Specialist (LW2)
Class Overview
Specialists in Long War 2 are largely similar to XCOM 2's Specialist class, with several exceptions. Haywire Protocol is available for all Specialists from the start, allowing you to build out medical specialists while still putting their Hack stat to use. Combat Hackers gain more options and failsafes to allow them to hack and control foes while managing the consequences of success and failure in XCOM's favor.
"Medic" type Specialists (Left branch) employ their Gremlin drones to triage allies remotely and efficiently (even beyond the Specialist's line of sight), helping keep the squad in fighting shape even as injuries and negative status effects mount, but are merely average in combat when you aren't constantly tasking their Gremlins.
"Hacker" type Specialists (Right branch) aggressively engage enemies with their drones, dealing guaranteed damage and fielding a optimized, safe Haywire Protocol to turn the enemy's heaviest weapons against them, but can leave the squad lacking in medical options if you do not field many medkits elsewhere in the unit.
Specialists can also improve their direct combat capabilities (particularly overwatch fire) via center branch perks, and these can be mixed in with the other branches depending on squad needs. Specialists also make great officer candidates, as they already tend to act in direct support of their squadmates.
Lastly, as with XCOM 2, including one specialist of any rank in a squad is vital if the mission objective entails hacking a container, door, or other electronic node, allowing you to complete your mission objective from sight range rather than melee range, and even if the rest of your squad is bogged down in a firefight.
Weapons
Primary: Rifles, SMGs, Shotguns.
Secondary: GREMLIN
As with vanilla, Specialists use GREMLINs as secondaries, allowing them to perform many actions at range. Better GREMLINs improve their abilities as well as their Hacking stat.
Abilities
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for more information.
| Rank | Ability | ||
 Squaddie |
  Command your GREMLIN to move to a friendly target. It grants that target a bonus to Defense until the start of the next player turn. |
 You may target robotic and mechanical enemies with your GREMLIN, attempting to hack them and seize control. |
 Attempt to remotely breach security on a network access point with your GREMLIN. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medic | Hacker | ||
 Lance Corporal |
 Send the GREMLIN to an ally to remove any negative mental status effects: Disoriented, Stunned, Panicked, or Unconscious. |
 When in overwatch, you may take two reaction shots. |
 Send the GREMLIN to an enemy to jolt them, dealing guaranteed damage, which is increased against robotic enemies. |
 Corporal |
 Reduce wound recovery times for most soldiers. |
 Overwatch shots can now be triggered by any enemy action, not just movement. Targets of overwatch shots receive -10 aim for the rest of the turn whether or not the shot was triggered because of this ability. |
 GREMLIN cancels overwatch on targeted unit. Use three times per battle. Number of uses is increased with advanced GREMLINs. |
 Sergeant |
 The GREMLIN can perform healing actions remotely: GREMLIN Heal and GREMLIN Stabilize. The GREMLIN has a single charge. If a medikit is equipped, the GREMLIN will gain an additional charge. |
 The GREMLIN can trigger an instant scan of the area, increasing the Specialist's sight radius substantially for one turn, and revealing any hidden or disguised enemies in view. |
 Enemy units that are hacked take damage and lose their actions on the turn the hack effect ends. |
 Staff Sergeant |
 Equipped medikits have 2 extra charges. |
 If you spend all of your actions on moves, you are granted an automatic overwatch shot at the end of the turn. |
 The GREMLIN grants an explosive grenade to the targeted ally. Use twice per mission. |
 Tech Sergeant |
 Healing abilities restore four additional hit points. |
 You gain +10 Aim on Overwatch and other reaction shots, and they can critically hit. |
 If you fail a hack, you prevent any negative effects from occurring. |
 Gunnery Sergeant |
 Use your Gremlin to grant a movement action to an ally. |
 Aid Protocol now grants the target a Covering Fire Overwatch shot. |
 Take permanent control of a robotic unit and potentially acquire ADVENT MECs for the Resistance. |
 Master Sergeant |
 The GREMLIN flies to each squad member, healing or reviving them as needed. |
 Take a reaction shot against any enemy that moves or attacks within a cone of fire. |
 Send the GREMLIN to a location where it emits a substantial electric discharge, damaging and potentially stunning all nearby units. Robotic units take more damage. |
- Once you have researched plasma grenades, Airdrop will begin dropping them instead of frag grenades.
- Haywire Protocol/Full Override:
- A control-hacked turret has its Action Points available starting on the current turn.
- A control-hacked MEC (that is not a turret) will have its Action Points available starting on the following turn.
Stat Progression
| Rank | Per Level | Total | ||||||||||
 Health |
 Offense |
 Will |
 Mobility |
 Dodge |
 Hacking |
Health |
Offense |
Will |
Mobility |
Dodge |
Hacking | |
Squaddie |
0 | 2 | 9 - 17 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 2 | 9 - 17 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
Lance Corporal |
1 | 2 | 9 - 17 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 18 - 34 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Corporal |
0 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 22 - 46 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
Sergeant |
0 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 26 - 58 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
Staff Sergeant |
1 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 30 - 70 | 0 | 0 | 65 |
Tech Sergeant |
0 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 34 - 82 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
Gunnery Sergeant |
0 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 38 - 94 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
Master Sergeant |
1 | 2 | 4 - 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 42 - 106 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
- This class also gains 1 point of strength, though it's only used for alien abilities.
See Also
| XCOM Units in Long War 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starting |
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| Unlockable |
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