Gene Mods (LWR)

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Gene Mods

Name	Slot	Prerequisite	Description	Cost
Neural Damping	Brain	Berserker Interrogation	Grants immunity to panic. Increases the HP medikits can heal by 4 when used on this soldier.	§70	28	14
Smart Macrophages	Brain	Berserker Interrogation	Grants complete immunity to corrosion and shredding.	§80	32	16
Predictive Tracking	Eyes	Xenogenetics	Reaction shots gain +10 aim. Burst has a -25% weapon damage malus (instead of -50%).	§30	12	6
Advanced Perception	Eyes	Xenogenetics	Grants +15 crit. Allows this unit to react earlier to incoming fire, causing 25% of all incoming shots to graze, dealing only half of their original damage.	§20	8	4
Adrenal Neurosympathy	Chest	Muton Interrogation	Overloads the adrenal glands; when this soldier takes an action, there is a chance (5% per enemy in sight) that the soldier emits pheromones that grants 10 aim, 5 crit, 1.3 mobility, and removes panic from all soldiers in LoS. The buff lasts for 2 turns. Can only occur once every 5 turns.	§45	18	8
Dual Heart	Chest	Muton Interrogation	If above half HP, fatal non-psionic non-melee damage reduces this unit to 1 HP instead. Causes soldiers to bleed out instead of dying the first time they fall in a mission. The bleed-out timer is extended by 5 turns. Increases throw range by 15% and reduces scatter by 30%.	§35	14	7
Enhanced Metabolism	Skin	Muton Elite Interrogation	Gain an additional reaction shot on Overwatch, and, when below 50% HP, gain +4 mobility and +40 defense.	§50	20	10
Iron Skin	Skin	Muton Elite Interrogation	Grants +15 Base DR and +30 crit resistance.	§60	24	12
Muscle Amp	Legs	Chryssalid Autopsy	Grants +0.6 mobility and superhuman leg strength, enabling the soldier to reach high positions without the need for ladders or other climbing aids.	§25	10	5
Regenesis	Legs	Chryssalid Autopsy	This soldier recovers from fatigue and injuries 20% faster. Regenerates 1 base (non-armor) HP each turn (amount can vary on certain aliens).	§15	6	3

Limitations and Requirements

In order to receive genetic modifications a soldier must be of rank LCPL or higher.

MEC Troopers, Officers, and psionically trained soldiers are unable to undergo genetic modifications. Genetically modified soldiers cannot become officers or be psionically trained. Genetically modified soldiers can be augmented into MECs but doing so well remove all of their genetic modifications.

Dual heart will not necessarily save a soldier who takes damage that would reduce them below the 0 HP threshhold, and they may be killed immediately in this situation.

Gene Mod Bundling

Gene mods, when being applied to a soldier, will only take as long as the longest mod, and will only cost as many credits as the most expensive mod. Thus, it may be most practical to apply multiple genetic modifications to a soldier at the same time. This can save credits and time away from battle. Unlike the time and credit costs, the meld costs do stack cumulatively.

Gene Mod Interactions

• Dual Heart does not protect the Volunteer from mortal wounds. A fatal shot will kill him/her instead of triggering the perk. This behavior only pertains to the final mission, it is a vanilla mechanic.
• It is also possible to "switch" between any of two GeneMod types within each slot categories for a cost.
• Gene modded troopers lose their gene modded benefits when becoming a MEC.

A guide to using Gene Mods

XCOM gets access to first gene mods quite early with research of Xenogenetics, after which you can build Genetics Lab. Genetics Lab is cheap building and its good idea to place it early next to Laboratory for adjacent research bonus. With this you get access to eye gene mods and then during the game you can unlock all the rest by doing alien autopsies. Unlike Psi powers, gene mods are much more flexibile and it is possible to switch them, change your mind, upgrade in bulk or one by one. They are also relatively cheap so you can gene mode soldiers, then chop them into mech or later retire them without feeling bad for investing resources into them.

• Meld and $$$

There seems to be a bit of general trend of overvaluing Meld, perhaps a relic mindset from Long war. There is lots of Meld in the game to be found and you don't really need it in larger quantities until late game Plasma weapons. So perhaps best to try to get rid of old mindset, and invest Meld into tangible combat benefits while it matters. Gene mods are there and they are good, use them. That doesn't mean its ok to be wasteful, Meld can be sold for nice money (if you feel you have too much), so don't overwrite gene modes like there is no tomorrow. You don't need more then 200-300 stacked Meld during most of the game and late game near Plasma Weapons you will want 500-600 stack. Couple of advanced armor and MEC suits cost 100-150 each and you will want to hurry production more which also spends more Meld. It is also easier to get more Meld later so you will be replenishing it. Fully gene modded late game soldier will cost about 100 Meld and some bucks, and in general it is doable to upgrade few selected best to full gene mod power. Then not all soldiers need to have all gene upgrades.

• When to gene mode?

Gene modding does not last long in general so when you have larger part of the squad ready to fight it is good idea to gene mode some. It is more efficient to gene mode several mods in bulk than one by one, so if you are close to unlocking new gene modes, you may prefer to wait a bit. But do not delay much, starting gene mods are not expensive and bonuses are good, delaying means sacrificing combat power. You don't need to gene mode that much so it is not a race like MEC augmentation for example.

• Who is good target for gene modding?

Gene modding is default way to power any soldier - there are no special requirements, but it is exclusive with being Officer or psi soldier. Psi soldiers require high(er) Will (40+) and they are rare so perhaps you want keep these for psi path and avoid gene modding them. Officers are more flexible, their Will matters, but it does not have to be that high. In general I choose couple of 30-40 Will soldiers that can benefit from Officer upgrades and turn them into Officers. For example soldiers with low hp can be somewhat 'fixed' with +3 HP Officer upgrade so I sometimes avoid gene modding these. You may use different strategies, but if you plan to turn someone into Officer, don't gene mode them. Knowing this, you can gene mode pretty much everyone else.

