Reapers (XCOM2)

The Reapers are one of the three new Resistance Factions from XCOM 2's expansion, War of the Chosen. Under the command of Konstantin Volikov (known as "Volk" to his followers), the Reapers are a faction of survivalists who shunned the ADVENT city centers and the promises of alien technology in favor of life in the wilderness and the abandoned cities. With the long-reaching Vektor Rifle and the concealable Claymore explosives, the Reapers are peerless scouts and snipers whose foes rarely even see what kills them.

History

A native of Russia, Volk moved to Alaska as a refugee during the alien invasion and joined the Reapers soon after the surrender of the world's governments to the aliens. At some point after this, he met Central and became the leader of the Reapers after the faction's founder was killed by the Chosen known as the Hunter (who was himself formerly an accomplished member of the Reapers prior to his capture and painstaking "enhancement" by the Elders).

During the occupation, the Reapers became renowned for their skill at killing aliens while remaining undetected, as well as their habit of using their bodies as an unconventional food source. Such practices tended to lead to make them seem peculiar to others, which was complicated further by the Reapers' inclination to work alone.

In 2035, the Reaper called Elena "Outrider" Dragunova was sent to scout out a gene therapy clinic based on a tip from the Skirmishers; despite the distrust between the two factions, their information yielded the vital discovery that the Commander was still alive and in ADVENT custody, which would ultimately lead in the XCOM mission that would see the Commander liberated, and a crippling blow dealt to the ADVENT network.

Following the defeat of ADVENT, the Reapers helped to wipe out the remaining servants of the Elders in anticipation that they would soon be able to leave the shadows and rejoin the new world.

Class Role

The Reaper combines the superior range of the Sharpshooter and the stealth tactics of the Ranger, further enhanced by Shadow, its enhanced form of Concealment. The lack of innate Squadsight and lower damage output of the Vektor Rifle mean they do not replace Sharpshooters outright, but they can compensate through the greater flexibility afforded to them by their abilities.

While in Shadow, a Reaper gains a 50% mobility boost and can only be detected by enemies if they are within one space of the Reaper (or if the Reaper is flanked). Unlike Concealment, attacking while in Shadow does not necessarily break concealment; instead, it has a 50% chance of staying hidden that rises to 80% should attacks be made following a successful test to stay hidden. That being said, enemy detection radius increases significantly after attacking (although some skills can mitigate this effect). Reapers can contribute to ambushes without the possibility of being exposed via their Claymore secondary weapon, which acts as a potent environmental explosive that the Reaper can shoot at to detonate without having to make a discovery test.

Reapers are not revealed if the rest of the squad is, and vice versa. As they start with a skill that lets them re-enter Shadow once per mission, this makes them ideal scouts and gives them ample opportunities for good vantage points to snipe at enemies.

Reapers have three perk trees to choose from, although like all hero classes they have far more flexibility in selecting their abilities than the standard classes. The Stealth tree makes it easier to remain in Shadow and further improves the user's scouting effectiveness. The Saboteur tree boosts the power and versatility of the Claymore, making it easier to use. The Marksman tree enhances the direct damage output of the Reaper by making their Vektor Rifles stronger.

Resistance Orders

Reaper Resistance Orders often deal with the stealth and speed of XCOM's working orders. Many of them boost progress, reduce time, and negate risk on certain projects.

• Lightning Strike - Units gain +3 mobility for the first 2 turns of battle while the squad remains concealed.
• Infiltrate - On timed missions, the timer does not begin until the squad has lost concealment.
• Popular Support 1 - Supplies collected from each Supply Drop are increased by 10%.
  • Popular Support 2 - Supplies collected from each Supply Drop are increased by 15%.
• Recruiting Centers - New recruits cost only 15 Supplies.
• Munitions Experts - Experimental Ammo projects in the Proving Grounds are completed instantly.
• Scavengers - All resource rewards from scanned Rumors are doubled.
• Live Fire Training - Any recruits training in the GTS will achieve the rank of Sergeant.
• Guardian Angels - Covert Actions will not be ambushed.
• Resistance Rising 1 - +1 Resistance Contact.
  • Resistance Rising 2 - +2 Resistance Contacts.
• Volunteer Army - On every mission, there is a chance that a Resistance soldier will join the XCOM squad.
• Rapid Collection - Resistance supply drops are collected instantly.
• Between the Eyes - Any XCOM shot that hits the Lost is an instant headshot kill.
• Ballistics Modelling - The speed of all weapons research is increased by 15%.
• Heavy Equipment - Excavation speed is increased by 50%.
• Resistance Network - Contact with new regions is made instantly.