---
title: "XCOM 2 (with War of the Chosen): Complete Guide"
game: "XCOM 2"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/xcom-2"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Classes"]
summary: "A tactical and strategic guide to XCOM 2 and its War of the Chosen (WOTC) expansion: soldier classes, the three Chosen and the Resistance factions, research and build orders, and how to keep your squad alive on…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/xcom-2-with-war-of-the-chosen-complete-guide-2e9fe0a5"
published: "2026-09-27T16:35:07.460Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T16:35:07.460Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# XCOM 2 (with War of the Chosen): Complete Guide

A tactical and strategic guide to XCOM 2 and its War of the Chosen (WOTC) expansion: soldier classes, the three Chosen and the Resistance factions, research and build orders, and how to keep your squad alive on Commander and Legend.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of the final XCOM 2 / War of the Chosen release (no gameplay patches since; the February 2026 ten-year-anniversary free weekend included WOTC). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Play with War of the Chosen if you own it.** WOTC is loaded as a separate campaign with its own Chosen, factions and systems; it's widely considered the definitive way to play.
2. **Start on Veteran if you're new to XCOM, Commander if you've played Enemy Unknown.** Legend is tuned for experienced players.
3. **Always use concealment.** Most missions start with your squad hidden. Set up an Overwatch ambush before breaking concealment.
4. **Never move into unknown fog with your last action.** Dash only when you know what's ahead - "activating" a new pod with no actions left is the #1 cause of squad wipes.
5. **Grenades are guaranteed damage.** They destroy cover and shred armor - use them when a shot is below ~65%.
6. **Research order matters:** ADVENT Officer autopsy (for the Guerrilla Tactics School), then Modular Weapons into Magnetic Weapons, and Plated Armor soon after.
7. **Watch the Avatar Project clock.** If it fills and the countdown ends, you lose. Assault ADVENT facilities and do story missions to push it back.
8. **Always build a Resistance Comms early** so you can contact more regions (and their supply income).
9. **Save before every mission** unless you're on Ironman.

## Soldier Classes

| Class | Role | Key abilities (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| Ranger | Melee and close-range shotgun | Phantom (stay concealed), Blademaster, Run and Gun, Untouchable, Reaper |
| Grenadier | Explosives and heavy weapons | Shredder, Heavy Ordnance, Salvo, Volatile Mix, Holo Targeting, Chain Shot |
| Specialist | Support and hacking with the GREMLIN | Aid Protocol, Medical Protocol, Combat Protocol, Haywire Protocol, Revival Protocol |
| Sharpshooter | Long-range sniper or pistol gunslinger | Squadsight, Deadeye, Kill Zone, Serial, Faceoff, Fan Fire |
| Psi Operative | Trained in the Psi Lab | Soulfire, Stasis, Insanity, Inspire, Domination, Null Lance |

### WOTC hero classes (from Resistance factions)

| Faction | Hero | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Reapers | Reaper | Starts in Shadow (special concealment), Claymore explosive, Vektor Rifle. Scouting and single-target kills without breaking stealth. |
| Skirmishers | Skirmisher | Ex-ADVENT fighter with a Ripjack gauntlet and grapple. Mobile, aggressive, pulls enemies with Justice/Wrath. |
| Templars | Templar | Psionic melee with Rend, builds Focus and Momentum to strike again; Parry and deflects keep them alive. |

WOTC's opening mission "Lost and Abandoned" (enabled by default in new WOTC campaigns) introduces Elena Dragunova (Reaper) and Mox (Skirmisher).

### Squad composition that works

- **Early game (4-5 soldiers):** 2 Rangers or Ranger + Reaper, 1 Grenadier, 1 Specialist, 1 Sharpshooter.
- **Mid/late game (6 soldiers):** add a Templar or second Grenadier; Psi Operatives become powerful late.
- **Keep a bench.** In WOTC, **fatigue** (Will) means soldiers need rest between missions, so train at least 10-12 soldiers.

