research xcom enemy within

XCOM: Enemy Unknown guide - squad builds, ET tactics, base-building strategy and more

XCOM is back! And as you've probably realised from our XCOM review , it's brilliant, capturing everything we loved about the original game, but with lots of clever modern ideas thrown into the mix. The new game is different enough from the old one that even X-Com veterans could do with a few tips, never mind rookies. Thankfully I'm here to help. After spending many, many hours in the game, I've assembled this guide, collecting all the best tips I can offer to help you deal with the alien menace. What's more, you can also find Chris' video guide to surviving Ironman mode embedded above.

But, before we get started, here are some other XCOM tips you might be interested in:

How to recruit hero characters.

How to force the game to use 1080p cinematics.

The dev's own tips for taking down early-game ETs .

Building your Base

Restart after the tutorial – The XCOM tutorial is very handy for learning the basics of the game, but it's also very linear. Starting again after you've finished it will give you the freedom to plan your base how you like, and ensure you don't lose three men on the first mission.

Win the space race – If I could only give you one tip, it would be this. Build satellites. There are no second bases in Enemy Unknown, so it's vital that you launch satellites and buy interceptors in order to spot UFOs around the Earth. Secondly, each satellite you launch will provide extra resources and calm the nation it's launched over. Thirdly, when you complete the satellite coverage of a continent you'll get the same bonus you would if you put your base there. This is why it's pointless to set up in South America, since you'll only need two satellites to do the same job as a whole base.

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Mine for steam – Thermal generators are way better than regular power generators, but they can only be built on steam vents. So the best way to produce power is to quickly mine down to the steam, build a thermal generator and then surround it with regular generators for the adjacency bonus.

Engineers are better than Scientists – Every item in Enemy Unknown requires a minimum number of engineers to build. Conversely, a single scientist can research everything in the game, extra ones just make it go faster. So if the game offers you a choice between engineers and scientists, go for the engineers. I've never built a single laboratory while playing this game, I've just never needed the speed boost. Workshops, on the other hand are very useful, granting you access to more items and refunding your resources.

Weapons versus armour – This one is a tough call. Armour is generally faster to research, as there are several different guns for each class, while one suit of armour fits all. If you've got veterans to protect, I recommend prioritising armour. If you're dealing with a squad of rookies (often the case if you're an iron man player) then I'd go for weapons instead. The upgraded rifles make noobs far more likely to actually kill something.

Train your officers – Building an officer training school gives you access to some powerful upgrades. You can improve experience gain, increase your squad size and make your soldiers more likely to survive. All essential if you're going to develop a veteran squad.

Combat Tips

Keep your ears open – As you move across the battlefield, you might notice sound waves coming from off screen. These are little clues as to where the aliens on the map are positioned, Firaxis' solution to all those old X-Com missions which ended with a half hour search for the final alien. As an extra bonus, the sound clip that plays at this point hints at what kind of alien you'll find. Stomping and Darth Vader breathing means Mutons, while skittering insectiod movement means Chyssalids.

Overwatch is key – Overwatch is XCOM's version of X-Com's reaction fire, and it's one of the most powerful weapons you have at your disposal in the field. Always have at least one or two men on overwatch to cover the rest of the squad before moving or ending your turn. The only reason not to have someone on overwatch is if you've already spotted the enemy and are busy filling him full of lasery death.

Exploit enemy movement – Whenever an enemy spots you, they are allowed one move action. Ranged units will panic and dash for cover, while melee units charge forwards. You can exploit this movement by putting your whole team on overwatch before moving the last man forward, this way if you provoke an enemy, they'll run right into your firing arcs and get horribly slaughtered.

Use stealth – That enemy movement I spoke about? It happens when they spot you, not when you spot them. This means that by using a Ghost Suit's invisibility, or the Sniper's Battle Scanner you can spot the aliens while they're still clustered together and they won't react until you've dropped a grenade right in the middle of them.

Make your own door – Back in the original X-Com, opening a door was suicide. Things aren't as bad these days, since you can now fire from cover at either side of the door. Still you can often surprise the enemy by simply blowing a hole in the wall with a grenade and making your own entrance.

