Since @SpiteAndMalice started this thread, I began taking note of missions where I can’t alpha-strike.
Sometimes, as @jskintauy said, I just don’t have the right team but since I tend to organize my units around dash or long range (I suspect many of us do), the instances I found are more often about one mission’s specific mix of map lay-out, positioning, enemy types and at times objectives.
Let me repeat that I don’t think aplha-strikes should be entirely banned : I believe it is a valid tactic, one that is sometimes quite interesting to conceive and execute, though one that could be made much more “playfull” if it was more risky. What I consider to be a problem is alpha-strike being the most efficient tactic in most missions, be cause it narrows a geme that is so much richer.
So, here are a first few types of missions that wouldn’t let me alpha-strike (I tried a few ways to test it out a bit), I liked them for it and I bundled them in loose categories…
► Tunnels
Simply that : narrow, dark, twisty pandoran bases, mainly nests or lairs, are still most resistant to alpha-trike, having my units progressing cautiously in a very XCOMy “overwatch crawl”. With various Sentinels, eggs everywhere, sound and graphic design to match, they are among my favourite maps.
Sadly, Citadels really don’t live up to their name : more maze-like maps and quite a bit of reinforcement making for an endurance challenge would be better, I feel.
► Waves
Also very simple : a lot like in the most effective “ambush” missions (some of those are to weak to be a challenge), whenever you’re in for many enemies coming at you in swaths, alpha-strikes are moot.
► Crawlers in the waste field
Again, pretty simple : a whole bunch of Tritons, Worms and Mindfraggers are sometimes spread-out through a very busy map I can’t realisticly rush through. That’s a good match. Add a time-sensitive objective, like crates or squishy hiding civilians and, barring a lucky jet-move revealing most of them in one fly-over, it make for a pretty intense guerrilla-mission.
I used to find more of those in BB5, I wonder why they haven’t really came up in my recent campaigns…
► Invasion, for lack of a better word
Because of map lay-outs, it’s sometimes very clear both where enemies are coming from and where they’re going to strike, hard, on their first turn(s) : when we start too far away from each other or if there’s too much occlusion between us for a pre-emptive strike (Synedrion havens in general and residential Anu slumbs maps often have a lot of “see through cover”, favouring that kind of scenario), my best choice is therefore to interpose my units. Since I’m going to be in a dual-purpose defensive position (defending the objective(s) and not exposing my guys) for at least a few turns, when the procedutal generation get lucky, it really changes the dynamic of the game (and I love it).
► Entrenched New Jericho
Being at war with NJ in my current playthrough, I’ve met quite a few missions with agressive and heavily armored units, including assault with piercing rifles, tech laying turrets in my way, snipers perched -atop buildings (often a bit “hidden”) and a few heavies flying down on me.
They’re already worthy opponents on “High” threat, but if they get “Extreme” or when the map is multi-layered (various multi-stories buildings, favoring jet-packs and already positioned snipers), large and congested enough that my Dashers can’t really run through it while NJ can hide a little (they’re not very stealthy, obviously, but some of them still managed to surprise me), that’s a challenge !
I can’t really rush them, my most perceptive units never find them all out before they begin shooting me up, I absolutely must stay in cover, use overwatch and play cautiously.
When encountered on scavenging maps (I’m at war with NJ in my current playthrough) knowing they’ll try and destroy as many crates as they can (which is a bit weird, from a fiction stand point, but makes for an efficient time-pressure) or whenever invading other factions, it makes for (interesting) hard choices.
Though Anu forces don’t seem to bring the same challenges, I believe long-range Synedrion units may have a similar effect, but I haven’t experienced those myself (I find that faction too sympathetic to fight it).
► Hidden biggies
Though I feel Chrion bombarding from afar is a sometimes unfair, an undetected Scylla jumping me out of nowhere can be a fun surprise. If it then spawn mist and a Mindfragger, I instantly must change my tactics and, whenever the map may actually conceal a Scylla, I’m on the back foot and don’t try to alpha-strike.
Two Sirens giving Frenzy to each other and a bunch of minions before rushing out of their hiding place to rush my guys is also pretty fun.
► Arthrons machine-guns cluster
Encountered of various maps, a group of machine-gun Arthrons is tight enough that their Returr-Fire would shred to pieces any “Rapid Clearance” unit going in with a shotgun. If the landscape protect them or they have enough armor that sniping them of or shooting of most of their gun-arm wouldn’t work, they become mostly impregnable, so I have to lay in wait (and overwatch for the first turn). If a Siren can then give them Frenzy, their first turn is going to be challenging and I spend mine preparing.
Have you found others ?