Favorite Soldier Classes – XCOM 2

Hey Everyone.

With 9 soldier classes in the game but only 6 spots on the team for any given mission, selecting the right combination of classes to bring along is a key choice in each player’s personal style. They all have their perks and shortcomings, but I think every player has their favorites.

With that said, I want to see everyone rank the classes in order of personal favorites. Explanations of rankings are welcome.

And let me be clear: I appreciate all the classes. They’re all designed to do certain things, and they do them damn well. I would bring one of each with me on every mission if I could.

GRENADIER

• GRENADIER

[The Grenadier is my favorite class. All it takes is a scope or an Aim PCS to get them dealing reliable heavy damage. The base damage of their cannons is already commendable, but applying it to abilities like Rupture or Chain Shot often leads to solo kills. I personally like to give them Bluescreen Rounds so that they utterly destroy armored robots that any other class has difficulty tackling. Sectopods? No problem. They’re just walking targets for a Chain Shot. Holo Targeting and Demolition or Suppression make them great at sussing out targets behind cover. And the Frost Bomb is a given.]

SHARPSHOOTER

• SHARPSHOOTER

[Sharpshooters, as I use them, are guaranteed damage in a world full of sketchy dice rolls. Their accuracy often promises results. The first thing I do on any turn is see who my Sharpshooter is capable of killing in one guaranteed shot. Even if he can’t do that, he’s a great candidate for finishing off beefy enemies. Armor Piercing Rounds let the sniper’s potent punch cut right to the core. Serial plus a few good attachments is a guaranteed way to wipe the battlefield clean of weakened enemies in a single turn.]

TEMPLAR

• TEMPLAR

[I personally appreciate their potential for melee damage more than that of the Ranger. A fully charged Rend can one-shot most of the weaker enemy types, and obtaining Focus is made effortless with certain perks. Focus powers are flashy and versatile. I once used Invert to drop a Chosen coverless in the middle of my squad. He died that same turn.]

RANGER

• RANGER

[There is nothing that packs more punch in this game than a flanking shotgun blast that’s almost guaranteed to crit. Rapid Fire devastates even Mutons. My only gripe with them is that their melee often isn’t as strong as I want it to be. It finishes off weakened enemies instead of executing them in one shot. Setting up a good use of the Reaper skill is not very practical.]

PSI OPERATIVE

• PSI OPERATIVE

[Their abilities are stylish and really fun, even if Null Lance is the only one with good damage potential. Domination is probably the best skill in the game, giving you an automatic kill and a seventh squad member who is super expendable.]

SKIRMISHER

• SKIRMISHER

[Skirmishers are so versatile. They can shoot twice, grapple to a higher position at no cost, pull enemies to them, pull themselves to enemies, and often they can do two or three damage-dealing actions in a turn. When I’m deciding what to do with my turn, Skirmishers often leave me with too many possibilities — and too many chances to make the wrong move.]

SPARK

• SPARK

[They can’t hit anything, and they don’t even deal much damage when they do. Still, they’re a lot of fun. I like wrecking cover by plowing through it. And using a SPARK as high cover for other soldiers is very handy.]

SPECIALIST

• SPECIALIST

[They heal. That’s about it. I don’t use their hacking since my Grenadiers wreck robotic enemies. Their Overwatch-oriented abilities are cool but not fantastic. I typically give my Specialist the Bolt Caster. It does insane damage with great accuracy and a decent chance to crit. That way at least the Specialist has something to contribute when nobody is injured.]

REAPER

• REAPER

[Reapers are vital. You need a scout so that you don’t pull enemy pods on your turn. Their stealth skills are phenomenal. That said, I never use them. They can’t hit anything, and when they do, it does almost no damage. They’re dead weight in a fight. Their explosive abilities are powerful but highly situational. I know many people love them, but they just don’t click with my play style.]

So those are my opinions. I apologize for the length. Feel free to go as in-depth as you want with your comments. Thank you for reading this far.

NOTE: My Ranger did not have Chain Shot. I just forgot that Rapid Fire was a thing.

Original Link – Continuation of discussion