Exploit explosions - Blowing up a UFO power source does some serious damage, but if you do it, you won't be able to salvage it at the end of the mission. However if you're using thermal power, you don't actually need that many, so you can happily use it to magnify take out the enemy. The same trick also works with cars, which is why you should never stand next to a burning one.

Next: Your squad and how to build them.

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What does the full research tree look like?

I find myself constantly wishing I had some idea what the research tree looked like. For example, if I want to unlock plasma weapons, do I have to go down the laser weapon path first to unlock it, or am I going in completely in the wrong direction?If I want to get a satellite nexus, what do I need for it? How do I get this stealth armor I've heard about?

I have so many questions like this, and some sort of research tree with related manufacturing items would be of immense help.

• xcom-enemy-unknown

• I did just find this article which presents the research information and then some. Less tree-like than I thought, with much research dependent on just finding certain materials. Haven't stuck it in an answer yet though because I hate just leaving a link, but I also don't want to do a straight up copy & paste. There's got to be a better way of presenting this information. –  Sterno Commented Oct 12, 2012 at 17:46
• best way is to make a flow diagram if possible. could be messy though... nice find however –  l I Commented Oct 12, 2012 at 18:21

2 Answers 2

Here is an alternative research tree that you might find userful

http://www.xdude.com/images/xcom-enemy-unknown-2012-tech-tree-research-chart.png

• Agent86's was very good and much appreciated, but I'm moving the accepted answer to this one because I think it better captures some of the other in-game requirements. –  Sterno Commented Nov 26, 2012 at 23:41

(Click to expand)

Previous versions:

• Click for version 2.1
• Click for version 2.0
• Click for version 1.0

This is only from a couple of sources, ( here and here ) so it could probably use some verification. Reddit provided some input as well. Feedback is welcome.

• There is an error in version 2.1 - Weapon Fragements or Alien Materials is a prereq to "experitmental warfare". Beam weapons unlocks "Laser Pistol (g) and Laser Rifle (g) –  Laurence Commented Oct 29, 2012 at 5:43
• also - there is some 'prereuq' to Beam Weapons - but I'm not sure what it is yet. I started a new game on 'easy', researched ONLY Weapon Fragments, and I was not able to get Beam Weapons. I then researched Alloys and Experimental Warfare - and I was still not able to research Beam Weapons... –  Laurence Commented Oct 29, 2012 at 6:14
• for "Beam weapons" - I just did a small 'downed' ufo ship - and that unlocked beam weapons –  Laurence Commented Oct 29, 2012 at 6:30
• Yeah, several (or all) techs seem require you get to a certain point in the game - I didn't get Carapace Armour unlocked for research until I'd seen an Outsider (this may be a coincidence). –  therefromhere Commented Nov 3, 2012 at 21:26
• Carapace Armor's unlocked pretty early. I think the "Downed UFO" is a key event, although it's a bit hard to determine what exactly it gates. –  agent86 Commented Nov 3, 2012 at 22:29

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XCOM: Enemy Within Review

• First Released Oct 8, 2012 released

Second verse, fun as the first.

By Leif Johnson on November 11, 2013 at 4:00AM PST

Several hours into XCOM: Enemy Within, pumping bullets into extraterrestrials and sending aircraft to chase UFOs, I found myself thinking of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen . Rest assured, there are no dragons here, but Firaxis' beloved tactical shooter follows much the same model as Capcom's role-playing game in offering what some may call an "ultimate" edition of 2012's turn-based strategy hit. In this latest jaunt, hours filled with the same cutscenes of Dr. Vahlen and Dr. Chen bickering over the same priorities rush by. The enemy is known now, at least for those of us who played XCOM: Enemy Unknown before, and thus some of the mystery has passed away. But as I ventured deeper into alien bases and terrorist cells, I found myself thinking of XCOM: Enemy Within more as an alternate reality. It's an approach that makes facing the alien menace exciting all over again.

