Starting A Mission

Unlike the first two Xcom games, Apocalypse allows the player to initiate tactical missions freely. You can choose to RAID any building or SEARCH it for an alien presence. However, if no aliens are detected during a search, then a tactical mission will not start.

Moving To A Building

You can move an agent(s) to a building by using vehicles, or you can let them walk there by using the people tubes. For a detailed method, consult your Xcom Apocalypse game manual.

Searching a Building

Searching a building is used to look for aliens. It is automatic once you have initiated it and it won't start a tactical mission unless aliens have been found within the building. Searching carries a two small risks. If you selected too few agents to scan the building expecting not to find anything, your agents may be overwhelmed if aliens are found. Also, if there are no alien forces present, then the corporation has become very slightly more hostile to Xcom due to its actions of disturbing the peace within the building.

Raiding A Building

Raiding is used to cause damage to the internal structure of the building, to injure/kill the security forces present and to steal anything you can find. Raiding immediately starts a tactical mission and is a good way train troops - as long as they don't die. Raiding a corporation will cause it to become more hostile towards Xcom. The corporation's allies will also be angered by Xcoms actions.

Advanced Search And Raid

If an organisation is under alien control, searching for aliens does not always start a tactical mission. And, raiding a building will sometimes involve fighting aliens and security forces.
If you are raiding a building and you do not destroy or kill anyone, then the corporation does not become hostile. To end this tactical mission, you must retreat the map via the blue exit squares or press ESC.
Multiple raids do not affect a corporation's ability to equip its security forces with weapons. It only angers them more and if your successful, it gives you something to sell and gives you a good score at the end of the month.
Only works with air vehicles: Immediately after the completion of a tactical mission, you can click the building again and find that your agents and vehicles are still present at the building. You can do multiple raids before the vehicle actually clears the launch tube.

Vehicular Attacks

Using vehicles to attack a building before going in for a raid or search does not affect the floor plan of the tactical mission, nor does it affect the potency of its security forces. All it does it anger the corporation and cause it to launch defenders. It also decrease you score at the end of the month due to city damage.
Note: it is possibly to flatten a building so that no searching or raiding is possibly. You can also destroy launch tubes so that no vehicles and land or take off.

The First Mission

As soon as you start the game you'll have work to do. There is an alien infestation in one of the buildings. If you select the Ultra-Fast timespeed, then it will appear as an Alien Alert. The mission can be troublesome (Brainsusckers!) or it can be extremely easy.

Troublesome

Equip all your agents with all available projectile weapons and spare clips (armour is optional). Place them onto the Valkyrie and go to Alien Alert when it appears. Once it starts, direct your fire onto the Brainsuckers as they appoach. If a pod lands at/near your agent's feet, quickly access their inventory and pick up the pod. Doing so will stop the pod from bursting open. Kill all aliens.

Extremely Easy

Hire one Android, if available. Equip this robot with a Lawpistol and all clips. Grenades are optional and you don't need anything else, including armour. Send this one agent to the alien alert. After the mission starts, run around the map and find the brainsuckers. Since your android does not have a brain, brainsuckers pose no threat whatsoever, and since the Androids are carrying brainsucker launchers, they cannot harm your agent. Shoot all aliens at point blank range to conserve ammo.

Warnings About First Mission

If your score total is higher than 1000 before you start this mission (from raiding), some aliens might carry disruptor guns.
a score above 2500 before you start: aliens can use boomeroids.
score above 8000: aliens can use devastators, vortex, shields.
above 25000: devastators, entropy, dimension, teleporters, cloak, shields, vortex.

Slightly Strange

Sometimes, your own building is where the Alien Alert appears. You can scan you own building before the official alert appears by just selecting a bunch of agents (highlighting them) and then click the "Alien" icon to initiate a scan. If you searched your own building and found no alien presence, you do not get any penalty for it.

Starting a Mission (Apocalypse)

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