I have assaults that got a wounded arm and were useless, until I saw the hint in a loading screen that “I could use a pistol when my arm was hurt”. I CANNOT use a pistol as an assault, and have no idea how to get the skill or what classes can use it besides a sniper that defaults with it.
I can carry a huge automatic weapon but can’t shoot a pistol? Besides that being just silly, how do I go about being able to do so? If a soldier gets a hurt arm (which is common) besides throwing a grenade what good am I now on thew mission?
Honestly this just leads to save scumming and hoping you don’t get a RNG wound in the arm.
DUMB.
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Berserkers and Snipers are proficient with pistol.
I feel your pain, I believe its stupid limit. Everyone should carry everything,
with missing more with no proficient weapon
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Basically, everyone can use everything, so your Assault can use pistols.
BUT, when a class in not proficient with a weapon then he gets a big accuracy penalty for firearms (I think -50%) or it has a chance to fumble when it is a melee weapon or the Jet Pack (does nothing). Snipers and Berserkers are the only classes that are proficient with pistols. Self Defence is the personal perk to get proficiency with pistols and PDWs.
I also don’t like this. In my book every soldier should be able to use basic weapons for a soldier without penalties, at least pistols, but also assault rifles, shotguns and probably even PDWs.
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Class sys limits you, I believe you dont see it in weapon choices. Early in BB sys or way before, it was like you say. Its stupid e.g. because neural gun is great, until you get the sniper and is sles heavy and for smaller creatures can capture. Or like in given example, when you lost an arm and dont have technician or Synderion vehicle around.
Yes, it is hidden for the selected class. You have to manually enable sniper or berserker selection to equip any other soldier with a pistol. This is also the case for any other weapon that the current selected soldier is not proficient in even if he had the personal proficiency perk.
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Thanks for the tip! So it looks like its not possible 
Should we create ticket “enable choice of all weapons with mark or warning soldier is not proficient when equipping?”
I don’t undestand? What is not possible?
You dont see immediately that you can equip it (non class weapon), without changing weapon class, like the original poster complaionts.
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So it is possible, but you have to know how and new inexperienced players will get this eventually not or too late 
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There is a warning badge on non-proficient weapons. I agree that everyone ought to be proficient with pistols. I don’t even know why pistols are a sniper thing, other than because of X-com and class balance reasons.
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THIS… totally agree.
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Opened as ticket, go and vote or add comments
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Is “Self Defence” a randomly generated perk that you may or may not get, or is it on the regular perk tree for all soldiers?
Also-as I said -what the hell are you supposed to do when your arm is wounded and you don’t have grenade? Just sit down and rest?
Randomly generated
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Mostly yes, you can heal others with medpacks or you can take over a pistol or melee weapon (they are also one handed) from one of your other soldiers.
As best, up from the midgame, you should have almost always a Technician or an Aspida in your team, they can ‘repair’ disabled limbs on the field so that your soldier is ready again for his two handed main weapon.
In general, being prepared for as many eventualities as possible is a key element in this game in order not to be surprised and wiped in missions. You don’t need a pistol for everyone, but one or two extra with your team is not impossible to achieve. And later in the game you should consider to take Technicians. They are a key element as healer and can also deal massive damage with their turrets.
This does not mean that I’m happy with the weapon proficiency at all, in fact, I’m not a big fan of this mechanism (see above).
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Yes-as I was mentioning I know you can TRY to use a pistol, but not being proficient at it (seriously what assault soldier wouldn’t know how to use a basic sidearm) having a 50% chance to “fumble”?
I will look for technician later thanks. Solution of fixing an arm while in combat is a solution.
Before you have engineers/apidas, you can also evac them from battle so that they do not bleed out if you also do not have a medkit.
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Yes evac-I had medkits for each member of the team. They don’t fix a busted arm right? I wound up using the wounded for gathering on a mission or healing. I like the fact that later perhaps I can fix a wounded arm so they can get back in fight.
Healing an arm so you can use a 2 handed weapon is as plausible as using a One handed weapon if one arm is broken though. Perhaps reducing the penalty etc. I mean I have had a number of arm wounds in the early going and I’m not sure if I was even ALLOWED to use a pistol even if I was carrying one as a backup…can you confirm?
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No, only technician or aspida can do it, as mentioned