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Second Month Walkthrough on Legendary Vanilla Difficulty
By Laguna Queen and 5 collaborators
Understanding the key technical mechanics to achieve that no margin of error!
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Comrade Lei Feng
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Laguna Queen
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Corrosivz
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pstaci49
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Le piètre joueur français
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Category: Characters, Gameplay Basics, Walkthroughs
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
16 Feb @ 4:11am
2 Apr @ 3:38pm
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Guide Index
Overview
Introduction 
Prologue 
How to Navigate the Sections 
How to Save Properly 
2nd Month Research 
Important Rumors 
Scanning Bonus: Rapid Construction 
6th mission (Supply Raid) 
Black Market Is Now Open 
How to Shop Properly 
Selling Junk For Extra Supplies 
Squad Size II 
Construction: Proving Ground 
Monthly Report 
The Dark Events 
Free Reveal of Hidden Dark Event 
Skipping the Supply Drop 
Avatar Project Progress 
7th Mission (VIP) 
Random Extra Lucky Mission 
Best Reward: Insight 
1st Regular Advent Facility 
Radio Relay: Early Contact Expansion 
8th Mission (Counter Dark Event) 
Revisiting Black Market 
Construction: Laboratory 
Proving Ground: Skulljack 
Construction: Resist Comms 
Avatar Project Progress Again 
9th Mission (Retaliation) 
Epilogue 
How can I contribute to help? 
Copyright Notice 
Join Our Group to Subscribe! 
Comments
Introduction
The quality over quantity approach to push XCOM beyond their limits for brutal efficiency! The sections focus on handling new challenges and managing facility construction during the second month!

Note: The same knowledge can be applied to lesser difficulties.

Please click here for the Advanced Warfare guide:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2803040578
Please click here to begin the Legendary XCOM Journey:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3254190466
Why are you writing this guide?
I enjoy helping others by writing about technical topics to a higher standard and provide key findings for a higher chance of success!

Who is the intended audience?
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!
How to Navigate the Sections
The structure of contents is organized in chronological order for smoother flow when elaborating on each important event.

Each mission contains basic details of an approximate time/date of its occurrence, total number of enemies, and reward. Technical information about combat tactics are fully elaborated on how to flawlessly deal with increasingly dangerous enemies.
How to Save Properly
Each save serves as a strategic checkpoint to include important details like before certain events or starting missions. Key events include hours before the Monthly Debrief to roll for better Dark Events and options to hire more Scientists/Engineers.

Note: Save files have occasional errors with loading and backups are needed.

For Ironman, additional save backups bypass the limitation and best to have a single active campaign at a time to avoid confusion when both the profile and save files are needed.

Their location is: C:\Users\<userid>\Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\SaveData
2nd Month Research
1. Magnetic Weapons
2. Alien Biotech
3. Advent Officer Autopsy (For Proving Ground)
4. Resistance Radio
5. Alien Encryption (For Exquisite Only and can be delayed if normal run)
6. Gauss Weapons
7. Partial Plated Armor (Reduce with Insight first)

Note: Any autopsies that are instantaneous can be researched at any time!
Important Rumors
The most valuable Rumors are described below to obtain rare or unique rewards.
Rumor Name
Reward
Stockade/Landmark
Engineer
Fire Axis/Distress Beacon
Scientist
Clinic/Radio Beacon
+3 Avenger Power
Gang Warfare/Gathering Mob
Additional Guerilla Op or Supply Raid
Heat Signature/Air Strip
+1 Resistance Contact
Alien Wreckage/Battle Site
Cave/Weapons Dealer
Important Elerium Crystals
Rewards that are not listed above are ranked as mediocre and better to scan at Resist HQ for more Intel.
Scanning Bonus: Rapid Construction
The Avenger can be sent back to HQ when there are no worthwhile Rumors.
Such rapid construction will still yield resources after excavation and expedite all facility construction!
Black Market Is Now Open
The Black Market will be now available after scanning as a Rumor.
Another Scientist or Engineer can be immediately purchased afterwards at the cost of Intel!
Their merchandise is already fixed and cannot be manipulated until next supply drop.
How to Shop Properly
The Smart Shopper guide fully elaborates on what is considered essential to buy/sell and when.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3232797806
Selling Junk For Extra Supplies
The excessive loot from the Blacksite will allow more sell offs at the Black Market!
The substantial amount of supplies gained should still be used sparingly as they will be needed for multiple facility constructions.
Squad Size II
A full 6 soldiers can now be used and bring the 2nd Specialist before the next mission!
The timing was matched with the 2nd GTS soldier training to avoid bringing any Rookies!
Construction: Proving Ground
The Proving Ground facility will be available to construct after the Officer Autopsy.
Such early construction allows faster progression of main missions.
The skulljack/skullmining will begin Intel farming for contact expansion, merchandise shopping, and etc.
Monthly Report
The monthly report must be redone until 2 Doctors can be hired at Resist HQ.
The Scientist should be hired before the Engineer, unless there is no supply shortage.
There is a lucky chance that the Black Market might have another Doctor, at the cost of precious Intel.

