Starting Stats

Raw recruits have the following possible statistics. Range, with parens showing number of possible values (max-min+1) and the likelihood of getting any one of those values:

• TUs: 50-60 (11, 9.1%)
• Stamina: 40-70 (31, 3.2%)
• Health: 25-40 (16, 6.25%)
• Bravery: 10-60 (7, 14.3% - only works in units of 10)
• Reaction: 30-60 (31, 3.2%)
• Firing Accuracy (FA): 40-70 (31, 3.2%)
• Throwing Accuracy (TA): 50-80 (31, 3.2%)
• Strength: 20-40 (21, 4.8%)
• Psi Strength (SST): 0-100 (101!, 0.99%; this value never increases)
• Psi Skill (SSK): Always 0; first Psi Lab training yields 16-24
• Melee: 20-40 (21, 4.8%)

All the statistics are entirely random. So if you only want recruits with 60 TUs, you will retain 1 out of 11 recruits (9.1%). If you only want ones with 60 TUs and 70 FA, you'll only keep 1 in 351 recruits (1/11 * 1/31). Etc.

As discussed elsewhere, initial TUs/3 (not total TUs after increases!) govern energy recovery on the battlefield. This gives it a little more importance then you might expect. Breakpoints for energy recovery per combat turn are: 50=16 energy recovered, 51=17, 54=18, 57=19, 60=20. 54 TUs is also useful since it means rookie psi specialists can still move a tile after performing two mind controls (2x25=50).

Generally, one fifth of recruits are female. Being fem does not affect stats; they get the same random values. There are five sets of first and last names (ostensibly British, French, German, Japanese, and Russian) from which are randomly chosen 20 first names and 20 last names. It is possible to have two (or more?) people of the same name.

The melee stat is not shown anywhere (in X-Com:UFO Defense) but it does increase if you use the stun rod. Presumably it makes you more likely to get a successful stun. (Is this stat shown in other XCOM games?)