Officers (LWR)

Officers have a separate upgrade path for soldiers, granting abilities that benefit the entire squad.

To begin promoting officers, an Officer Training School is required, which becomes available for construction after a soldier reaches the rank of corporal. Once it is built, officer upgrades can be purchased in the OTS menu to make billets available.

Any soldier that has the rank of at least Corporal, isn't a MEC Trooper or a Psionic and has participated in at least 2 missions can be promoted to Lieutenant as long as there is an open billet left. After that, further promotions, in addition to another OTS upgrade, require that:

• The officer must have been on at least 2 missions (1 by default with the Dynamic War second wave option) at his current officer rank.
• The officer must have gained a certain minimum standard rank – for example, Sergeant or higher is required for a promotion to Captain.
• The officer with higher will stat will be commanding a mission if several officers of the same rank are on the squad.

Officer ranks

• All officers start with the perk Commanding Officer which grants them the ability to Command.
• Officers gain additional Command charges at Major (2 charges total) and Field Commander (3 charges total).
• Each promotion presents a choice between one of two rank-specific Officer perks. This selection is permanent (and cumulative), but a different perk can be chosen for every officer.
• Only the perks of the commanding (highest-ranked) officer are beneficial to the entire squad during a battle. Officer perks of a second, lower-ranking officer present on a mission benefit only that officer.

Commanding Officer
If this is the highest ranking Officer: Gain Command (with 1 charge), resists 50% of the effects of red fog, officer perks affect all squadmates, and grants each squadmate in vision a percent chance for end-in-idle actions to cost 0 AP equal to double the number of enemies the squad can see.

Command
Grant 1 AP to a 0 AP idle unit in sight and disable their AP discounting perks. Cannot be used on Covert Ops, SHIVs, or units already Commanded. Can trigger Tactical Brilliance [Will/2% chance (max 50%) to cost 0 charges]. Does not trigger reaction fire. 0 AP cost.

Officer Rank	Minimum Level Requirement	Officer Ability
Lieutenant	Corporal	Strength in Diversity Squad receives +1 will per different nationality in the squad. Gain Commanding Officer [1 command charge, +10% squad xp/rank, -20% personal fatigue].	Stay Frosty Squad fatigue reduced by 10%. Officers gain Commanding Officer [Various Abilities, +1 Command Charge] and +1.3 mobility.
Captain	Sergeant	Cover Tactics Squadmates gain +3 defense per enemy the squad can see when protected by cover. Officers gain +15 base defense.	Inspired Tenacity Squad receives +20% DR when protected by cover.
Major	Tech Sergeant	Show 'Em the Ropes All soldiers ranked SGT or lower gain triple mission experience. Officers gain +3 base HP and +1 Command.	Tricks of the Trade All soldiers in the squad gain +10% mission experience. Officers gain +10 aim and +1 Command.
Colonel	Gunnery Sergeant	International Warriors Squad receives +4 aim per continent bonus XCOM has earned.	Battlefield Aptitude Squad receives +10 defense when protected by cover and +10 will.
Field Commander	Master Sergeant	Comradery Non-SHIV squad members have a 50% chance (Modified by Campaign Length) to gain +1 aim/will when completing a mission with no soldier deaths. +1 Command Charge.	Combined Arms All weapons and equipment deal +1 damage. Officer's provide this to the squad. Officers gain +1.3 base mobility and +1 Command.

Officer upgrades

Each officer rank is unlocked by purchasing an upgrade in the Officer Training School. It unlocks a number of officer billets for the new rank and prior ranks. Purchasing these upgrades costs money and requires a certain number of total soldier ranks (where a Specialist counts as one, a Lance Corporal as two, and so on). When an officer is killed or dismissed, the billet will cycle back and become available again after a few missions.

Officer upgrades
Name	Required Ranks	Cost	Unlocked Billets
Tactical officers	20	§100	3x LT
Company officers	45	§200	2x CAPT, 2x LT
Field officers	75	§300	2x MAJ, 2x CAPT, 2x LT
Regimental officers	110	§400	2x COL, 2x MAJ, 2x CAPT, 2x LT
Commanding officer	150	§500	1x CMDR, 1x COL, 1x MAJ, 1x CAPT, 1x LT

Total number of billets unlocked: 10x Lieutenant, 7x Captain, 5x Major, 3x Colonel, 1x Field Commander.

See also

Long War Rebalance: Soldiers
	Soldiers Assault Infantry Rocketeer Gunner Sniper Scout Medic Engineer
	MEC Troopers Marauder Goliath Jaeger Shogun
	Officers Psionics Gene Mods S.H.I.V.s