Conventional and 2 Tank/Cannon 6 Soldiers Opening: Stable Alloy Infantry Mech-Laser Tank

Conventional and 2 Tank/Cannon 6 Soldiers Opening: Stable Alloy Infantry Mech-Laser Tank

This is a build the leverages the cost advantages of using Rifles and Tank/Cannon without using upgrades in conventional besides HE and Smoke/Proximity Grenades, If you check the prices it is operationally cheaper in terms of survival-in-wear than the Tank/Rocket Launcher. 

The theory is to pick Alloy First and then Personal Armor if you lose your tanks as an opening advantage into Laser Cannon -> 2 SKYRANGER and then Unified at AVENGER(Laser Rifle Standard Soldiers and Tank/Laser Cannon)

Jan 1st - Jan 13th Save File Tree

Here is the save data for the point in time that is depicted in this tutorial: 

File:Conventional and 2TankCannon 6 Soliers Opening Jan1st-Jan13th.zip
File:Jan 13th Crash Site UFO-2.zip

As in all of these Save trees, you want to go into your install and replace the Save file 1-10 with these, do not keep duplicates.

Thule AFB anti-Type 1

For the depth of reasoning to be more obvious for this build I made another variant of the build that had an opposite strength in terms of facilities buildings not loadout of supplies, to allow myself room in this meta-game to build in the future. No further explanation on the anti-Type 1 of this Build.

Thule AFB Type 1

Building Purchases:

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General Stores ( Building for 10 days) x 1 Cost Each : $150,000

Alien Containment ( Building for 18 days) x 1 Cost Each : $400,000

Laboratory ( Building for 26 days) x 1 Cost Each : $750,000

Hangar (Building for 25 days) x 1 Cost Each : $200,000

Living Quarters (Building for 16 days) x 1 Cost Each : $400,000

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Sells:


Material Purchases:

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Soldiers ( Transfer in 72 Hours) x 9 Cost Each : $40,000

Scientist ( Transfer in 72 Hours) x 13 Cost Each : $60,000

Tank/Cannon (Transfer in 96 hours) x 2 Cost : $420,000

HWP Cannon Shells (Transfer in 48 hours) x 79 Cost : $200

Rifle ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 4 Cost Each : $3,000

Rifle Clip ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 29 Cost Each : $200

Stun Rod ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 9 Cost Each : $1,260

Proximity Grenade ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 6 Cost Each : $500

Small Rocket ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 5 Cost Each : $600

Large Rocket ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 1 Cost Each : $900

High Explosive ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 40 Cost Each : $1,500

Smoke Grenade ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 19 Cost Each : $150

Grenade ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 14 Cost Each : $300

Electro-flare ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 105 Cost Each : $60

Cannon Rounds(x50) ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 44 Cost Each : $1,240

Loadout of SKYRANGER after Transfers (Jan 5th)

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SKYRANGER-1 : 2 Tank/Cannon and 6 Soldiers

Items:

Pistol x 4 | Pistol Clip x 4

Rifle x 8 | Rifle Clip x 20

Auto-Cannon x 1 | AC-AP x 1

Rocket Launcher x 1 | Small Rocket x 3 || Large Rocket x 1

Grenade x 13

Smoke Grenade x 5

Proximity Grenade x 4

High Explosive x 9

Electro-flare x 6

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INTERCEPTOR-1

Weapon 1: CANNON

Weapon 2: CANNON

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INTERCEPTOR-2

Weapon 1: CANNON

Weapon 2: CANNON

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Stores:

See above or load file(too much legwork currently)

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Research:

I delayed research projects until scientist arrived Jan 3rd(inadvertantly).


There are also 11 more Soldiers to defend the 1st Base during SKYRANGER Missions

23 Scientists | Laser Weapons | Unknown

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Engineering:

10 Engineers | no work

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Jan 1st - Jan 13th

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There was an initial delay in the use of researchers until Jan 3rd when the entire team arrived at (23 Scientists). I choose to use Laser Weapons at the first point but I think this may have been an over commitment t the 1 base version of the mid-game.

I therefore purpose that the 2nd file anti-Type 1 above be used in theory with a Motion Scanner as 1st technology before Alloys -> Personal Armor due to displayed weakness (in Terror Mission 1).

