Exalt (LWR)

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Exalt Mechanics (WIP)

Exalt first shows up a few months into the game (insert a more specific date here), arriving with a cutscene and a small credits hack.

Unlike vanilla or LW1.0, hacks do not automatically reveal a cell, so keeping up with scans is of upmost importance. LWR provides scan reminders that are perfectly accurate, so simply scanning when reminded will always find an Exalt cell. Scans cost 200 credits (modified by campaign length)

Exalt cells can be left alone for a while (insert more specific details here), but will eventually perform a debilitating hack if you wait too long.

Hacks can have the following effects: (insert effects here)

An average campaign will have 15 Exalt missions and the Exalt Base Assault, but this amount scales up or down with the game length.

Exalt Missions

Exalt missions will be unique in that they will consist almost entirely of Exalt soldiers, and are the only mission type where reinforcements can be leader variants. These soldiers similar to XCOM in their strength and weaknesses. As well, they almost always require a Covert Operative to be deployed on site before the mission starts, and these Covert Operatives tend to be separated from the rest of the squad.

Covert Operatives are restricted to Scouts, Infantry, Medics, and Engineers and cannot command other units or be commanded themselves. Covert Operatives gain the perk Quick Draw.

Quick Draw
Point blank pistol shots cost 0 AP.

Exalt Covert Op Data Recovery

Condition for Succeeding: Transmitter is not destroyed and all Exalt are eliminated

Reward for Succeeding: 200 credits (halved if the encoder is lost), 40 meld (modified by campaign length)

Penalty for Failure: 4 country panic (modified by campaign length)

Expiration Time: 48 hours

These missions are similar to their vanilla equivalent. You field a squad of five and defend an encoder and transmitter. Exalt comm arrays are available for your covert operative to hack which will force all exalt on the map to reload before firing again. Reinforcements will continue throughout the mission so be prepared to fight from all flanks.

Due to the constant reinforcements and Exalt's desire to rush the encoder and transmitter, an ideal squad for this mission should involve units that can deal a lot of damage (especially to flanked units) and manage drop-in overwatch. This is because if you fail to deal enough damage, the reinforcements may quickly result in you facing insurmountable numbers of Exalt, forcing you to retreat or die.

The missions start with 2 medium-sized exalt pods. Reinforcements occur every 2 turns starting on the 3rd-4th turn and will occur 3 times.

Exalt Covert Op Extraction

Condition for Succeeding: Covert Op reaches the evac zone with 3 towers hacked and 2 data sources

Reward for Succeeding: 100 credits, 30 meld (modified by campaign length)

Penalty for Failure: 4 country panic (modified by campaign length)

Expiration Time: 48 hours

In this mission type you are limited to only 3 soldiers and your Covert Operative. As such, you want to avoid getting into a prolonged firefight with Exalt; get your operative to the relays, hack them, and get out ASAP.

You must acquire 2 sets of data from the relays, which will always requiring the hacking of 3 arrays (the 2nd array will always contain no data).

An ideal squad will involve damage-dealers that can quickly sweep the site of the initial enemies while also surviving the first 2-3 waves of drop-ins.

The missions start with a small number of Exalt. Approaching or activating relays has no effect on triggering reinforcements.

The first set of Exalt reinforcements now arrive on turn 5/6/7/8 (on impossible/brutal/classic/normal) and will reinforce again every 3 turns. Each time Exalt sends in reinforcements there will be an additional 2 units, meaning that they very quickly become unstoppable if you take too long.

Example on Impossible:

2 units on turn 5, 4 units on turn 8, 6 units on turn 11, 8 units on turn 14, and 10 units on turn 17

Reinforcements will stop completely if you make it to turn 24. Due to the sheer number of possible reinforcements, it is advised to NOT try to fight all of the reinforcements, but simply activate the relays and retreat.

Exalt Base Assault

Condition for Succeeding: All enemies eliminated

Reward for Succeeding: 1250 credits, Illuminator Gunsight, Cognitive Enchancer, Neuroregulator, 400 meld, -10 Worldwide Panic

Penalty for Failure: 4 country panic (modified by campaign length)

Expiration Time: Does not expire

The Exalt base is crawling with a small number of elite Exalt pods, each containing an Exalt General (or Exalt Commander Iago Van Doorn). There will also be a few high level alien leaders as well.