Some classes and builds benefit a bit more or earlier from gene mods than others. Tanks can get strong gene mod bonuses much earlier than psi based tanks. Assaults can get strong early gene mod movement boost. After Muton interrogation, in midgame territory, you can buff up Rocketeers or Supports with scatter reduction and throw range as well.. and late game there are mods for pretty much anyone.

Eyes - Predictive tracking

This is very valuable aim boost for overwatch builds. If soldier does not have 40+ Will feel free to upgrade them. You will get more soldiers with higher will later, these can be psi. Burst bonus is also noticable, Gunners can deal lots of damage this way and another option is boosting HnR Scouts. Both of these classes benefit a lot from other eye gene mod, so Burst aspect is usually not a decider here.

Eyes - Advanced prediction

This is excellent early tank booster. It is rng-based at 25% graze chance, but since tanks gets shot a lot, it will be triggered a few times per fight. Other soldiers can also benefit, so it is default eye gene mode choice if you do not require Predictive tracking. Recent addition is critical chance bonus, which makes this gene mod interesting for any shooter class. Snipers and Scouts will really like this one. Overwatchers still prefer the other mod, but even this one is useful to them.

Legs - Muscle Amp

Everyone can use this mod well. Mobility bonus lets you get to placed and do everything a bit better, including opening options to differently equip your soldier. With this mod you may use heavier, usually stronger items, than you would not equip otherwise. Works really well on urban maps where you can jump to builds and take shortcuts. Assault are an excellent user since they need to move a lot, but even static classes and builds like Sniper and overwatch builds can use the ability to take good spots on high ground.

Legs - Regenesis

Another generally good gene mod for everyone. Less fatigue (and injury) time will benefit everyone and open options to field stronger squads than you would otherwise could. This is very valuable bonus to have, hard to judge which leg mod is better. The mod also activates HP regeneration in case you get injured, nice little bonus to have in bad situations.

Chest - Adrenal Neurosympathy

This is the only AOE gene mod bonus and pretty strong one. Extra aim, mobility and crit is great to have and it lasts for 2 turns, although cooldown is a bit hefty with 5 turns. It can even remove Panic, mimicking Psi Inspire ability. It activates per action and depends on number of aliens that soldier sees, meaning it is good on classes and builds that act multiple times. Infantry can shoot twice, Assaults as well, Medic tanks, Double Tap builds, supports often do two actions - although they benefit from other chest mod well. It is rng based and more expensive than other mods so it is not widely as applied as eyes and legs mods.

Chest - Dual Heart

This mod is usable for several classes and quite unique. It prevents soldier from dying for long time and as such it is very valuable on tanks. They are always in risk and if struck and saved with this mod, they will also recover in half the time thanks to their Steadfast bonus. Good mod to use also on some soldiers that you really don't want to lose. Long injury time can be fixed with leg mod and Meld injections as well. Second component of Dual Heart boosts both throw range and reduces rocket scatter - perfect for support or grenadier Rocketeers. Any support or grenadier class will love throw range bonus, it is more valuable than Adrenal Neurosympathy for them.

Berserker - Neural Damping

One of two late game mods, you will get this one after Berserker interrogation. It boosts medikit heals by +4 HP which is huge, considering that late game Medics already heal hefty amounts. But not only that, this mod even makes standard non-medic heals into potent ones. Coupled with good armor and damage reduction, this gene mod is significant durability boost for a soldier. Works really well on tanks and Assaults that get hit often and have lots of hit points. Second component is good as well, Panic immunity is strong perk to have, but you pick this mode primarily for healing bonus. It is on expensive side so try to apply it in bulk gene modding on your best soldiers.

Berserker - Smart Macrophages

Grants complete immunity to Shredding and Corrosion is in most cases not as good as Neural Damping for most soldiers. Tanks may prefer it over Neural Damping, especially on highest difficulties, since they are most likely to get both corroded and shredded, and both are especially bad for them. Shredded tank is in huge danger of dying and corrosion will strip them of lots of armor, treated or not. Shred is rare effect, but higher difficulties will have more leader aliens so the value of mod increases significantly. Corrosion is dealt with easier, but it would still strip some of your hp without this mod. Non-tanks probably don't need this mod. It is expensive, so reserve it for best soldiers.

Skin - Enhanced Metabolism

Probably the last mod you will unlock - good one everyone. First component grants extra overwatch shot, a must on overwatch builds, for others nice extra, but not as strong. Regular overwatch shots can't crit and have no aim bonuses. Second component of this gene mod is +4 mobility and +40 defense when under 50% HP, which is quite strong defensive bonus and better reason to pick it up on everyone valuable. It may not be active, unless in really bad spot, but this may easily save your soldiers life and there is lots of value in that.

Skin - Iron Skin

Iron Skin grants +15 DR (Damage Reduction) and +30 crit resistance making it into potent defensive boost. It is active all the time, unlike, Enhanced Metabolism. Tanks will really like these bonuses, no doubt they pick up this mod. Others benefit as well, but it may not be enough to save them, crit resistance is rng based and DR bonus might not save them from extra strong critical hit. But that could be as well said for Enhanced Metabolism bonus - soldier could easily be killed before 50% HP trigger is ever triggered. This is in general more reliable defensive bonus to have on soldier, but you miss out on extra overwatch shot.

See also

Long War Rebalance: Soldiers
	Soldiers Assault Infantry Rocketeer Gunner Sniper Scout Medic Engineer
	MEC Troopers Marauder Goliath Jaeger Shogun
	Officers Psionics Gene Mods S.H.I.V.s