The disadvantages of the Class:

2 Tank/Cannon : 6 Soldiers

is not apparent by the advantaged position of the entry vs the UFO (Medium Scout) positionally.

In times there is an advantage to using this smaller group but it can be much more time-intensive as a theoretical mission-type(Artifact Raid as Mission or control Maneuver) in that you revert to a profit model.

Stockpile retrieval and disarming-engagements become the initial goal of use-cover to cover the area tangible for stockpiling person soldier Carriers vs heavy response of loitering alien units(Sectoid) and unit-companions(Cyberdisk) in Terror missions in particular.

1

2

3


With low scout patterns due to the use of tanks as a frontal process, you will gain a lot by grouping all 6 behind a tank and by obstacles, If you can not see them near the UFO : 

It is much less likely they will have a free-shot Alien Grenade in window of your open units at maximum angle and range, as AI tends to dictate.

You can move in pattern behind both tanks as the inital non-effect movement of the Sectoid fleet setup is more plasma pistols but not in depth of range and reason. They use them as a defended harass type without reason of outward cause. One one or two will pick at your weaknesses with 1-2 per turn Plasma Pistols.

This is the weakest use of Plasma Pistols and shows a hardware checkpoint in terms of depth to the player. Tank/Cannons are able to hold 6-10 shots vs Plasma Pistol in this orientation due to (type)(Alloy or pseudo Alloy Armor)

In this use of cover as a tactic of containment, you want 3 moving units to breach the door for the UFO (Medium Scout). You will see the main disadvantage to using 

2 Tank/Cannon and 6 Soldiers

is the Capture of the interior craft : UFO Craft Represented as an Interior Battleground :

So you need to drop the only Rocket Launcher to cover the 3rd man with 2-by-2 defense of the outside of the UFO(1st use of this is important as in this build you do not have to build or buy them, but I would not sell the ones you get at Jan 1st.)

Unit groups as 'Sensors' in Arbitrating distance-in-group vs Mass in Depth

entire theory here -> Theory of Unit groups as 'Sensors' in Arbitrating distance-in-group vs Mass in Depth

Theory of Small Craft represented as an Interior Battleground

entire theory here -> Theory of UFO Craft represented as an Interior Battleground

Jan 13st - Feb 20th Save File Tree

I put a bunch of files in one section because the screenshots became confusing to organize over saves.

Here is the save data for the point in time that is depicted in this tutorial: 

File:Jan 13th Crash Site UFO-2 Continued -Jan 24th Terror Mission.zip
File:Jan 24th Terror Mission Continued.zip
File:Jan 24th Terror Mission Continued part 2.zip
File:Jan 26th - Jan 28th.zip
File:Jan 28th - Feb 20th.zip
File:Feb 20th - Laser Cannon Feb 24th.zip

As in all of these Save trees, you want to go into your install and replace the Save file 1-10 with these, do not keep duplicates.

Recovered UFO-1 Jan 13th - Jan 17th

Purchased :

Living Quarters || Cost $400,000 || x 3 Build time in days 16

in Selling all of the alien Artifacts(except mostly all clips in size (Plasma Pistol-Plasma Rifle | Stun Bomb)

enough money for a Living Quarters expansion, note the Extra hangar, this is for an ultimate movement into 

2 SKYRANGER(s)
2 Tanks/Laser Cannon and 6 Soldiers : Personal Armor, Laser Weapons and Alien Grenade/Motion Scanner

As a series expansion of mass as a larger Infantry concept as a work-up to a unity environment when AVENGER is completed in 3 and 4 Tank AVENGER loadouts -> Power Armor as a standard of late-game need.

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UFO Score Screen, no Elerium because shot down by INTERCEPTOR : Cannon

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Moving out of Motion Scanner in terms of Technology need into Alloy and Personal Armor Jan 13th

== Moving out of Motion Scanner in terms of Technology need into Alloy and Personal Armor Jan 13th ==

Squad Armor also called 'Personal Armor' (even in misstep) is the main advantage of cheaper : Rifle and Tank/Cannon Squads in SKYRANGER as terms of 'Tank First Heavy Infantry' follow-up tech patterns into AVENGER Class advance in X-COM UFO Defense.

