Compared to previous entries in the series, XCOM: Chimera Squad offers some of the largest changes yet to the XCOM formula. Each character has a place in the turn order, squads can now enter buildings using the Breach mechanic, and classes have been replaced with Agents.
All of these changes can be whiplash-inducing for anyone new to Chimera Squad. Thankfully, these systems are relatively easy to understand and have room for players to exploit. From managing turn order to Agent selection, here are 10 pro tips to make your XCOM: Chimera Squad playthrough a little easier.
Author’s Note: This article contains early game spoilers for Chimera Squad.
10 Investigate Gray Phoenix First
After you finish the tutorial, Chimera Squad will ask you to investigate one of three factions. This choice determines the enemies you’ll face and the missions you’ll complete.
Out of all three, Gray Phoenix is the easiest of the bunch. Their Muton-hybrid enemies are easy to flank and outsmart compared to the other two factions. Praetorians can prove to be troublesome early game but focus them down last and they become easy prey. For those playing on Ironman or Impossible difficulty, do not investigate Sacred Coil first unless you want to hit a massive difficulty spike.
9 Choose New Agents Carefully
Unlike previous games, Chimera Squad has put a much larger emphasis on character personalities and skill synergies. That is why it’s so perplexing that you can only have eight Agents per playthrough.
That’s right! You start with four Agents and can recruit four more as your playthrough progresses. Once you hit eight, though, you’re stuck with them and must complete another playthrough to obtain the other three. Because of this, take extra caution when choosing an Agent. If you can’t decide, Blueblood and Torque are considered must-haves by most of the community.
8 Pacify Targets For Intel
A pleasant reprisal of Enemy Unknown’s capture system, Chimera Squad can knock targets unconscious for a chance at gathering additional Intel.
You don’t need a stun gun to knock targets out in Chimera Squad, thankfully. Every character can melee a target unconscious if they are at 2 or 3 health, and characters equipped with Tranq Rounds will knock targets out on lethal damage instead of outright killing them. If you are desperate for Intel, equip your damage-dealer with Tranq Rounds and you should earn a steady 20 Intel every mission.
7 Manipulate Your Turn Order
Every character has a unique place in the turn queue in XCOM: Chimera Squad, which is a massive departure from the squad-based turn queue many XCOM veterans are used to.
That doesn’t mean players can chain Agent abilities together, however. In general, you want to focus on killing the enemy right under your current Agent’s turn. Done right, another Agent should be next in turn order so they can continue the cycle. With proper tactics and luck, you can clear entire rooms before the enemy has a chance to react.
6 Rush Field Teams
Field Teams are Chimera Squad’s variant of satellites and Council income. You will need to unlock and upgrade these teams as soon as possible if you want to stay competitive.
Like satellites, Field Teams will reduce unrest in a sector when upgraded. These Field Teams also provide weekly income based on the type you create. When starting Chimera Squad, get as many Field Teams deployed as possible to generate income while keeping city unrest at a minimum.
5 Frequently Swap Agents
With how few Agents players get access to, it would seem that you should stick with the same squad for every mission. This is exactly what not to do.
Instead, you should frequently be rotating certain squad members and letting others join you on missions. Those who aren’t in a mission should be training, assisting in research, or completing a Spec Ops mission. If you keep certain members to factory production, the later levels where you need diverse characters are going to be much harder than they need to be.
4 Always Check The Scavenger Market
Weapons now have a Rare variant in Chimera Squad that provides unique skills that are inaccessible otherwise. To obtain these powerful variants, you will need to frequently visit the Scavenger Market.
Like the Black Market in previous XCOM entries, the Scavenger Market trades Intel for exclusive goods. These can range from attachments to new guns. Unlock them at your first opportunity and frequent their store. You might find a game-changing weapon.
3 Utilize Equipment Whenever Possible
Utility grenades were practically useless in Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2 due to requiring an action to use. This has changed in Chimera Squad.
Players can use equipment with no action point cost. Thanks to this, Flashbangs, Smoke Grenades, and even Medkits can be used when appropriate and not when you have nothing better to do. Equip every squad member with a piece of equipment to turn the tide of battle.
2 Remember: Positioning Wins Encounters
No matter what happens, you are going to miss an attack at some point in XCOM: Chimera Squad. It’s a part of the franchise that makes it so frustrating yet compelling, but there are ways of minimizing those incidents.
In these instances, positioning is your best friend. Elevation, flanking, and if the enemy is in cover dramatically alters your chances of hitting a target. Move Agents to the high ground and always try to flank targets and you will rarely miss attacks. If there is no way to reposition and your odds of hitting an enemy are low, consider using Overwatch to damage a fleeing opponent.
1 Synergize Abilities Whenever Possible
One of the largest changes in Chimera Squad is the lack of classes. Instead, each character brings a unique skill set to the table that synergizes with other squad members.
For example, Torque can be used to pull an enemy towards her. She can then bind the target to deal damage over time, but you can combine this pull with Zephyr’s Overwatch and have her punch the target for massive damage. These sorts of combos make Chimera Squad stand apart from previous entries. Better yet, most abilities have short cooldowns that are from 1 to 3 turns, so use your abilities whenever possible!
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