1. The game difficulty here is "Normal", which the majority of players do use. Anything more difficult you will lose countries if you play ironman mode. Period. Playing on higher difficulties you will have to save scum in order to keep all countries. Period. I personally hate save scumming (not on principle, I save scum when I have to, I hate doing it- it is boring, frustrating, and personally I believe it to be a negative reflection in game design) and I hate playing a "slowing losing" style war (losing countries) which is why I play the middle ground, "Normal Ironman mode". Take that for what it is worth.

2. I don't play with mods save for making all of my people American and 90% of my people males vs 10% females. A lot of people play "long war" etc. or heavily mod'd. Be aware of what you are reading and using.

3. I play with DLC and Enemy Within, that effects things obviously but the guide could still be used if you don't use DLC or Enemy Within- I used the same strat for Enemy Unknown.

4. Because of the above my "best builds" section is built accordingly. I am sure the same things apply for higher difficulties but be aware that the advice is "best case/ min + max" for normal ironman. Click on the pictures to read the "whys" for choices.

5. If you are going to save scum, save scum PSI abilities. If there was a mod that gave you either A) 100% chance to gain PSI or B) unlimited tries to TEST for PSI I'd use it. The only other "mod" I'd ever consider using is "arc throwing as pistol" as pistols mid-end game shouldn't be used.

Month One:
*obviously win all battles, shoot down all alien vessels, sell all excess alien bodies (keep one of most, three Sectoid) and broken alien parts, pick missions that reward with engineers, if no engineers pick money
* Only launch a satellite at the end of the month if there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money OR if country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within your capacity
*for best builds go to my build section
1. Build 3 satellites
2. Research Meld Recombination
3. Build Facilities: Excavate first row
4. Pick mission with engineers, if no engineers pick money
5. Research Xeno-Biology
6. Build Power Generator in East Section Row 1 in Middle
* if you want to build your own Enigma Hilsch sniper in honor: 5,1,3,1,16,4,14,1,10
7. Build Workshop East wing left of power generator
8. Research Arc Thrower
9. Build Alien Containment Facility in Top Right
10. Build Satellite Uplink
11. Research Alien Materials
12. Only launch a satellite at the end of the month if there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money OR if country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within your capacity

Month Two
*Obviously win all battles, shoot down all alien vessels, sell all excess alien bodies (keep one of most, three Sectoid) and broken alien parts, pick missions that reward with engineers, if no engineers pick money
* Only launch a satellite at the end of the month if there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money OR if country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within your capacity
*for best builds go to my build section
1. Build Lift to second floor
2. Research Experimental Warfare*
3. Excavate second level
4. Officer Training School: Squad Size I and Iron Will
5. Research Weapon Fragments
6. Build Arc Throwers (at least one) and put on assault class. Build scope and put on sniper. Capture as many aliens as possible.
7. Build Power Generator east wing second floor on left
8. Research Alien Nav Computer
9. Build Satellite Uplink West wing second floor on right
10. Build Power Generator second floor east wing on right
11. Officer Training School: Squad Size II
12. Build 1-2 Satellites
13. Right before month ends, launch satellites as required
14. Add at least one interceptor over each continent that you have a satellite, transferring one over is a good choice

Month 3
*obviously win all battles, shoot down all alien vessels, sell
all excess alien bodies (keep one of most, three Sectoid) and broken alien
parts, pick missions that reward with engineers, if no engineers pick money
* Only launch a satellite at the end of the month (or if
there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money) and if
country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within
your capacity
*for best builds go to my build section
1. Officer Training School: Rapid Recovery
2. Build 1-2 Satellites (have at least 3 building at this point)
3. Research Beam Weapons
4. Build Satellite Nexus 2nd row West wing in the middle
5. Have at least 2 interceptors over each continent that you have satellites.
6. Research Heavy Lasers
7. Build another as many Satellites as possible. By the end of the month you will be able to launch as many as 14
8. Equip at least one interceptor with laser weapons. At the end of this month if you don't have 2 interceptors or one with laser weapons you will have to go one on one with a barge (1/20 chance of actually winning) so unless you plan on save scumming plan accordingly.
9. Research Alien Power Source. As soon as you have “We have ways” research all autopsy and interrogations.
10. Build Elerium Generator in East Wing 2B in the middle

Month Four
*obviously win all battles, shoot down all alien vessels, sell all excess alien bodies (keep one of most, three Sectoid) and broken alien parts, pick missions that reward with engineers, if no engineers pick money
* Only launch a satellite at the end of the month if there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money OR if country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within your capacity
*for best builds go to my build section
1. Build lift down to 3B and excavate
2. Research New Fighter craft (as soon as you learn and can afford, build 5 Firestorms)
3. Buy as many laser weapons as you can afford
4. Build power generator 3B East wing in middle
5. Build satellite uplink 2B West wing on the left and 3B West wing in middle (once complete you can remove Satellite Uplink on 1B West wing on right)
6. Build a Cybernetics lab 3B West wing on the right
7. Research EMP Cannon (as soon as you learn and can afford, build 5 EMP cannons for Ravens. Once Ravens are equipped, disband your 2nd Raven if you have it- you’ll only need one Raven with EMP and one Firestorm with fusion lance per continent)
8. Make 1x-2x heavy soldiers into MEC’s as soon as cybernetics lab completes (they give the ability bonus that you have to have on MEC's)
9. Research Fusion Lance and equip each of your 5 Firestorms with it (you can now take down any craft in the game, send Ravens for small-medium and Firestorms for large ie battleships)

Month 5
*obviously win all battles, shoot down all alien vessels, sell all excess alien bodies (keep one of most, three Sectoid) and broken alien parts, pick missions that reward with engineers, if no engineers pick money
* Only launch a satellite at the end of the month if there is a special pending request that gives you engineers or money OR if country has reached panic level. Complete other special pending requests within your capacity
*for best builds go to my build section
1. After researching Fusion Lance, research whatever you want EXCEPT for Outsider Shard (this will stall the game’s progress, allowing you to max everything out before continuing)
2. Build a Genetics Lab on 3B West wing on the left once you have your 2 MECs upgraded (which are far more powerful)
3. At the end of the month if you haven’t launched all satellites by month four launch them now. Stall assaulting the alien base until you have maxed everything out. If you continue to win all of your battles you won’t lose a country from this point on

SNIPER CLASS:





MEC CLASS:



ASSAULT CLASS:





HEAVY CLASS:





SUPPORT CLASS:
Weakest in game. Wouldn't recommend on min/max normal/ironman using the class.

MIN/MAX SIX PERSON PARTY:

1 Sniper, 2x MEC's, 1 Assault, 2x Heavy

Sniper in back, MEC's scouting with large movement and overwatch, assault supporting upfront with heavies in the middle...

Best of Luck People!

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