Combat Patrols (LWR)
In General
Undamaged interceptors can be sent on Combat Patrols.
The aircraft sent on combat patrol will return immediately and will have received 10-25% of it's max HP in damage (modified by campaign length: more for longer campaigns, less for shorter campaigns). Note that aircraft damage causes less repair time on longer campaigns and more repair time on shorter campaigns as well; the result being that repair time is even for all campaign lengths when using Combat Patrols.
Combat Patrols can be especially useful to lower the panic on countries with more than 80 panic so that they are less likely to leave the council. To do so you must have an available aircraft in the associated continent (you can transfer one there if you have none) and then perform a Combat Patrol in the entire continent which will lower the panic in all countries in that continent.
Cost
The initial Combat Patrol of a campaign costs 50 credits.
Each use increases the cost by 50 + 10x the current alien level (due to increased alien resiliency).
The cost will decrease by 50 credits at the end of each month down to a minimum of 50 credits.
Combat Patrol Strength
The strength of the Combat Patrol is based on the following:
Base Amount:
Base Amount: 6
Aircraft:
Interceptor: +0
Firestorm: +2
Weapon:
Avalanche Missiles: +0
Stingray Missiles: +0
Phoenix Cannon: +1
Laser Cannon: +1
EMP Cannon: +2
Plasma Cannon: +3
Fusion Lance: +3
Pilot Rank:
Rookie: +0
Lieutenant: +0
Captain: +2
Major: +2
Colonel: +4
Commander: +4
Effects
Once the strength of the combat patrol is determined it is modified by the number of countries in a continent and then applied to various alien and XCOM resources as follows:
Continent Panic
Combat Patrols directly reduce panic in each country in the continent they occur. This value is as follows:
Base Panic Reduction = Combat Patrol Strength * 3 / # of countries in continent
It is then randomized as follows:
Final Panic Reduction in Each Country = (Base Panic Reduction / 2) + Rand(Base Panic Reduction) + Rand(2)
If even a single country is in the red (panic >= 80) in the continent, the panic reduction in each country is doubled.
Alien Resources
Combat Patrols reduce alien resources as follows:
Alien Resource Reduction = 3 * Combat Patrol Strength
It is then randomized as follows:
Alien Resource Reduction = (Alien Resource Reduction / 2) + Rand(Alien Resource Reduction) + Rand(2)
Alien Aggression
Since Combat Patrols are a direct assault on the aliens it will increase their aggression by 12.5% (up to a max of 100%).
Resources Recovered
All combat patrols have a chance to acquire alloys, elerium, and meld. The amount is dependent upon both the Combat Patrol Strength and the Alien Presence (i.e. Average Country Panic) in the continent where the patrol takes place.
The chance for each Combat Patrol to recover some Elerium is 10%, the chance for Alloys is 50% and the chance for Meld is 20%. The amount recovered is of each is determined as follows:
Resources Recovered = Combat Patrol Strength * Average Country Panic / 50
It is then randomized as follows:
Resources Recovered = (Resources Recovered / 2) + Rand(Resources Recovered) + Rand(2)