Tactical Combat Missions (Apocalypse)

Battlescape tactical missions commonly follow certain Alien actions within Mega-Primus.

Battlescape Mission And Tactics

• Every battlescape will have blue-exit-tiles located at the edge of the map. Directing an agent to stand on (not above) the tile will allow them escape midway through a battle to safety. Note: a bleeding agent will not die if they escaped.
• If choosing to flee the battle or to possibly limit losing too many agents with a difficult battle, it is possible to terminate the mission. Press escape key (ESC) and if the message is: "0 Units Lost", click OK to safely quit the mission. If the number is not zero, then whoever is closest to the enemy will be left behind, hence, 'missing in action'. To limit loses, either quickly reposition agents closer to the blue-exit-tiles or proceed with the battle ...or accept your losses.
• If many agents are bleeding and death is likely, immediately abort the mission since this may save more units than waiting on the medikits to complete the process in an active battle.
• Recovery of dropped items (need Cargo Module), alien lifeforms (need Bio-Transport Module), unconscious X-Com agents can only commence after successful completion of the battlescape mission. Retreat or escape will only recover what your troops have on their person.
• Any unconscious unit will be prevented from becoming active again if any unit is standing on them. Large alien lifeforms only need one agent to stand on any part of the large red circle to keep them subdued.
• Any body, alive or dead, cannot be picked up.
• The battlescape environment is randomly generated from segments according to the building type. The final size is dependant on the population of: aliens, civilians, defence forces (cultists, gangsters, police, building security), and X-Com units. The maximum size of any tactical battlescape map is 3x3 and the smallest is 1x1 (often used for Warehouse battlescapes). Each map may contain a random mix of 1x1, 2x1, 2x2, 3x2, 3x3 sized segments.
• The lesser the total population, the smaller the map.
• Battlescape damage and destruction of map features such as stairs, ramps, floors around grav-lifts etc. can trap entities. Digging a trench can prevent hostile forces from reaching the blue-exit-tiles (no escape from the battlescape) or to funnel them through a choke point.
• Battlescape damage to a building, furniture, trees, fences, etc. will always be blamed on X-Com, regardless of who was responsible.
• UFO crash recovery battlescapes are not owned by anyone. Damage to the landscape is irrelevant and does not contribute to any score or relations change.

Infested Already!

At the start of X-Com Apocalypse, there is an alien infested building! It is unknown where, and there is no way of knowing until a defence force somewhere finds evidence of aliens within their buildings. An "Alien Detected" alert will be issued and is displayed for X-Com's immediate attention, with the building in question circled in red on the overhead cityscape view. The alien menace must be dealt with immediately!

• There is no way of knowing which organisation is in trouble (unless you save/load). Searching random buildings is not worth the effort nor worth the decrease in relations of such actions.
• The building above an X-Com base may be hiding aliens. Search your the building. If aliens are found, combat can be as destuctive as you want! Intentionally internally damaging your own building has no negative effects.
• The 'alien detected' alert will slowly fade away if you ignore it (ultra-fast time, overhead view centered on the building with the red circle), but the hostiles present may not.

First Assault

The first mission can be dangerous or benign. Kill all aliens since you do not have a bio-transport module yet.

• The aliens present at the start will always be the same, but they will carry weaponry matching your score. Don't Get Hurt!
  

Dangerous
Brainsuckers!!
Use all agents equipped with a mix of weaponry available at the start (or more when purchased) and a lot of ammunition. Armor isn't necessary unless using Autocannons with high explosive rounds. Once the alien cleanup begins, direct your fire (RMB on the enemy) towards the closest Brainsucker. Any trying to attach to your agent's head must be targeted immediately. If a Brainsucker Pod lands near your agent's feet, access their inventory and pick up the pod to stop it bursting open before the agent moves.

• The brainsucker pods can be thrown away (preferably into fire) to hatch them in a controlled manner for more experience. It may be dangerous with unskilled agents. Kill the Anthropods before they launch more pods or escape.
  

If an agent has been brainsucked, they are as good as dead. Kill them all!

Benign
An Android is a human shaped robot and not a biological organism. They are immune to brainsuckers (and psionics). One robot with one weapon and some ammo is all that is needed. Leave all humans and hybrids back at base. At mission start, find the Brainsuckers, find the Anthropods and shoot them all dead from close range - they are no threat whatsoever.

Search And Investigation

A search for alien infestation inside buildings will be necessary to eradicate aliens and to cease their infiltration and subversive actions. If aliens [[are detected, a battlescape mission will immediately start with the briefing explaining the objective to capture or kill the alien menace (without damaging the structure too much). If no alien lifeforms are found, the organisation inconvenienced by such a disturbance will file a protest by becoming slightly more negative in attitude towards X-Com.
When alien lifeforms are detected, Defence Forces will only appear if the company is hostile to X-Com:

• If the owner of the building is allied with the Aliens, defence forces will join the alien side to fight against X-Com.
• If the owner of the building is hostile with the Aliens, aliens will attack both! A firefight between the aliens and defence forces is possible. (don't interupt!).

To complete the mission successfully, any hostiles must be neutralized (some aliens can be left alive: any Alien Eggs and the Chrysalis). Aliens that escape the combat area during the battle will move to nearby buildings via the people tube network see here. If X-Com abandons the battlescape (escape), infiltration may progress further.

• The Alien Infiltration Graph will show, after a few hours, what organisation is having trouble. Check the graph often if aliens are still present in the city somewhere. Any upward trend of any line is a priority to investigate their buildings starting with the property closest to the recent infestation.