## Enemies and Priorities

| Enemy | Threat | How to handle |
|---|---|---|
| ADVENT Trooper | Basic infantry | Flank and shoot; grenades on clumps |
| ADVENT Officer | Marks targets | Priority kill or Skulljack for the story |
| Sectoid | Mind Control, raises zombies | Kill quickly; psionic effects end on death |
| Viper | Tongue pull, bind, poison | Shoot the Viper to free a bound soldier; spread out against poison spit |
| MEC | Missiles, armor | Hack it with a Specialist; grenades shred |
| Muton | Grenades, suppression, counterattack melee | Avoid meleeing; shoot from range |
| Codex | Clones itself when damaged, teleports; Psionic Bomb empties weapons and detonates next turn | Kill in one turn; reload and move out of the rift |
| Faceless | Hidden among civilians (retaliation missions) | Watch civilians that move oddly |
| Stun Lancer | Melee stun | Kill before it reaches you; overwatch |
| Andromedon | Heavy armor, acid, becomes a Shell after death | Explosives and focus fire |
| Sectopod, Gatekeeper | Late-game heavies | Stun/hack, shred armor, full squad focus |
| Purifier (WOTC) | Flamethrower, explodes on death | Kill at range, away from your squad |
| Priest (WOTC) | Psionic support, Stasis | Kill first in a pod |
| Spectre (WOTC) | Creates Shadowbind clones of your soldiers | Kill the Spectre to remove shadows |
| The Lost (WOTC) | Zombie swarms attracted by explosions | Headshot kills with primary weapons refund your action (Lost Headshot) |

## The Chosen (WOTC)

| Chosen | Style | Danger |
|---|---|---|
| The Assassin | Stealth ambusher with a sword and shotgun | Parting Silk (a guaranteed sword strike that dazes), Harbor Wave (a psionic wave through your line), Vanishing Wind (re-enters concealment) |
| The Hunter | Long-range sniper with a grapple | Tracking Shot from across the map; Tranq Shot and Concussion grenades |
| The Warlock | Psionic caster | Mind control, teleportation, and summoning Spectral Zombies/Stormtroopers |

**Key facts:**

- Each Chosen has randomized **strengths and weaknesses** (e.g., weak to Reapers, immune to explosives). Check them in the Chosen screen and adapt.
- They can **daze** soldiers, **capture** them (kidnap for interrogation) or **extract knowledge**. When a Chosen's knowledge bar fills, they launch an **assault on the Avenger**.
- **Killing a Chosen on a normal mission only drives it off**; they come back. To kill them for good, run **Covert Actions** to find their location, then assault their **Stronghold**.
- Defeating a Chosen permanently rewards their unique weapon (Arashi/Katana, Darklance/Darkclaw, Disruptor Rifle).
- **The Chosen are assigned to regions.** Contacting new regions reveals which Chosen hunts there.

## Strategic Layer

### Avenger Rooms (build order guideline)

| Priority | Room | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guerrilla Tactics School (GTS) | Squad size upgrades - huge for survival |
| 2 | Resistance Comms | Region contacts for supply income |
| 3 | Power Relay | Needed as rooms stack up |
| 4 | Proving Ground | Experimental ammo, grenades, armor, Mimic Beacon |
| 5 | Resistance Ring (WOTC) | More Covert Action slots and Resistance Orders |
| 6 | Psi Lab | Psi Operatives (late but powerful) |
| 7 | Workshop / Laboratory | Engineer or research boosts |
| - | Infirmary and Training Center (WOTC) | Healing and spending Ability Points / respec |

### Research priorities

1. **ADVENT Officer Autopsy** - unlocks the GTS.
2. **Modular Weapons** then **Magnetic Weapons** - tier 2 guns.
3. **Hybrid Materials** then **Plated Armor**.
4. **Alien Biotech / Autopsies** for experimental items (Mimic Beacon from Faceless autopsy is a great escape tool).
5. **Resistance Communications** for region contacts.
6. **Gauss Weapons / Powered Armor** for late game.

### Resource rules of thumb

- **Supplies:** spend on facilities and research early; don't stockpile.
- **Intel:** used to contact regions, buy black market items, and fund covert actions.
- **Engineers and scientists:** grab them from mission rewards; prioritize engineers early for building rooms quickly.
- **Elerium and Alloys:** needed for tier upgrades; loot them from missions and supply drops.

### The Avatar Project

- The red bar at the top of the Geoscape is your doom clock.
- **ADVENT facilities** add blocks; assaulting them removes blocks.
- **Story missions** (Blacksite, Forge, Psi Gate) also reduce progress.
- If the bar fills, a countdown starts - you can still reduce it before time runs out.