Note: The Doctor title is used for both Scientists and Engineers in the monthly report.
The Dark Events
The most dangerous Dark Events are described below and is safe to have only one of them.
Dark Event Name
Rationale
Alien Cypher
Doubles the Intel price to expand contacts and Black Market shopping!
Advent Rural Checkpoint
Decreases the next monthly supply!
Any Avatar Project Breakthrough
Adds 1-2 red tick(s) to Avatar Project
The Counter Dark Event mission will always remove one for each month.

Note: A strategic save is needed to have a better roll and find out the hidden ones without wasting Intel!
Free Reveal of Hidden Dark Event
Three of them will spawn this time around with a chance that one of them will be hidden.
An earlier save is needed to revert back after using Intel to know the hidden Dark Event!
Skipping the Supply Drop
The loot sale should have generated more than enough supplies to avoid needing them for now.
The supply drop can be scanned later when needed and more effective when stacked with each successive monthly report.
Avatar Project Progress
The red tick of the Avatar Project will go up by one every month.
The progression should not cause any alarm, as the Blacksite has been taken care of already.
Random Extra Lucky Mission
With sheer luck, a random rumor that gives an extra mission for the current month can spawn.
Such rumor will give an extra Counter Dark Event or Supply Raid!
The mission can still be rolled for a favorable one with the same rules applying for the best reward!
Best Reward: Insight
There is a possibility that the same reward can be spawned twice with the double Guerrilla Ops.

The Plated Armor and Gauss Weapons will have the most benefits, depending on which research takes longer.
1st Regular Advent Facility
The first regular faciilty will be built shortly after the 2nd VIP mission.
The favorable location will be 2 regions away from the Resist HQ because of cheaper Intel expansion cost.

Note: The progression of any key mission will reduce the red ticks and the regular facilities will not present as a threat.
Radio Relay: Early Contact Expansion
The first Radio Relay must be built in the second region to expand at the lowest Intel cost.
The same process will need to be done to continue expanding non-stop.
Revisiting Black Market
The Intel gained from the previous Guerrilla mission(s) now makes shopping possible.
Elerium crystals must be purchased for expedited main mission progression, regardless of the cost.
The Plated Armor and/or Gauss Weapons research must also be bought since it will save up a couple of days at low Intel cost.
Construction: Laboratory
The next available room will hold the Laboratory to hasten all research progress.
The Lab upgrade will require more power before it can be purchased.
An Engineer can staff the first Power Relay to meet such energy demand.
Proving Ground: Skulljack
Once the Proving Ground is operational, immediately build the Skulljack with a staffed Engineer!
Such equipment allows progression of the key mission and begins Intel farming!
Construction: Resist Comms
The 5th facility will allow contact expansion beyond the starting continent.
Radio relays must be researched and constructed first to have affordable Intel cost.
Avatar Project Progress Again
Another red tick will be added again but should not raise any concern.
The skulljacking of an Advent Officer will reduce the progress by 2 ticks later on.
Epilogue
The core critical facilities and Mag Cannon research were completed this month to handle the increasingly difficult enemies that will make their debut next month!

Elerium research will be available soon, after completing both Plated Armor and Gauss Weapons projects.

Stay tuned for more exciting guides on Legendary difficulty missions!

Please show support for the guide through Awards!!!
How can I contribute to help?
Best way to support the guide is through🎖️,👍,🌟,and 💬!

𝓣𝓱𝒆 𝓐𝔀𝓪𝓻𝒹𝓼 𝓗𝒆𝓵𝓹 𝓣𝓱𝒆 𝓜𝓸𝓼𝓽!!!
Copyright Notice
This guide was written by Laguna Queen et al. (2025) on Steam, and not to be republished without crediting the authors and gaining their permission. We can be reached through the the guide comment section below.

We have no guide sites outside of Steam and please contribute to the actual creators, not plagiarism websites!

Try reading the guides for other games:
Here are other detailed guides that are not only comprehensive but tailors different themes and challenges:

For Frostpunk,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2793028492
For Warhammer 3,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2782133378
For Crying Sun,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1871229945
For Company of Heroes 2,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2806468945
For Dead in Vinland,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1996086549
For Infectonator : Survivors,
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=742714265
Join Our Group to Subscribe!
The subscription is in the details of the top most announcement in our Church of Lina group.

To join, simply search for the group or click the link below to see the full list of written guides:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/groups/ChurchofLina