Difference between revisions of "Covert Operative (EU2012)"

Revision as of 05:09, 29 November 2013

Keys to Cover Operative Deployment

Covert operatives are limited to pistols; pistol tech and Foundry upgrades may be useful.
Covert operatives have a powerful in-mission ability. "EXALT Comm Hack". If you can find an EXALT comm array, you covert operative can hack it, disabling all EXALT forces weapons for a short time.
Heavy soldiers and MEC Troopers are ineligible for covert ops duty.

Tactical Advice

Your Covert Operative is any of your soldiers. Who you choose is entirely up to you. However, because they cannot use Pistols, Heavies and MECs are excluded. Everyone else however is fair game. When you go to retrieve the Covert Operative (and his or her extremely valuable data), you will play a tactical mission, with the Covert Operative included. The Covert Operative does NOT count in your squad makeup, thus giving you another soldier on the field, which is nice since EXALT is nothing if not numerous at times. However, the Operative does not start with your main squad and is usually some distance away.

Because Covert Ops are limited to the Pistol, the Foundry upgrades can make a big difference. Make sure they're equipped with your best model. Tactical Rigging can also help them out quite a bit as well.

Who to Bring

All three eligible classes (Assaults, Snipers and Supports) can be equally viable candidates for being a Covert Operative. Though depending on the Commander, one may be better than the others.

Assaults

Assaults can have good mobility thanks to Run and Gun allowing them to join up with the main squad faster and still shoot or be put into Overwatch. Likewise, Run and Gun allows you to knock out EXALT Comm Relays from farther away. Furthermore, all of their abilities make up for their lack of a main weapon and/or armor, making them much more viable in the ensuing firefight. As a result, Assaults are always safe bets, no matter how they're configured.

Snipers

Although Snipers have a little less Health than other Soldiers, if the Sniper in question has Gunslinger they are an exceedingly powerful Covert Operative. Gunslinger can put the damage of Pistols on par with regular weapons, making it a reliable form of damage. No other ability can increase the combat effectiveness of your Operative in such a broad, far reaching manner. You can't go wrong with a Gunslinger Sniper. Additionally, Low Profile will help with the survivability of the Operative. If a Sniper doesn't have Gunslinger, you should probably leave them in the main squad.

Supports

Sprinter will help the Operative move around without the benefit of advanced armors, while Deep Pockets gives more item usages. The main benefit however, of having a Support Operative is if you send one of your Medics as the Operative. This allows you to pack a little more firepower in your main squad since your Medic is already going to be in the mission. Just make sure you have a backup Medic or hope you get lucky in the 3 or 6 days it takes before you can get him back. In addition, the Medic can do a better job of staying alive should he take some fire.

Rank

While the lack of a main weapon and armor means you probably want to send your highest ranked soldiers undercover, this isn't a must. In fact, it can be a good idea to send a lower ranked soldier and give him or her some free kills. Since the Covert Operative is an extra and free soldier on the ground, your A-Team Colonels or Majors can soften up the EXALT troops while your Squaddie or Corporal Covert Operative picks them off for some free kills.

Psionics

If you've gotten Psionics and EXALT is still around, It doesn't hurt to bring a Psionic to Mindfray whenever you can instead of having to utilize your Pistol.

What to Bring

Your Operative should always be equipped with the best Pistol you can produce. As for items, a Medkit is a good idea if they take some fire and are still far away from your main Medic. A S.C.O.P.E is a good idea, but should be left at home once you have Improved Pistol I and II, since they do not stack. The HP items do not work on Covert Operatives and thus should be left as well. Because EXALT Weapons are simply aesthetically different versions of your own, a Grenade isn't a bad idea since blowing EXALT troops up means you're not missing out on anything important. In fact, blowing up EXALT gives you Weapons Fragments which are useful for your research.

How to Bring

If you've got Gene Mods, some Gene Mods are very useful on your Operatives. Mimetic Skin can keep your Operative from getting mowed down in an extreme firefight. Muscle Fiber Density can help with mobility. Secondary Heart keeps your Operative alive if you make a costly mistake, which can save you from immediately failing the mission.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012): XCOM Units
Soldiers:	Assault • Heavy • Sniper • Support • Psionic • MEC Trooper (EW DLC)
S.H.I.Vs:	S.H.I.V.• Alloy S.H.I.V. • Hover S.H.I.V.
Attributes:	Classes • Class Builds • Abilities • Stats • Nicknames • Gene Mods (EW DLC) • Medals (EW DLC)
Loadout:	Weapons • Armor • Equipment • MEC Suit (EW DLC)
Barracks:	Officer Training School • Psi Lab • Memorial • Genetics Lab (EW DLC) • Cybernetics Lab (EW DLC)
Other:	Volunteer • Heroes • Zhang (Slingshot DLC) • Annette (EW DLC) • Covert Operative (EW DLC) • Training Roulette (EW DLC)