## WOTC Systems

- **Bonds:** soldiers who fight together form bonds. Bonded pairs get Teamwork abilities (extra actions for each other) and bonuses. Train bonds in the Training Center.
- **Fatigue and Will:** each mission drains Will. Tired soldiers risk **negative traits** and panic; let them rest.
- **Covert Actions:** send soldiers on missions to gain rewards, find Chosen strongholds, rescue captured soldiers, or earn faction influence.
- **Resistance Orders:** passive cards you slot with faction influence - some massively help strategy (e.g., faster building or cheaper items).
- **Ability Points (AP):** earned on missions and from soldier combat intelligence. Spend them in the Training Center for cross-class abilities.
- **Lost and Abandoned:** the WOTC opener that introduces the factions.

## DLC in the XCOM 2 Collection

| DLC | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Alien Hunters | The Alien Rulers (Viper King, Berserker Queen, Archon King), hunter weapons (Bolt Caster, Hunter's Axe, Shadowkeeper) |
| Shen's Last Gift | The SPARK robotic soldier class and a story mission |
| Anarchy's Children | Cosmetics |
| Resistance Warrior Pack | Cosmetics |
| Tactical Legacy Pack | Legacy Ops challenge missions and additional content for WOTC |
| War of the Chosen | The expansion covered above |

**Tip:** with WOTC, enable "Integrated DLC" so Alien Ruler encounters appear in regular missions instead of all at once - it makes the early game far less brutal.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. **Breaking concealment early.** Move your full squad into ambush position first.
2. **Dashing into fog.** Keep one action to react if you trigger a pod.
3. **Ignoring the GTS.** Squad Size upgrades are the best early investment.
4. **Letting the Avatar bar creep.** Hit facilities as soon as you can reach them.
5. **Only training six soldiers.** Fatigue in WOTC forces a deep roster.
6. **Leaving the Chosen alone.** Their knowledge grows and eventually triggers an Avenger assault; hunt them via covert actions.
7. **Spamming Overwatch.** It's often better to reposition or use a grenade than to "Overwatch creep" every turn.

## Advanced Tips

- **Hacking** with Specialists can disable or control MECs and turrets - high reward on good odds.
- **Mimic Beacon** is a free defensive turn: enemies target it instead of your soldiers.
- **Bluescreen Rounds** are the best experimental ammo against robotic enemies (MECs, Sectopods, Gatekeepers).
- **Reaper Claymore** can clear a whole pod without breaking Shadow.
- **Templar Rend + Momentum** gives free movement after attacks - fantastic for flanks.
- **Skirmishers** can take extra actions and pull enemies with their Ripjack; they're great for Chosen fights.
- **Psi Operatives' Domination** can permanently convert a strong enemy.
- **Second Wave options** (e.g., Precision Explosives, Beta Strike) change the challenge - try them on a second run.
- **Mods:** XCOM 2 has a large Steam Workshop scene (long war-style overhauls, more classes, QoL mods). Check compatibility with WOTC before subscribing.

## FAQ

**Should I play base XCOM 2 or War of the Chosen?**
WOTC is the recommended experience; it adds the Chosen, factions, bonds and more polish. Base XCOM 2 is still fun but tighter and more timer-heavy.

**Which difficulty?**
Veteran for newcomers, Commander for experienced XCOM players, Legend for veterans. Ironman prevents save reloading.

**Are mission timers still in WOTC?**
Yes on many missions, though WOTC and Second Wave options can adjust them; mods can remove timers too.

**How do I kill the Chosen permanently?**
Complete the covert actions that reveal their stronghold, then assault it. Normal-mission defeats only drive them off.

**Is XCOM 2 good on Steam Deck?**
It's playable, but XCOM 2 is demanding on load times and WOTC can stutter; check Steam's Deck compatibility rating and community settings.

**Is there a sale or free weekend?**
The game had a free weekend in February 2026 for its 10-year anniversary (including WOTC) and appears regularly in 2K sales (the XCOM 2 Collection was 80% off during the May 2026 Firaxis anniversary sale).

## Sources

- [XCOM 2 on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/268500/)
- [Steam news: Play XCOM 2 for FREE this weekend (February 2026)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/268500)
- [Steam news: Firaxis Anniversary Sale](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/268500)
- [UFOpaedia - XCOM 2: War of the Chosen](https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/XCOM_2:_War_of_the_Chosen)
- [UFOpaedia - Codex (XCOM2)](https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/Codex_(XCOM2))