Skirmisher (LWOTC)
![Skirmisher Skirmisher](/images/b/be/XCOM2_class_skirmisher.png)
Class Overview
The Skirmisher class is a mobile flanker. Still equipped with a built in Grapple, a Skirmisher can get around enemy cover with ease and gain bonus actions for firing their Bullpup. They retain their Ripjack secondary, but need to be trained to use their grappling attacks. Skirmishers can also be trained with supporting abilities and grenade skills, allowing them a role of a (half-)officer that easily keeps up with the squad thanks to Grapple.
From their War of the Chosen incarnation, the major changes are switching Marauder for Hit and Run and loss of Justice from Squaddie rank. While generally agreed to be the weakest base game faction class, Hit and Run single handedly transforms it into a deadly force on the battlefield, often dealing with two targets in a single turn.
Weapons
Primary: Bullpups
Secondary: Ripjacks
Abilities
Mouse-over for more information.
Rank | Ability | ||
![]() Squaddie |
Attack an adjacent target with your Ripjack. Does not end turn. |
Deploy a grappling hook to move quickly to an elevated position. |
Once per turn, gain an additional action after taking a standard shot at a flanked or exposed target with your primary weapon. Cannot trigger on the same turn as Close Encounters. |
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Hussar | Judge | Tactician | |
![]() Lance Corporal |
If you score a kill during your turn, the next attack against you during the enemy turn will miss. Upon usage, the ability goes on a 3 turn cooldown. |
Use the Grapple to pull a humanoid target to you and deliver a Ripjack strike. |
Throwing a grenade or using an item no longer ends the turn and grenades have no cooldown. In addition, you can throw grenades 2 tiles further and their radius is increased by 1. Grants a Grenade-only slot. Grants +5 aim and +1 mobility. |
![]() Corporal |
When fired upon, gain one extra action on the next turn. Triggers no more than once per turn. Attacks against you suffer a -15 penalty to critical hit chances. |
Use the Grapple to pull yourself to an enemy and deliver a Ripjack strike. |
Grants +1 charge to every utility item and grenade equipped. |
![]() Sergeant |
Grant an extra action to a squadmate. |
If you score one or more kills on your turn, you are granted a single bonus move. |
Take a shot with an aim penalty of 10. If you hit the target, you take another shot on the target automatically. |
![]() Staff Sergeant |
Attack an enemy with an electrical lash. This attack has a 4 turn cooldown. |
Confers +10 aim and +10 defense against targets at a lower elevation. |
Your gear includes an extra layer of protection, granting 2 bonus ablative hit points and 50% less damage from explosive attacks. |
![]() Tech Sergeant |
Lowers all ability cooldowns on a selected ally soldier by up to 3 turns. |
A powerful form of Overwatch. Instead of firing automatically, perform any single action. Free action. |
Free Ripjack attacks on any enemies that enter or attack from melee range. |
![]() Gunnery Sergeant |
Gain +3 mobility with every kill this turn. Lasts 2 turns, including the current one. |
Has a chance to panic any enemy that attacks this unit. The higher the will of this unit, the higher the panic chance. |
Once per turn, gain a bonus action after taking a standard shot with your primary weapon at an enemy within four tiles. Cannot trigger on the same turn as Hit and Run. |
![]() Master Sergeant |
You do 2 additional points of base damage and 1 additional point(s) of bonus critical damage with your primary weapon. |
Unlocks the Ripjack Charge. |
After each enemy in line of sight takes a turn, take an action after their turn is completed. No action points will be refunded (e.g. from Hit and Run). |
XCOM Abilities
XCOM row abilities are able to be purchased when the Training Center is built. The cost is 10 AP per tier level.
Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
Gain additional +15 aim and +15 crit against holotargeted units. |
Grants 1 free flashbang item to your inventory. |
Your explosives do significantly greater damage to cover objects and other things on the battlefield. |
Fire a free reaction shot with your primary weapon at any visible enemy within four tiles who moves or fires. |
Enemies have 25% smaller detection range against you. |
Unleash a hail of bullets that is guaranteed to hit your target, but uses a lot of ammunition. |
Bonus to hit, damage, and critical chance with your weapon against a disoriented, stunned or panicking enemy. | |
Your melee attacks against biological enemies ignore their armor and have a +15 critical chance and do +2 critical damage. |
Gain 5 dodge per enemy you can see, up to a maximum of +30. |
Start each mission with 100 bonus dodge. The bonus is removed after you take damage for the first time. |
Gain 25% damage boost for every 25% HP missing, up to 50% damage boost. Reduce wound recovery times for this soldier by 6 HP. |
Free action. Gain 2 mobility and ignore reaction fire for the rest of the turn. Has a 4 turn cooldown. |
Gain 40 dodge against attacks within four tiles. |
Confers +15 aim and +15 critical chance against targets at half or less of their original hit points. | |
If you did not attack this turn, hunker down automatically. |
Gain +20 aim and +10 crit for successive shots at the same enemy unit. |
Your ranged attacks gain 10 aim and 10 critical chance if you have moved this turn. |
Stun enemies with a precise shot, with a bonus stun duration if the shot crits. The shot can not do critical damage. |
If you spend all of your actions on moves, you are granted an automatic overwatch shot at the end of the turn. |
Makes partial cover count as full. |
Give a friendly unit 30 Dodge until the start of your next turn. Whenever you kill an enemy, you gain an extra charge. Usable once per turn. Starts with one charge, and is a free action. | |
Equipped medikits have 2 extra charges. |
Standard shots are not turn-ending, allowing for shooting then moving or shooting twice on a turn. |
Kills with your primary weapon restore 1 ammo. |
Ranged attacks against flanked enemies deal +2 damage. |
Special shot with a bonus to hit that does half damage but confers defense and dodge penalties and forces target to change position if it hits. |
Unlocks an ability to perform a dash move to use a medikit on an ally (this ability still costs 1 action and is non-turn ending). Gain a free medikit. Equipped medikits have 2 extra charges. |
Your ranged attacks gain 10 Aim and 10 Crit against targets that are at full health. | |
Missed shots with your primary weapon have an additional roll to become a graze. |
When targeted by enemy fire, automatically fire back with your primary weapon once per turn. |
Your ranged attacks deal +2 more damage to units at 50% HP or less. |
Reaction fire shots against you have a significantly decreased chance to hit. The bonus goes down with each additional reaction shot you face. |
Your grenades now pierce up to 2 point(s) of armor and shred 1 additional point(s) of armor. |
This soldier does not trigger overwatch or reaction fire. |
The cooldown for the Skrimisher's Grapple is reduced by one turn. | |
Hunker Down restores 2 health when used, up to a maximum of 8 per mission, and removes poison, burning, and acid burning. |
Your ranged attacks gain +2 armor piercing and +15 aim against units in cover. |
Activate this ability before throwing or launching a support grenade, and the throw will not cost an action. |
A powerful chained shot ability. For every kill made with your primary weapon, your actions will be refunded but your damage and crit chance will be reduced for every subsequent attack. |
While concealed, gain +50 bonus aim and +50 bonus critical hit chance when attacking enemies. |
Grants one free smoke grenade item to your inventory. |
Enter overwatch after firing a turn ending standard shot with your primary weapon. | |
Your ranged attacks gain +10 aim and pierce 1 armor against unflankable enemies. |
Gain 20 Defense and 20 Crit chance while injured. |
Enemy attacks against you suffer a -30 penalty to critical hit chances. |
Shots fired with your primary weapon pierce 3 armor. |
All enemies within the soldier's 5 tile radius suffer penalties of -15 Aim and -4 Mobility. |
If you get at least one kill during your turn, automatically Hunker Down at the end of it. |
This soldier has significantly reduced infiltration times while on missions. |
Stat Progression
Rank | ![]() |
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Per Level | ![]() Health |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() Aim |
2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
![]() Will |
5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Total | ![]() Health |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
![]() Aim |
2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | |
![]() Will |
5 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 |
Sample Builds
See Also
XCOM Units in Long War of the Chosen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starting |
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Unlockable |
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Faction |
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