The key to these changes lies in the game's opening quote. Whereas before you were presented with Arthur C. Clarke's famed quote about being alone in the universe, Enemy Within greets you with a more ominous message penned by R. Buckminster Fuller: "Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword." By slow degrees, easing through the same missions and viewing the same spaceships and alien bases, it's clear that the enemy lies just as much among our fellow humans as it does beyond the stars. XCOM: Enemy Within sees Vahlen and Chen pushing the moral limits of technology and running the risk of smudging forever the line between humans and aliens. Beyond, a rogue organization named EXALT seeks to thwart XCOM's efforts, believing that a better future lies with the very aliens you fought.

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Now Playing: XCOM: Enemy Within - Review

With so much smudging of the lines between human and machine, it's surprising that XCOM: Enemy Within does such a good job of emphasizing the humanity of its soldiers. No more do heavies from Argentina chat in the same vernacular as Illinois car salesmen; instead, French and Polish units bark announcements in the tongues of their respective countries if you activate them in the customization screen. You don't have to play match-two with languages and the flags on soldiers' backs; it's a pleasure to switch out between French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Russian, but it's a shame that the available voices never move beyond the European sphere and into languages like Japanese and Chinese.

Other touches add a bit of swagger and even light humor. Enhanced customization options now let soldiers venture forth in fedoras as well as combat helmets, and a handful of different armor types helps distinguish soldiers from one another on the battlefield. As a result, much more than before, soldiers feel like people. You feel your losses even more now, particularly when you've already awarded a soldier with one of the new medals using your (permanent) choice of two buffs.

But nothing changes the game quite like meld. Meld is a new resource in XCOM: Enemy Within, and while you could theoretically finish the game without using it, doing so means you'll miss out on some of the expansion's greatest goodies. Even the resource itself augments the experience. The realization that you have only a limited number of turns to reach it depending on the difficulty, for instance, almost immediately shatters the careful inch-by-inch tactics so commonly employed in the first game. The intent here is speed, and the occasional need for recklessness adds an extra dose of tension to most missions. That's not to say the changes don't properly mesh with the returning tactical mechanics; on the contrary, you usually have to move your main force to objectives while sending out a party of one or two to snag the meld.

Back at the base, meld reveals itself to be a Prometheus' fire of sorts that allows both genetic modifications and cybernetics. Gene mods are the comparatively mundane choice of the two, and using them is a little like playing the original game with superhero buffs. Some are fairly simple, such as pupil implants that grant a small boost to aim; others are almost godly, such as a skin augment that makes your soldier invisible if she's in full cover. It's cool stuff, and it's most noteworthy for making Dr. Vahlen's dissections more meaningful.

It's the same game through a twisted mirror, revealing an alternative world where humans strive to win at any cost.

MEC troopers are something else entirely. They're exactly what they sound like, MechWarrior fans, and you can sacrifice any of your team members to go the way of Robocop as long as they've progressed past rookie. The short wait is a smart move, particularly since leveling now lets them retain at least one ability associated with their previous roles. A support character, for instance, might throw up a huge shield that boosts defenses for surrounding combatants. On the battlefield, they come into their own, possessing the ability to take as much damage as they dish out with flamethrowers and plasma rifles, forgoing cover and sometimes acting as cover for each other.

MEC troopers sound as badass as they do game breaking. Thankfully, Firaxis went to great lengths to ensure proper balance. For one, the aliens now have their own "mectoids" to counter yours. Any fears that MECs have made XCOM easier tend to vanish before the sight of mectoids wiping out entire poorly placed squadrons. Brazenly venturing ahead of the team also gets your MECs killed by drawing too much fire, and devastating MEC weapons such as flamethrowers usually have no effect on other MECs.

New enemies also pepper the landscape, although they're not as effective as they probably could be. Take the seeker. It may look like the fearsome metal squid monsters from The Matrix , complete with a stealth skill that renders it invisible, but in practice, it's scarcely more dangerous than a horsefly. After it breaks stealth and latches on to a soldier, it's little more than handy target practice for other troops.

More worthy of note is the traitorous group EXALT, which brings some memorable new missions and story twists with it, although EXALT is more dangerous in the metagame than when you're fighting its members while trying to extract your spies in a series of new covert missions. Crafty buggers, they hack into Vahlen's research, disrupting her progress. They steal from your money reserves, and they spread panic through propaganda. Before, it wasn't hard to master the metagame's system of checks and balances, but EXALT ensures that managing panic levels and a steady cash flow now present greater challenges than before.