Raid

A raid will contain Defence Forces to defend the structure:

• Company buildings and the government will contain Building Security (also known simply as Guards).
• Gang buildings will contain Gangsters.
• Temple buildings will have Cultists.
• Any buiiding owned by Megapol will have uniformed Police.

The Basics

Select the "Raid building" option when X-Com agents are at a building/launch tube to start a tactical battlescape mission.
A raid is equivalent to a Base Defence mission except X-Com is the aggressor and the 'base' is the internals of the cityscape building. The purpose of a raid is explained at the Briefing screen: Destruction, Death, Theft and Hostility!
A unique feature of raiding a building is the opportunity to steal randomly generated (spawned) items which are placed at particular locations relevant to the building's battlescape segments. The type of items available to steal will only depend on which organisation X-Com is raiding.

• Any organisation, allied to hostile, can be raided.
• Aliens will not be present during a raid even if the organisation is 100% infiltrated.
• If a hostile organisation is raided by X-Com, a fire-fight will commence.
• If a non-hostile organisation is raided by X-Com, the defenders will not become hostile if the building internals are collapsing on top of them but will quickly change to hostile if any defence force(s) are killed by X-Com. Willfully killing a neutral unit by targeting them with weapons of any sort may not immediately cause hostility but any further attack or deaths will result in retaliation.
• Damage to the internals will negatively affect the organisation's funds.
• The time elasped (the number of weeks passed in the game) determines the technology used by defence forces, not score.
• Friends of the targeted organisation may end up having a more negative opinion of the attackers at the conclusion of the raid, and may become hostile.
• Take the items before you start the demolition.
• Structural damage at foundation sections (or anything supporting something above) will cause catastrophic collapse of such structures. Don't get hurt squashed!
• Incendiary and explosives and in great quantities, however, a fire only has to start...
• X-Com cannot raid itself.
• Score will increase (too) quickly if many raids are performed.
• To complete the raid succesfully, any hostiles must be neutralized.

The Tactics

Score will increase from completing many raids. The technology available to the alien horde is based on your "Tactical Combat Score" and not time elasped (as it is with Defence Forces).

• To limit score, escape from the map with everything you can carry before all you neutralise everyone.
• Trap a unit to prevent the mission from concluding prematurely. Any unit in a lower section with only stair access will be trapped if the stairs are destroyed. Climbing is not possible. The same is possible if a unit is high up in the building by destroying/cut away stairs/ramp access at least two levels high of access since the enemy may jump down one level but never two. If a hole or crater is made, rubble piles on the edge may allow a unit to find a way out. Once the internals are burnt out or flattened, destroy this last section and kill the trapped hostile.
• One X-Com agent can hide better than a squad of troopers shuffling about trying to evade the hostiles. Use an agent with the best strength, speed and stamina. Higher areas are easier to hide in. Access to your elevated position can be destroyed by strong explosives.
• One agent can cause a massive amount of damage with a mini-launcher and a backpack full of explosive ammo.
• Cut foundations with dual power swords to demolish the larger structures quickly. Beware of falling buildings!
• Hide on the roof and toss grenades towards groups of hostiles detected on motion scanner.
• Set fire to storage boxes (which may hold something explosive).
• Blow up the dropped items of hostiles and maybe get a chain reaction cook-off.
• Blow up fragile fuel stores.
• Blow up missiles
• Blow up... everything!

The Purpose

A raid of an organisation is dangerous. The real objective of raiding anyone is theft of those spawned items!
Raiding should be limited to theft of ammunition, Psiclones, Elerium, and items wanted, but not yet available on the market, (if ever).

• Theft is easier when raiding an organisation that is not hostile to X-Com, until its time to start destroying everything. A non-hostile company will tolerate the presence of X-Com agents in the building and will not attack first.
• Non-hostiles may accidently damage their building with explosives, and that building damage is always blamed on X-Com but since your object is to destroy the internals and kill everyone, their attitude at raid conclusion will be hostile regardless.
• Along with item placements, defence forces may carry more of what you need.
• Using mind control allows underhanded subversive actions.
  

The Mechanics

Massive loss of funds is the usual outcome when building internals (and X-Com base facilities) are repaired at mission conclusion (escape or success).
The destruction of the internals of buildings and the decrease in their available funds does not influence:

• The quantity of defence forces.
• The quality or quantity of weapons carried by such forces.
• The capacity to perform a Base Attack against X-com.
• The amount of product available on the market.
• The type and quantity of craft available for Illegal Flier actions or for defense of the cityscape structure when under attack.
• The speed of repair of their damaged cityscape structures.
• ...or anything else.
  

but

• The money you get from the Government at the end of the week depends on their available funds. Do not destructively raid the Government because you are just destroying your money ...still in their pockets.
  

Raiding for the purpose of destroying the insides of a building for financial penalty has no effect besides increase hostilities.

The Conclusion

It is pointless to damage the internal structures, kill defence forces or to injure your agents. A raid is only for theft!

Base Defense

A building's basement that contains an X-Com base that becomes a target for an alien infestation/infiltration attempt or targeted for a raid will immediately proceed to a Base Defense mission.

UFO Crash Site

An alien craft which has been disabled in combat will impact the ground. The UFO can then be recovered by X-Com.

Alien Dimension

The Alien Dimension is a dangerous place for agents and for X-Com craft:

• Tactics for fighting inside their buildings.
• Tactics for craft combat within their world.

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