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Jan 17th - Terror Mission(1)

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Finished the Alien Containment in the days before the 1st Terror Mission I engage, I avoided one accidentally, because of the X-COM UFO Defense game bug that relates to the reload of your status causing some issue if you do not reload your program at some point in that it will :

1: Blink Nation Boundaries
2: Lock the selected Speed after certain clicks

So I just reload the game it is seems to clear init(for some reason_)

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The theory of Conventional (Rifle/HE) Squads in 2 Tanks and 6 Soldiers SKYRANGER is tested here :

I do not think it has the initial firepower advantages needed, in (Sectoid-Cyberdisk) Terror Missions and I think the average upgrade to Auto-Cannon as a 5-6 man standard could be ultimately necessary.

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At initial, the Tank/Cannon(s) can clear and are at advantages in terms of range and armor in lit areas(even at night).

I open up concealment with Smoke Grenade in the area opened by an initial tank area decided round 1. The tanks are effective vs multiple Sectoids in response to lack of security and load bearing relationship loss in an early loss of Soldier as a Carry-Operable person soldier in :

2 Tank/Cannon and 6 Soldier Conventional(Rifle/HE)

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Small Soldier grouping Disadvantages in Terror Mission after Loss-of-Effect

After partial clearing (3 Sectoids Killed) by the Tank/Cannon with no losses, you can feel partially safe in the area, when moving down your 6 man team of X-COM Soldiers, They encountered a single Sectoid and made an effective shot in use of Rocket Launcher(no Additional use present) but in the turn after lost a man who was exposed with no vision of afar, leading down to 2 Tank/Cannon and 5 Soldiers.

The true negatives of the need of this 6th Soldier as a Utility Weapon user become apparent as the 5 man squad cannot recover in advance of encumbered Tank/Cannons in relative position of broken architecture, that limits vision of afar vs unseen Cyberdisk.

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Partial Recover as a mid-path Disadvantage in Tactics via Terror Mission : 2 Tanks 5 Soldiers Conventional(Rifle/HE)

 

The pictured 5 Soldier squad has an opportunity to make equipment changes of carry (alien)Artifacts into the SKYRANGER as an area technique of lessened risk via (Carrier efficiency vs. scouting) as a tactic of sustained advantage in X-COM UFO Defense.



The main issue is the advancing broken Tank/Cannon line becomes engaged in further attacks and lack decision-making vs firepower in opportunity. 

The idea that the units are not capable of encountering the human-made obstacles is apparent in the need for 'Laser War' as an arc setting of lack vs post-tested Technology in (Laser Rifle and Tank/Laser Cannon)

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Losing a tank dramatically changes the strategy and thinking of the group. Forced failure in 1 Tank and 5 Soldier Combat Setting :

HE Use as a misstep and Failure to Respond to Loss of Tank/Cannon concerning Ground-clearing as a Directive of Survival

User Error as a Tactician is apparent in use of the HE as a cover-clearing option and can be used at throwing range. The most important near valid negative, in terms of perfect use by an experienced used (with no add ons or covering mods of some kind in UI) is: 
the effect of the shell of effect per use of Explosive in terms of X-COM UFO Defense (1994) exampled in HE, Grenade, Alien Grenade is effected by material status and of surrounding obstacles of given game standard in terms of hardness. (I.e. plasma wall vs human wall, chair vs wall vs window and etc.)

I was off by 2 Iso units to save my use soldier, but there was a valid opening created in terms of team value at range vs (Sectoid-Cyberdisk)



This additional encumbers the Tank/Cannon due to loss of strength in context of Obstacle clearing need in Conventional(Rifle/HE)

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Tank Constriction in Range Setting

Tank/Cannon is additionally disadvantaged as time goes on without Laser Weapons(Laser Rifle-Heavy Laser and Tank/Laser Cannon) for range clearing and necessitates the need of 'Laser War' as an arc of Technology in X-COM UFO Defense (1994).

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Cover-over Fire of the Rifle on top of Tank/Cannon is one of the main disadvantages of (Rifle/HE) as a Class set-up vs Laser Rifle as a 1 item-unit Inventory

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This Tank Disadvantage leads to further loss and a forced fighting position against a Sectoid group behind a window a broken wall

(there is a weird inefficiency vs person soldiers behind 'double-slit-window' tile of wall in this terror mission texture set: I do not trust Einstein... but I think it was Thomas Young 1802 according to 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment')

Broken Walls as a defeat for Conventional(Rifle/HE) Soldiers as Comparison

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Full failure of edge in attack.