In some ways, however, all these additions act merely as frosting on a cake we've enjoyed before. It's the same game through a twisted mirror, revealing an alternative world where humans strive to win at any cost. In the process, it embraces science fiction with greater gusto. Before, it was easy to imagine XCOM as a fanciful take on how we'd fare if aliens attacked the world today. Enemy Within, on the other hand, sometimes ventures far into the theatrical, such as when you watch two MECs clobber each other as though in homage to Pacific Rim .

Enemy Within is great, but its greatness comes with qualifications. Players who have never played XCOM: Enemy Unknown will find their best entry point here, since it remedies some of the concerns of the original and manages to keep others from taking their place. Not only does it enhance replay value by expanding the Second Wave content to include options such as Training Roulette, which randomizes abilities while leveling, but it expands the multiplayer mode, adding squad editing, squad saving, and the inclusion of new units such as mectoids and seekers.

It also seems to avoid many of the pitfalls of the original. I saw not one bug in my hours with XCOM: Enemy Within, and the whopping 40 new maps ensured that even the usually humdrum UFO crash investigations of the original were replaced with tense excavations into cities and pleasant farms. All of that is certainly enough for PC players to fork out the $20 for the upgrade, but unfortunately, console players face the more daunting task of buying Firaxis' new creation for almost the price of a new game. Fortunately, there's enough new content here to justify it for players looking for another spin in Firaxis' gripping tale of alien invasion.

That seems to be the pattern of XCOM. The tale always grows in the telling, and with this entry, you find yourself in a world richer and more enjoyable than the one you experienced before. With a world this finely crafted, it's fitting that we should get to save it all over again.

• Leave Blank
• 40 new maps with diverse settings enrich the playing field
• New EXALT faction makes metagame at base more challenging
• New MECs and gene mods add "cool" factor without sacrificing difficulty
• Meld collection adds urgency to standard missions
• New Seeker enemies are little more than pinatas

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• @LeifJohnson

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How to not suck at XCOM: Enemy Within

Prepare for war.

As stated in my review, XCOM: Enemy Within adds a lot of awesome new tools to your soldiers' arsenal. From passive genetic modifications to the walking tank-like MEC Troopers, the new inclusions are a ton of fun to tweak and mess around with. But with more firepower comes greater challenge: new aliens and a rogue faction of fanatic humans are more than eager to put an end to mankind, and you'll need all the help you can get if you're to save the world. So suit up with these tips, and get to it.

1. Go in with a game plan

The last thing you're probably looking for in a tips article is for someone to tell you to do some pre-game planning (HRNNNNNGG), but for real: do some pre-game planning. You're not going to be able to save every country unless you pull off some David Blaine street magic. Look at the satellite bonuses of each region and decide what's most important to you, and know ahead of time which countries you're willing to sacrifice. I recommend choosing Africa as your starting country, as the 30 percent increase to your monthly income will prove invaluable, especially early on. Europe and Asia provide some of the best passive bonuses for maximum satellite coverage, so you should probably protect those as best you can, too.

2. While you're at it, plan your squad setup

ANOTHER PRE-PLANNING SUGGESTION? Yes, indeed. If you're playing on the harder difficulties, you can't afford to research and build equipment at random. Once you know which countries you'll willingly abandon, figure out what type of squad setup you'll want to use and how you'll want to outfit your soldiers, so you know what to research and when. At most, you can eventually have up to six soldiers in a squad. My recommendation: go with one Assault, two Snipers, two Support, and one Heavy. MEC Troopers are super awesome, but their accuracy is pretty awful even when maxed out, and you'll have to sacrifice a ton of resources to make them a viable addition to your team.

3. Play cautiously

The golden rule of XCOM: use your first action to move into cover, and your second to enable Overwatch. Dashing is rarely a good idea and should only be used when you're absolutely certain it won't lead to an ambush. Stick to the edges of a map until you absolutely have to start moving inward. This way you can clear all the aliens from the perimeter without accidentally uncovering any that might be hanging out in the middle. Finally, be mindful of how much ammo your soldiers have left in their weapons. Nothing sucks quite as bad as moving into a perfect flanking position, only to have to reload.

