Base Defense (Apocalypse)
How to defensively build and protect your base when under attack by hostile ground forces.
Important:Defend a newly purchased X-Com base immediately by moving heavily armed X-Com agent(s) to the building.
Hostile Intent
An X-com base targeted for destruction by any ground force will immediately start a battlescape Base Defense mission. Your agents and any technical personel will come under attack, and if all are neutralised (panicked, stunned, mindcontrolled, killed, or escaped), the mission is a failure and the base is destroyed.
Layout
Disregarding the Cityscape aspect of building type and location of the home-cell, the layout of the corridors surrounding the access lift determines the ease of defending the base, and its most suitable operational objective. Large open areas surrounding a centrally positioned access lift will be more difficult to defend (limited effectiveness and cover of security stations) than a layout with an access lift (and Vehicle Repair Bay) located in an isolated area.
Security Stations
Corporation assault forces are prone to panicking late into an attack if large portions of their group have been killed. Spare none of them.
One consideration for managing attackss is the distribution of personnel at the base. In combat, you have six squads of six agent slots that is shared by your agents and the technical staff. Six of the individual slots are reserved slots (for mind controlled units and presumably the security stations), leaving room for only 30 personnel to appear in the battle. In an overcrowded situation where you have a lot of agents and technical staff, you will have no choice in which agents or how many of them appear in the battle once the attack commences.
Tactical Advantage When Outnumbered
If low on numbers or simply outnumbered play defensively, the aliens tend to seek you out so set up a defensive position, preferably just behind a bottleneck or a door and spread your men out if possible. The minute that door opens open fire! Don't be afraid to throw a boomeroid or stun grenade through for good measure.