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

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.
Start on Veteran if you're new to XCOM, Commander if you've played Enemy Unknown. Legend is tuned for experienced players.
Always use concealment. Most missions start with your squad hidden. Set up an Overwatch ambush before breaking concealment.
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.
Grenades are guaranteed damage. They destroy cover and shred armor - use them when a shot is below ~65%.
Research order matters: ADVENT Officer autopsy (for the Guerrilla Tactics School), then Modular Weapons into Magnetic Weapons, and Plated Armor soon after.
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.
Always build a Resistance Comms early so you can contact more regions (and their supply income).
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

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

Breaking concealment early. Move your full squad into ambush position first.
Dashing into fog. Keep one action to react if you trigger a pod.
Ignoring the GTS. Squad Size upgrades are the best early investment.
Letting the Avatar bar creep. Hit facilities as soon as you can reach them.
Only training six soldiers. Fatigue in WOTC forces a deep roster.
Leaving the Chosen alone. Their knowledge grows and eventually triggers an Avenger assault; hunt them via covert actions.
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).