4. Go for Carapace Armor before new weapons

Laser and plasma guns aren't going to do much good if they're chilling in the hands of a dead squad member. Nabbing Carapace Armor early on will dramatically increase the survivability of your troops. From there, prioritize laser rifles and sniper rifles. I found that skipping over Heavy Lasers was totally viable--by the time I could spare the resources for new Heavy weapons, I went straight to plasma.

5. Leveling the Assault class

Start by thinking what kind of Assault unit will most benefit your gameplay style. You can pick up all the extra critical chance abilities--such as Aggression and Close and Personal--if you want a high damage dealer, but doing so is a super risky move (and a pretty dumb one on higher difficulties). I'd recommend taking Tactical Sense and Lightning Reflexes for survivability, and Rapid Fire for harry life-or-death confrontations with Berserkers or Chrysalids. Close Combat Specialist is a must-have, as its defensive benefits far outweigh the crit damage otherwise gained by Bring 'Em On, while Resilience will prevent your Assault soldier from falling victim to a crushing critical strike.

Recommended loadout: Plasma Rifle (until you unlock the Alloy Canon), Alien Grenade

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6. Leveling your Snipers

When you're playing it safe--as you should be in Challenge Mode or higher--Snipers will be doing your heavy lifting. You'll want to give them as many aim and accuracy bonuses as possible (ahem, Damn Good Ground), and though Snap Shot might be a tempting ability, Squadsight is the better option for passive play. You might consider equipping one of your Snipers with Disabling Shot to disarm enemies, while the other takes Battle Scanner so you can get a bit of extra vision. Execution and Opportunist are both incredibly valuable abilities, though at least one of your snipers should take the former. Finally, Double Tap is your BFF. At the start of each mission, get your Snipers to as high ground as possible, which should give them the best chance to hit your targets. They'll mostly hang back as your Assault and Support troops move forward.

Recommended loadout: Plasma Sniper Rifle (ASAP!), S.C.O.P.E. (don't forget to upgrade S.C.O.P.E.s in the Foundry)

7. Leveling your Support soldiers

These units not only provide a ton of utility, but are also your secondary alien killers. Sprinter is practically mandatory, as it'll help you get to low-HP units in time to save them. If you're running with two Supports, I'd suggest making one of them your dedicated healer, picking up the Field Medic, Revive, and Savior abilities. The other should keep your units protected--grab Smoke and Mirrors, Rifle Suppression, Dense Smoke, and Sentinel.

Recommended loadout: Plasma Rrifles, Medkits (don't forget to upgrade Medkits via the Foundry)

8. Leveling your Heavies

Heavies have horrible accuracy, but their value is in their rocket launchers and damage/aim buffs. I'd recommend skipping Bullet Swarm in favor of Holo-Targeting, as the aim bonus will likely secure shots that might've otherwise missed. Shredder Rocket is also a great damage boon for your team, especially when you've got superpowered Snipers picking off enemies from a distance. Most of their other abilities are pretty equal in terms of squad advantages, so these can be selected based on personal preference, though I would suggest going with Danger Zone over Grenadier--I tend to put more stock in building up rocket damage and area of effect.

Recommended loadout: Heavy Plasma, Blaster Launcher, Alien Grenade

9. Using MEC Troopers

If you're playing on higher difficulties, these bad boys are harder to justify because of their high resource cost. They don't become super effective until they have upgraded gear--and even then, their accuracy is worse than that of Heavies. If you decide to go through with building one, however, there are a few things to consider. First, go with Flamethrower over Kinetic Strike Module, as it's capable if hitting multiple enemies at once with decent damage, while the latter is a single target ability that requires you to be standing right next to an enemy. I also found the Grenade Launcher--which has insane range--to be more valuable an asset than Restorative Mist, and the Proximity Mine is equally useful.