The Exalt base is in a large cubic map, in an office/residence atop a Skyscraper. You are dropped off near a helipad. Inside consists of a foyer, that splits to a library/sitting room and a sparse Situation Room (where Annette's photo is visible), and to a large sunken central room (with surrounding high hallways) with EXALT's own bootleg Hologlobe. There are paths that reach around on the outside of the building on the perimeter. The layout of the map is mostly symmetrical. The roof is accessible, and you may have some success firing down through the skylights for the elevated bonus, but the line of sight from the skylights to ground level is quite restrictive.

There are no airdropped Exalt squads.

Falsely accusing a country of harboring the Exalt base will cause a massive spike in panic as well as a significant gain in alien research, so it is unadvised to "guess" where the Exalt base is until you know for sure.

Exalt Units

Exalt Operative

Appears	Level 1
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Operatives are versatile frontline soldiers that are particularly strong in close combat because of Close Encounters, similar to XCOM's Assaults. Operatives aren't a major threat when at a distance outside of Opportunist overwatches, but if they can close the gap and deliver a point blank double flank, very few soldiers will survive.

Operatives share a few common traits with all Exalt:

• They have Lock N' Load, which primarily reduces the power of relay hacks, but also lets them put on continuous pressure in a long firefight.
• They can panic in a similar manner to XCOM's soldiers.
• They feel a strong urge to move towards the objective, often to the point of staying out of cover to get closer.

Because of their tendency to move towards the objective, Overwatch is a very powerful tool against most Exalt soldiers, and the Operative is no exception.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Operatives have 40% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	7.3	4	2	6	4	60	20	20	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Close Encounters,   Opportunist
Level Upgrades	3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13	0	+0-1	+0-1	+1	+0-1	+6	+6	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	0	+1	+1	+2	+24	+24	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Corporal (Operative)	1	+1	+5	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Ranger,   Steadfast
Exalt Sergeant (Operative)	3	+2	+10	+10	+40	Critical System Targeting
Exalt Master Sergeant (Operative)	6	+3	+20	+20	+60	Aggression

Exalt Sniper

Appears	Level 1
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Snipers are pure glass cannons just like XCOM's own Snipers; they boast the lowest health, will, and mobility of any enemy in the game, but can pelt away at you from Squadsight range with high-damage sniper rifles that can very easily wound an unprepared soldier. If you can directly attack them in almost any way, they'll die quite quickly, but the longer they sit in the backlines, the more likely it is that they'll get that critical shot they need to kill a soldier. Just like XCOM snipers, Exalt Snipers have poor aim at close range, so if you can close the distance they'll be unlikely to have a good chance to hit you, even after moving.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Snipers have 40% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	6	2	1	3	6	70	20	5	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Squadsight,   Executioner,   Holo Rounds
Level Upgrades	3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13	0	0	0	0	+1	+8	+8	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	0	0	0	+4	+32	+32	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Corporal (Sniper)	1	+1	+3	+10	+20	Sprinter,   Low Profile,   Steadfast
Exalt Sergeant (Sniper)	3	+2	+6	+20	+40	Bring 'Em On
Exalt Master Sergeant (Sniper)	6	+3	+9	+30	+60	Vital Point Targeting

Exalt Heavy

Appears	Level 1
Ammo: 4

Skills

Standard Shot

Suppression

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Heavies are very similar to XCOM's own Tank Gunners. Will to Survive makes them difficult to take down through cover, and the combination of Suppression, Danger Zone, and Holo Rounds offers incredible offensive support. The addition of Light 'Em Up notably increases their offensive threat greatly, as very few soldiers are comfortable tanking two holo'd shots from a big gun. If flanks aren't an option, Psionics or Supports may help you survive until you can push aggressively behind their cover.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Heavies have 40% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	6	6	4	10	6	50	0	10	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Will to Survive,   Light 'Em Up,   Danger Zone,   Holo Rounds
Level Upgrades	3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13	0	+0-2	+0-1	+2	+0-1	+4	0	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	+1	+1	+2	+2	+16	0	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Corporal (Heavy)	1	+1	+7	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Shredder,   Steadfast
Exalt Sergeant (Heavy)	3	+2	+14	+10	+40	Tenacious Defense
Exalt Master Sergeant (Heavy)	6	+3	+21	+20	+60	Critical System Targeting

