any project, preferably weapons.

Note: The research should only be done after recruiting a scientist or 2 for more efficient use of time.

The best time to purchase boost is for a 18+ day weapons project when the research is just fresh as the benefit just finishes 25% of the remaining time.

Otherwise, intel will be wasted if used on a project that is close to completion within 2 weeks and not part of a late-tier weapons research branch.

Note: Never rush research of autopsies because they will become instant with enough corpses.

All corpses need to be preferably collected until the autopsy can be instantly completed.
*-Worth retaining to produce essential equipment.

Almost all corpses can be sold after the project is finished with the exception of the Advent Trooper which has multiple uses afterwards.

The corpses have very little value of their own without the Black Market's interest.
Until the ideal conditions, they need to be stockpiled unless selling during emergencies.

Resource management will be very challenging at start with both high demands of base development and technology progression.

Until then, the smart shopping knowledge will help prevent squandering resources on inferior and obsolete products. Always keep an eye out on good bargains and essential products to buy!

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