Recommended loadout: Particle Cannon

10. Don't overdo it with the gene mods

The new gene mods are extremely useful--so long as you're equipping them on specific soldiers where they make sense. I really only found them to be super beneficial to my snipers. For those, I'd recommend taking Mimetic Skin (unlocked via Seeker Autopsy) for camouflaging your snipers when they have to move to higher ground. Depth Perception will increase their accuracy when they have a height advantage, while Muscle Fiber Density (unlocked by completing a Thin Man autopsy) will allow them to jump onto rooftops without needing a ladder. All of these will drastically increase the mobility and effectiveness of your long-ranged attackers. Keep in mind, any soldier that undergoes genetic modification is stuck in the medbay for three full days, so be careful about your timing.

11. Strapped for cash? Visit the Grey Market

It's easy to forget that the Grey Market exists, but it's a great way to get some extra cash when you're running low on resources. Some items, like damaged alien wreckage from crashed UFOs, can't be used for anything, so you might as well get rid of 'em. Other things--especially the mass quantities of alien bodies you'll have stockpiled in your XCOM warehouse--are less important over time, so don't be afraid to sell off some of your inventory, especially when Japan's about to bail on the council because you can't afford to put a satellite in its skies.

Good luck, Commander

Will you be picking up XCOM: Enemy Within? Have you already started playing around with Gene Mods and MEC Troopers? If so, what tips do you have to would-be defenders of planet Earth? Let us know in the comments below.

And if you're looking for more, check out how to beat XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Impossible Ironman mode and 8 awesome-looking games you'll overlook this holiday season .

Ryan was once the Executive Editor of GamesRadar, before moving into the world of games development. He worked as a Brand Manager at EA, and then at Bethesda Softworks, before moving to 2K. He briefly went back to EA and is now the Director of Global Marketing Strategy at 2K. 

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Scientists are a human resource in the XCOM headquarters. The more scientists the player has available, the more quickly new research projects are undertaken.

New scientists can be gained:

• As a reward from some missions;
• From the Council after a good monthly report; or
• From constructing satellites .

Up Next: Engineers

Top guide sections.

• Starter Guide
• The Council

Was this guide helpful?

Research credits (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)

• Edit source

Research Credits are obtained by interrogating live aliens. Each credit reduces the time required to complete associated Foundry and research projects by 50%.

• 1 Beam Weapons
• 2 Plasma Weaponry
• 3 Basic Armor Technology
• 4 Armor Technology
• 5 UFO Technology
• 8 Weapons Technology
• 9 All Technology

Beam Weapons [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Sectoid .

Credit Applies To Research Projects:

• Weapon Fragments
• Beam Weapons
• Precision Lasers
• Heavy Lasers

Foundry Projects:

• S.C.O.P.E. Upgrade
• S.H.I.V. Laser
• Ammo Conservation

Plasma Weaponry [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Muton or Muton Elite Autopsy .

• Plasma Pistol
• Light Plasma Rifle
• Plasma Rifle
• Heavy Plasma
• Plasma Sniper
• Plasma Cannon
• S.H.I.V. Plasma

Basic Armor Technology [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Floater .

• Alien Materials
• Carapace Armor
• Skeleton Suit

Armor Technology [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Berserker .

UFO Technology [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Thin Man .

• UFO Power Source
• Alien Nav Computer
• Stealth Satellites

Unlocked by Interrogate Heavy Floater .

• New Fighter Craft
• Archangel Armor
• Advanced Flight

Psionics [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Sectoid Commander .

• Hyperwave Communication
• Ethereal Device

Weapons Technology [ ]

Note : This Research Credit reduces research time by 25% instead of 50%

Unlocked by Interrogate Muton Elite .

• All weapons
• Improved Pistol I
• Improved Pistol II
• Improved Pistol III
• Alien Grenades

All Technology [ ]

Unlocked by Interrogate Ethereal .

Credit Applies To All research and foundry projects

• Research credits stack. For example, the S.H.I.V. Plasma project normally requires seven days, and is subject to the Weapons Technology, Plasma Weaponry, and All Technology credits. With all three credits, the adjusted time is: 7 days × .75 × .50 × .50 ≈ 1.3125 days. The ETA displayed when assigning the project is rounded down to 1 day.
• 2 Aliens (XCOM 2)
• 3 Research Projects (XCOM 2)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

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