Semi-Noob in WotC: What am I doing wrong? XCOM 2

Hey soldiers, I’ve been playing XCOM 2 for nearly a year off and on now, however, I wouldn’t by any means consider myself and expert in the mechanics of the game yet (mostly due to the fact that I haven’t seen an Ironman playthrough to completion yet). I do alright for a few hours into the game, maybe 3 or 4 missions, and I can even beat the first Chosen attack super easily, but a few missions later my people start dying – and I’m not sure how to prevent it. I also feel like my base setup is lagging behind the progression of the game. I’ve beaten both the original and the WotC version of the campaign several times by save-scumming at least 6-7 times in normal mode, but I’m stuck when it comes to ironman mode.

I’m using overwatch properly, full cover 80% of the time, but I still find myself struggling. Here’s my general question: Are there any common-knowledge tips that you’ve noticed most people (such as my noobish self) generally fail to understand? Any general tips that you find essential in completing ironman mode with as few deaths as possible? This is your chance to rant about what all the noobs do wrong! Lol

Basic Tips

Some real quick tips:

• I got significantly better and had significantly less injuries/save-scumming when I started using Grenadiers “properly”. Any time you get into an engagement where the enemy has taken cover, the first thing you should be thinking before anything else is “who are the biggest targets and how many of them can I hit with a grenade?” You hit enemies with a grenade to remove their cover and then follow up with exposed shots from your more accurate classes. They even get a similar status to “flanked”, meaning your crit chance goes way up.
• Mentioned above, target prioritization is very important. Some enemies in the base game are very predictable. For example, as long as a Sectoid doesn’t have an easy flank on one of your soldiers, they will always use Psi abilities like Mindspin or Psi Reanimate, which can be easily countered with a Flashbang. On the flipside, an Officer can only use Mark Target, shoot at you or throw a grenade; all abilities which have a high chance of causing injuries, so you want to kill him ASAP.
• You need to be cautious, to make the most of engagements, but you also need to be quick to complete your objectives in time. Another thing that massively improved my game was the incorporation of scouting into my tactics. Keep a unit in concealment (Reaper or Phantom Ranger) and have them move ahead of your main force. If no pods, dash to cover. If a pod, set up an Overwatch trap and try to get them to patrol into you for the free damage.
• Mimic Beacons are incredibly strong and an important goal I set in my playthroughs. There is almost never a time when I’m not packing a Mimic Beacon as it is an effective “get out of jail free” card. A pod catches you unprepared, or you get particularly unlucky and miss some critical shots – throw a Mimic Beacon and you get another turn to handle the situation.
• Dranak is right in prioritizing mag weapons. Also worth noting is getting the Guerrilla Tactics School and Resistance Ring up as soon as you can. GTS for the squad size increases (25% more firepower makes a big difference) and Resistance Ring for resources, promotions and Resistance Orders.

Original Link – Continuation of discussion