Exalt Medic

Appears	Level 1
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Medikit Heal

Smoke Grenade

Exalt Medics are similar to XCOM's own Support Medics. They provide solid defensive support in the form of Medikits (boosted by Field Medic) and Smoke Grenades (boosted by Dense Smoke) while also being quite tanky due to Grit and relatively strong against Psionics and panic because of decent will. Offensively they're the weakest of Exalt's forces, but can still be a nuisance due to Ready For Anything providing automatic Overwatches.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Medics have 40% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	8	4	2	6	4	60	20	40	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Field Medic,   Smoke and Mirrors,   Dense Smoke,   Ready For Anything,   Grit,   Deflection Shield
Level Upgrades	3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13	0	+0-1	+0-1	+1	+0-1	+2	0	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	0	+1	+1	+2	+8	0	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Corporal (Medic)	1	+1	+4	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Savior,   Steadfast
Exalt Sergeant (Medic)	3	+2	+8	+10	+40	Shadowstep
Exalt Master Sergeant (Medic)	6	+3	+12	+15	+60	Sharpshooter

Exalt SHIV

Appears	Level 1
Ammo: 2

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Exalt SHIVs act much the same as their XCOM counterparts, even gaining many of the same perks that modules and SHIV Advancements normally provide. Just like XCOM's variant, they can be used as cover by both Exalt and XCOM alike, although that cover won't benefit you from the shots that the SHIV itself takes at you. Exalt SHIVs are the only mechanical enemies that show up on Exalt missions, so it may be worth carrying a spare Arc Rifle or Arc Pistol to manage them. Exalt SHIVs will prove to be very tanky if the squad lacks a clear anti-mechanical solution, and they output much more damage compared to regular Exalt soldiers, especially the leader variants. It's also worth noting that Exalt SHIVs are just as immobile as XCOM's, and cannot access high ground in any way besides a ramp, stairs, or small ledges.

Bounty: 2 Meld, Shiv Chassis

Armor: Exalt SHIVs have 50% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	7.3	6	6	12	8	65	0	0	30	50	Lock N' Load,   Repair Servos,   Damage Control
Level Upgrades	3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13	0	+1	+1	+2	+1	+3	0	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	+1	+1	+2	+4	+3	0	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
SHIV Mk II	1	+1	+5	+10	0	Sprinter,   Absorption Fields,   Holo Rounds
SHIV Mk III	3	+3	+10	+20	0	Shredder,   Light 'Em Up
SHIV Mk IV	6	+5	+15	+30	0	Reactive Targeting Sensors
UHIV	9	+7	+25	+50	0	Combined Arms,   Sentry,   Opportunist,   Fortified

Exalt Elite Operative

Appears	Level 6
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Elite Operatives are much like their regular counterparts, but with improved stats all-around and the addition of Enhanced Metabolism. This makes them significantly more deadly when on Overwatch, and can also make them difficult to finish off without sources of guaranteed damage or large accuracy bonuses if they can't be killed from above half health in a single shot.

Exalt Commander Iago Van Doorn deserves a special mention here, as he serves as the boss of the Exalt HQ Assault and exclusively shows up there. Packing immensely increased stats, most gene mods, Overwatch immunity, and his own powerful Overwatches, Iago is a menace for any squad, prepared or not. Suppression and Concussion Grenades are invaluable for locking him down, and a strong tank will be necessary to mitigate his damage. Like other champions, Invulnerable will ensure that he gets a chance to act, especially given that the Exalt HQ often forces players to fight from the helipad with little room for retreat. Enhanced Metabolism is even more concerning here, given the sheer durability of Iago; activating this at the wrong time can spell death for your squad. Iago is likely to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest individual enemy you encounter before the final mission, so be careful Commander.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Elite Operatives have 50% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	8	6	6	12	6	70	20	30	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Close Encounters,   Opportunist,   Enhanced Metabolism
Level Upgrades	7, 9, 11, 13	0	+1	+1	+2	+0-1	+8	+8	0	0	+5
Final Upgrade	15	0	+1	+1	+2	+2	+32	+32	0	0	+5