XCOM: Enemy Within DLC: EXALT
Covert Operations:	Covert Operative • Covert Data Recovery • Covert Extraction • EXALT Base Raid
EXALT Units:	EXALT Sniper • EXALT Heavy • EXALT Operative • EXALT Medic EXALT Elite Sniper • EXALT Elite Heavy • EXALT Elite Operative • EXALT Elite Medic
EXALT Weapons:	EXALT Assault Rifle • EXALT Sniper Rifle • EXALT LMG • EXALT Rocket Launcher • EXALT Laser Rifle • EXALT Laser Sniper Rifle • EXALT Heavy Laser
Other:	Recovered Art • EXALT Artifact • EXALT Technology

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 {{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}
-'''Notes'''
+==Tactical Advice==
-* With only a [[Pistol (EU2012)|Pistol]] as a weapon, Covert Operatives will depend a lot on their specific [[Classes (EU2012)|class]] [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] like Low Profile, Sprinter or Lightning Reflexes.
+Your Covert Operative is any of your soldiers. Who you choose is entirely up to you. However, because they cannot use Pistols, Heavies and MECs are excluded. Everyone else however is fair game. When you go to retrieve the Covert Operative (and his or her extremely valuable data), you will play a tactical mission, with the Covert Operative included. The Covert Operative does NOT count in your squad makeup, thus giving you another soldier on the field, which is nice since EXALT is nothing if not numerous at times. However, the Operative does not start with your main squad and is usually some distance away.
-* Operatives deploy with no armor (so any damage will require recovery time) and only 1 item slot, but they can be upgraded to 2 item slots if the necessary [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Foundry]] upgrade is purchased.
-** Armor items such as [[Nano-Fiber Vest (EU2012)|Nano-Fiber Vests]] and [[Chitin Plating (EU2012)|Chitin Plating]] can be equipped, but will not provide their bonuses.
+Because Covert Ops are limited to the Pistol, the Foundry upgrades can make a big difference. Make sure they're equipped with your best model. Tactical Rigging can also help them out quite a bit as well.
-* Covert Operatives have a powerful in-mission ability. "EXALT Comm Hack". If you can find an EXALT Comm Array, you Covert Operative can hack it, disabling all EXALT forces weapons for 1 turn.
+===Who to Bring===
+All three eligible classes (Assaults, Snipers and Supports) can be equally viable candidates for being a Covert Operative. Though depending on the Commander, one may be better than the others.
+====Assaults====
+Assaults can have good mobility thanks to Run and Gun allowing them to join up with the main squad faster and still shoot or be put into Overwatch. Likewise, Run and Gun allows you to knock out EXALT Comm Relays from farther away. Furthermore, all of their abilities make up for their lack of a main weapon and/or armor, making them much more viable in the ensuing firefight. As a result, Assaults are always safe bets, no matter how they're configured.
+====Snipers====
+Although Snipers have a little less Health than other Soldiers, if the Sniper in question has Gunslinger they are an exceedingly powerful Covert Operative. Gunslinger can put the damage of Pistols on par with regular weapons, making it a reliable form of damage. No other ability can increase the combat effectiveness of your Operative in such a broad, far reaching manner. You can't go wrong with a Gunslinger Sniper. Additionally, Low Profile will help with the survivability of the Operative. If a Sniper doesn't have Gunslinger, you should probably leave them in the main squad.
+====Supports====
+Sprinter will help the Operative move around without the benefit of advanced armors, while Deep Pockets gives more item usages. The main benefit however, of having a Support Operative is if you send one of your Medics as the Operative. This allows you to pack a little more firepower in your main squad since your Medic is already going to be in the mission. Just make sure you have a backup Medic or hope you get lucky in the 3 or 6 days it takes before you can get him back. In addition, the Medic can do a better job of staying alive should he take some fire.
+====Rank====
+While the lack of a main weapon and armor means you probably want to send your highest ranked soldiers undercover, this isn't a must. In fact, it can be a good idea to send a lower ranked soldier and give him or her some free kills. Since the Covert Operative is an extra and free soldier on the ground, your A-Team Colonels or Majors can soften up the EXALT troops while your Squaddie or Corporal Covert Operative picks them off for some free kills.
+====Psionics====
+If you've gotten Psionics and EXALT is still around, It doesn't hurt to bring a Psionic to Mindfray whenever you can instead of having to utilize your Pistol.
+===What to Bring===
+Your Operative should always be equipped with the best Pistol you can produce. As for items, a Medkit is a good idea if they take some fire and are still far away from your main Medic. A S.C.O.P.E is a good idea, but should be left at home once you have Improved Pistol I and II, since they do not stack. The HP items do not work on Covert Operatives and thus should be left as well. Because EXALT Weapons are simply aesthetically different versions of your own, a Grenade isn't a bad idea since blowing EXALT troops up means you're not missing out on anything important. In fact, blowing up EXALT gives you Weapons Fragments which are useful for your research.
+===How to Bring===
+If you've got Gene Mods, some Gene Mods are very useful on your Operatives. Mimetic Skin can keep your Operative from getting mowed down in an extreme firefight. Muscle Fiber Density can help with mobility. Secondary Heart keeps your Operative alive if you make a costly mistake, which can save you from immediately failing the mission.
 <br>
 <noinclude>