Missions (Hardmode)
General mission types in hardmode are mostly unchanged compared to vanilla.
UFO Landed Assault
Some Alien UFO missions involve landings. Observing a UFOs speed and height can help in determining if a UFO is in the process of attempting a landing, however in some circumstances the UFO may be merely conducting a low level sweep and will not land.
A UFO that lands is far more difficult to assault, but the UFO will suffer no loss of onboard equipment or resources, thus offering a far greater reward than a crashed UFO.
Furthermore, the entire crew compliment will be alive and healthy, ergo they will offer greater resistance. Furthermore a UFO may land during the night, further enhancing the difficulty of the mission. In addition a landed UFO will only remain on the ground for a short duration, making it risky to attempt to wait for the landing site to reach morning.
UFO Crash Site Assault
Whenever a UFO is shot down, assuming it is not destroyed outright due to overdamage, a crash site assault becomes available.
A UFO brought down will suffer a variable amount of damage to onboard equipment and crew numbers in addition to possible structural damage to the craft, which may make assaults on it easier. This represents a double edged sword as a crashed UFO is relatively easier to secure than a landed one, but it will offer less recoverable resources.
Be wary that shooting down UFO's has a chance to trigger a future alien retaliation mission. Avoid shooting down craft near bases you do not want to be attacked.
Alien Base Assault
As the invasion proceeds the aliens will construct ground bases on Earth to advance their goals. A successful assault on an alien base is absolutely vital in the early game in order to secure research data and resources to progress the tech tree.
The aliens are guaranteed to construct an alien base within the same region as X-COM's first base within the first month. This is to guarantee that X-COM can assault an alien base and advance the tech tree.
Unlike vanilla, base assaults tend to be larger in size and hold a larger defensive force. In addition to how early a player must assault one, expect a long operation. The usage of alloy ammunition is vitally required for success.
Terror Mission
TBA
X-COM Base Defence
TBA
Cydonia or Bust
TBA