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You could go so far as to say human-made walls and building Sprites have a direct advantage over Conventional(Rifle/HE) Soldier in direct reduction of effect as boundary to survival.

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1 Soldier lost in retreat to escape with SKYRANGER to no advantages except minor score and potential of surviving Soldier.

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Lost Terror Mission Score:

Jan 21st- Late January and Personal Armor

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General Stores complete on Jan 21st

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Laboratory complete Jan 27th

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Living Quarters complete on Jan 29th

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Personal Armor completed at Feb 1st

I lost 2 Tank/Cannons and did not buy any more, so this covered Soldier model of using Personal Armor is an advance of weakness toward the point of view that there is a goal to use your stable Alien Alloy in 'Free Tanks' Engineering bug to produce 1 at a time as many as possible while advancing Research up to Laser Cannon.

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Failure as an option and turn to 12 Soldier (mixed)Conventional AP as a response to lost tanks in lowly or untrained(Rookie-Squaddie) X-COM Soldiers

Due to a lack of available force I was forced into a Soldier transition that used all of my available Conventional Class weapons including Pistol and HE.

You can see how covered it looks vs a Medium Scout in terms of available context vs alien. Remember this as a repair step with Tank/Cannon as on opening in January - early February. 12 Soldiers is a very strong and almost overpowered around vs 'Plasma Pistol' fleet Sectoid and remains effective and profitable until Medium UFO Craft size(usually in month 3 (March) as a standard).

There is more to talk about here in terms of the programatic portrayal of the terrain options and how to engage with Tanks vs./or Infantry in mass. But will forgo analysis this here-  

Relatable subset-squares of familiar terrain series blocks example.

Basic overpower and overthrow as 12 Soldiers even after unprofitable loss of 2 Tanks and 5 Soldiers in lost Terror Mission 1.



UFO Capture Score Screen

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Options Above in Group Thinking with Overly Positive Unit-relationship vs Plasma Pistol 'fleet' Sectoid

Built 2 more workshops and numerous engineers for transition into Laser War and 2 SKYRANGER into AVENGER in Midgame.

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Workshop || Cost $800,000 || x 2 Build time in days 32

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You basically had many advantages vs Medium Scout so moving up to Laser Pistol is all Positive in terms of Profit and Survivability : which is helpful in mid game as you hold experienced Staff for Cydonia in late game. 

Worthwhile sale of Artifacts after Medium UFO Capture - holding only Stun Bomb as the build becomes more narrowly specific to need in March and beyond and overall depth of 'Laser War' Technologies increases.

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Theory of Armor Expansion in a system vs. and opposed in terms Personal Armor as a subtype variable vs Guardian G.I. and Unarmoured X-COM Soldier as G.I. as a unit comparison

Complete Theory here to reduce clutter -> Theory Crossover X-COM UFO Defense with/vs. Red Alert 2 Allies Faction's basic Infantry (G.I. and Guardian G.I.) as a model of Armor Expansion over-time in Abstraction

Personal Armor is really quite useful all game and is an effective investment vs all types of person soldier and tank soldier Aliens.

You can see it like an embankment battlefield architecture much like the Tank/Cannon depicted colloquially as moving embankments.



They shift in mass and are best in front line fighters in case X-COM Soldiers.
Notice that when a unit wears the Personal Armor the look the same from the game view --but not the inventory screen-- as a brown haired orangish tan, maybe caucasian man depicted from there on as an abstraction of basic armored soldier.

They typically can survive 1 shot at least of Plasma Weapons as an indeterminate Class(in terms of Fog-of-War obfuscation).

End of Cycle - Complete Laser Cannon - and subset approximate Scoring Feb 24th

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After the Mission and completion of the Laser Cannon Research, I moved on to UFO Power Source as a move into AVENGER via UFO Construction and Flying Suits. The Goal is to use 2 SKYRANGER(s) as a gap until AVENGER when you use all the units from both in 1 deployment step from then on for cost at Elerium 115.



LC Completed on Feb 24th

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Full subset-build point in time snapshot at Feb 24th below: 

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