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Lieutenant (Operative)	1	+1	+5	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Ranger,   Steadfast
Exalt Captain (Operative)	3	+2	+10	+10	+40	Critical System Targeting
Exalt Major (Operative)	6	+3	+20	+20	+60	Aggression
Exalt Commander Iago Van Doorn	9	+11	+40	+40	+120	Combined Arms,   Deflection Shield,   Ready For Anything,   Sentinel,   Snapshot,   Shadowstep,   Grit,   Iron Skin,   Neural Damping,   Smart Macrophages,   Adaptive Bone Marrow,   Advanced Perception,   Muscle Fiber Density

Exalt Elite Sniper

Appears	Level 6
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Elite Snipers are much the same as their non-elite counterparts, with improved stats and the addition of Muscle Fiber Density allowing for more highground use and more flanks. Very few soldiers can survive a flank shot from an Elite Sniper, so be on the lookout!

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Elite Snipers have 50% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	6.6	3	3	6	9	80	20	15	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Squadsight,   Executioner,   Holo Rounds,   Muscle Fiber Density
Level Upgrades	7, 9, 11, 13	0	+0-1	+0-1	+1	+1	+10	+10	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	+1	0	+1	+4	+40	+40	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Lieutenant (Sniper)	1	+1	+3	+10	+20	Sprinter,   Low Profile,   Steadfast
Exalt Captain (Sniper)	3	+2	+6	+20	+40	Bring 'Em On
Exalt Major (Sniper)	6	+3	+9	+30	+60	Vital Point Targeting
Exalt General (Sniper)	8	+4	+12	+40	+80	Combined Arms,   Light 'Em Up

Exalt Elite Heavy

Appears	Level 6
Ammo: 4

Skills

Standard Shot

Suppression

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Exalt Elite Heavies are like the other elites, in that they're an improvement on their regular form but not all that much different. Heavies are blessed with Iron Skin which makes them significantly tankier, even against flanks. A bit of penetration on your weapons will go a long way, as well as crit chance increases.

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Elite Heavies have 50% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	6.6	10	10	20	9	60	0	20	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Will to Survive,   Light 'Em Up,   Danger Zone,   Holo Rounds,   Iron Skin
Level Upgrades	7, 9, 11, 13	0	+0-2	+0-2	+3	+0-1	+6	0	0	0	+10
Final Upgrade	15	0	+2	+1	+3	+2	+24	0	0	0	+10

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Lieutenant (Heavy)	1	+1	+7	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Shredder,   Steadfast
Exalt Captain (Heavy)	3	+2	+14	+10	+40	Tenacious Defense
Exalt Major (Heavy)	6	+3	+21	+15	+60	Critical System Targeting
Exalt General (Heavy)	8	+4	+28	+20	+80	Combined Arms,   Sentry

Exalt Elite Medic

Appears	Level 6
Ammo: 3

Skills

Standard Shot

Overwatch

Hunker Down

Medikit Heal

Smoke Grenade

Exalt Elite Medics follow the same pattern as the other elites, being a stat improvement and the addition of a gene mod. In the Elite Medic's case, this takes the form of Smart Macrophages, making shred and corrosion useless against them and boosting heals on themselves. When combined with Grit, this can make finishing off Elite Medics difficult; make sure to have a plan for when they get low, or burst them from full health to begin with!

Bounty: 2 Meld

Armor: Exalt Elite Medics have 50% armor converted from their health.

	Levels Applied	Mobility	Base HP	Armor HP	Overall HP	Damage	Aim	Crit	Will	Defense	Base DR	Perks
Attributes	1	8.6	6	6	12	6	70	20	60	0	0	Lock N' Load,   Field Medic,   Smoke and Mirrors,   Dense Smoke,   Ready For Anything,   Grit,   Deflection Shield,   Smart Macrophages
Level Upgrades	7, 9, 11, 13	0	+1	+1	+2	+0-1	+4	0	0	0	0
Final Upgrade	15	0	+1	+1	+2	+2	+16	0	0	0	0

Leader Name	Leader Level	Cumulative Damage	Cumulative HP	Cumulative Aim	Cumulative Will	Additional Perks (carries into higher leader levels)
Exalt Lieutenant (Medic)	1	+1	+4	+5	+20	Sprinter,   Savior,   Steadfast
Exalt Captain (Medic)	3	+2	+8	+10	+40	Shadowstep
Exalt Major (Medic)	6	+3	+12	+15	+60	Sharpshooter
Exalt General (Medic)	8	+4	+16	+20	+80	Combined Arms,   Sentinel