If you could choose classes that we already know, what line up will you make for the team consisting of 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 soldiers?
And let say that you can select any weapon for each soldier, your grenades and magazines are not limited, each soldier has some penalty to not class specific weapon and technician stun attack is not so powerful.
For me now it would look like that:
team of 4 - 2 x heavy, technician, assault
team of 6 - 2 x heavy, technician, 2 x assault, sniper
team of 8 - 2 x heavy, 2 x tech, 2 x ass ;), 2 x sniper
team of 10 - 2 x heavy, 2 x tech, 3 x assault, 3 x sniper
Explosives are always needed, so heavies. Mobility also is needed, so assaults. But we donāt even know all possible classes in the game. Julain had mentioned before there will be more flexibility in terms of classes, which is great. I also hope each of these classes and sub-classes will be interesting enough to use them frequently among the āclassicā ones like snipers/heavies/assaults. I personally canāt wait to see infiltrator in action and see how AI and environment reacts to this classā behaviour.
Yes we donāt know all classes, that is why i didnāt mention infiltrator, mutog handler or anything else. Iām also aware of multi-class soldiers, but I just wonder what line-ups players will choose if next BB would let us to choose from some soldiers pool, and there still wonāt be soldierās leveling system implemented allowing creation of multi-class characters. And of course Phoenix Project classes will be slightly different than New Jericho, but I suppose that āfeelā and purpose of the class stay the same.
No technician or assault? Now I wonder if technician will be available in next builds if we will play as P-Project.
10 : 2 snipers 3 assaults 3 heavies 2 techs (shred + all in with heavy support back up)
Iād rather wipe as many as possible while breaking the line in the first place then Iād spread on both side to destroy remaining trash enemies to finaly get 3 fronts over the boss (sniper behind, a team of heavy / assault / tech on each side of the monster).
To be fair, Iād like to play it that way because itās the kind of strategy I find fun but the most efficient one is probably to go with 3 techs and 7 heavies stuffed with grenades haha
Technicians with unlimited healing are irreplaceable, yes, but I think this will change. So their presence will be only as limited support. They are a āmustā in team, but wonāt play such great role as now - stun will work only in rare occasions and healing will be available only few times. But they are not so effective at killing enemies, except few bursts at enemy in close range in 1 turn while flanking.
Heavies lack long range and return fire, and with this limited range, overwatch is also ineffective - unless you equip them with assault rifles, but then, they will also have some aim penalty and less firepower. Of course they are the tanks to soak some enemy damage while being exposed, and have needed punch to initiate killing alien queen, but are quite bulky and slow in longer fight against it. In other words, for me they are the brutes who can stop regular enemies on close range and can be used against enemy boss, but otherwise are not so efficient.
Assaults are essential in my opinion. They are mobile, so can flank easily, have good aim in medium range and enough firepower to kill enemy if ambushed in close range. Also, they have quite light main equipment so can easily carry some additional stuff for other classes (like rockets, turrets etc) or some additional equipment like more grenades, stun weapons, or some scanners.
Sniper is not so essential class for me, as their ādpsā is not so high and they lack defensive capability (except pistol special skill). Their main advantage is long range shot disabling enemy guns - which is fantastic, but against enemies with multiple attacks (especially from body parts like carapace or abdomen which are hard to disable) it wonāt be so crucial to survival of the team. I think that having a sniper in a team depends on possibility to defend sniper(s). When you have enough heavies, assaults and turrets then you can have a sniper. And with 2 or 3 precise shots in one turn they can be quite devastating to enemies approaching your team without endangering team, but in less numbers they are not effective and not welcome to the team.
OK, are you guys ready for this lineup? Iāve played a lot of Backer Build #2, and through all those missions Iāve done calculations based on damage output and longevity of all classes thus far, and have come up with an indisputable lineup that will ensure victory for each and every mission. Here goes:
4 soldiers: 4X Heavies
6 soldiers: 6X Heavies
8 soldiers: 8X Heavies
10 soldiers: (Just to mix it up a bit) 10X Heavies
You want enemy pot shots at long range to do close to nothing? Heavies. You want to close in on enemies and violate their chest cavities with multiple rounds with little regard to whatās going to happen afterwards? Heavies. You want to take down crabmen in a single burst of ammo? Heavies. You want to decimate the queen with rocket volleys and shred inducing ammo? Heavies. You want to jump across the map for a better vantage point next turn? Heavies. You want to remove the need for healing? Heavies. You want to laugh at what assaults call ādamageā? Heavies. You want to look down your nose at what snipers call armor, and get in the fight like a true warrior, not shoot from some cowardly hiding spot? Spoiler alert: Heavies.
Mark my words, When they allow us to pick our lineups, Iāll show you, Iāll show you all!
Just you wait, fella. Iāll roll all heavies and destroy everything!
In all seriousness though, Iād probably add one or two Technicians depending on party size. If they let the sniper take shots without getting return fire then maybe Iāll take one of them too, but perhaps thatās an ability reserved for an Infiltrator? Thatād be nice to see.
Iād use an assault if I was allowed to deck them out like a heavy so they could move a little farther and still shoot, but I think thatās the point of a heavy is that they are the only ones who can use that armor. Maybe an assault with a heavy machine gun would work.
I would rather expect that assaults can also wear heavy armour. And it is that heavy armour that limit your move not the class - so heavy class without heavy armour would move the same as assault. And probably heavy will have some proficiency with this armour and assault not. So assault in heavy armour would move even less than heavy class. But maybe Iām wrong. @UnstableVoltage Can you share some insight on this? Is something like that implemented in developers build?
Iām also aware of multi-class soldiers, but I just wonder what line-ups players will choose if next BB would let us to choose from some soldiers pool, and there still wonāt be soldierās leveling system implemented allowing creation of multi-class characters. And of course Phoenix Project classes will be slightly different than New Jericho, but I suppose that āfeelā and purpose of the class stay the same.