Training Roulette (EU2012)

Training Roulette is a Second Wave option made available on the Enemy Within DLC. When it is chosen for a game the description reads: Each soldier's training tree will be mostly randomly generated. Does not apply to MEC Troopers.

After a soldier is assigned to a class and receives the starting ability the choice of abilities afterwards will be from its own class perks, mixed with abilities from other classes. This applies only to abilities that are not dependent of class weapons, such as Rockets. Training Roulette also does not affect the Psionic ability choices.

With Training Roulette activated some abilities will still be locked to certain classes and only be available at determined ranks. All the other abilities can appear as options at any rank, with a few special rules.

Class Locked Abilities

• Assault: Run & Gun (Squaddie), Close and Personal (Sergeant), Rapid Fire (Lieutenant), Killer Instinct (Colonel)
• Heavy: Fire Rocket (Squaddie), Shredder Rocket (Sergeant), Danger Zone (Lieutenant), Rocketeer and Mayhem (Colonel)
• Sniper: Headshot (Squaddie), Snap Shot & Squad Sight (Corporal), Disabling Shot (Lieutenant), In The Zone and Double Tap (Colonel)
• Support: Smoke Grenade (Squaddie), Smoke and Mirrors (Sergeant), Dense Smoke & Combat Drugs (Captain)

Class Notes

• Snipers are the class with the least customization options since 6 abilites are locked, including both choices at Corporal and Colonel ranks. The Major ability is the last random ability you'll get and it will be automatically assigned.
• Heavies are the 2nd class with less options, with 5 locked abilities, including both choices at Colonel rank.
  • The Heavy's Danger Zone and Mayhem abilities can be less attractive since it isn't guaranteed now that the Heavy will get the Suppression perk that is usually combined with both. Danger Zone is still useful with Rockets but the choice will usually be Rocketeer over Mayhem, unless you have Grenadier and Deep Pockets already on the Heavy and use Mayhem for a little more punch for your grenades.
• Assaults and Supports are the most flexible regarding random choice abilities, with only 4 locked perks.
• Assaults can get a lot of useful abilities to increase their mobility or damage power, but remember that they might need some defensive abilities if they are used in close assault situations.
• Supports usually get the short stick with Training Roulette, since they lose their specific Medic abilities and their weapons are usually limited in damage output when compared to the other classes.
  • To partially compensate for the previous, Supports now get access to several different abilities such as Battle Scanner, Flush or Holo-Targeting that can add several options to its usual 'jack of all trades' role.

Random Abilities

Offensive

• Aggression
  • Assaults and Snipers might make the best use of it due to their already high Critical Chance ability.
• Bring 'Em On
  • While a good option for any class, your Supports will appreciate this ability to compensate the limited damage output of their rifles.
• Flush
  • If there's a lot of soldiers with Sentinel/Rapid Reaction, choose this ability then use it to dislodge the alien while the rest of your squad fires on it from Overwatch.
• Bullet Swarm
  • Won't appear as an option for a Sniper.
  • Can be combined with Rapid Fire, giving an Assault 3 shots if the 1st shot is a regular one.
  • Can also be combined with Rapid Fire and Close and Personal giving the Assault 4 shots: 1st one with Close and Personal, 2nd a regular shot, 3rd and 4th with Rapid Fire
• Holo-Targeting
  • The Aim bonus is also applied to a 2nd shot made with Bullet Swarm by the same unit.
• HEAT Ammo
  • One of the most useful abilities to always have on Snipers, Heavies or Assaults.
• Gunslinger
  • Won't appear as an option for a Heavy.
  • While still very useful for Snipers, after you get the Ammo Conservation project your Assaults and Supports won't really need this ability since it will be very unlikely that they'll run out of ammunition and have to resort to pistols.
• Executioner

Defensive

• Tactical Sense
• Lightning Reflexes
  • You'll always need someone with this to break the aliens Overwatch.
• Extra Conditioning/ Resilience/ Will To Survive
  • These 3 abilities are complementary of one another since they all reduce incoming damage.
  • Getting 2 or even all 3 abilities on any soldier will turn him/her into a walking tank, capable of rivaling even with MEC Troopers. But getting all 3 on the same unit may also make it less useful on an offensive role.
• Low Profile
  • Another of the best abilities for any class, specially when combined with the Mimetic Skin Gene Mod.

Overwatch/Suppression

• Close Combat Specialist
• Sentinel/ Rapid Reaction
  • Both are exclusive; you can get either one but not both on the same soldier.
  • Both are great options for Snipers, specially those with Squad Sight. The 2nd shot can compensate for the lack of critical hits change applied on the Enemy Within DLC for shots on enemy units not visible to the Sniper.
• Suppression
  • Your Assault has 1% chance to hit the alien with his/her Shotgun due to distance? Use this ability to give him/her a long range option by suppressing it instead.
• Covering Fire
• Opportunist
  • With Sentinel/Rapid Reaction it can be a great combo. Or with any of the other Overwatch/Suppression abilities.

Other

• Grenadier
  • With Deep Pockets it will give the soldier 3 grenades. Add Tactical Rigging and that's 6 grenades per soldier.
• Damn Good Ground
• Battle Scanner
  • One of the best abilities for the early game due to its ability to detect Seekers and generally help the squad avoid dangerous areas.
• Sprinter
  • Useful for any class, but specially helpful for Assaults on Run & Gun attacks.
• Deep Pockets
  • Besides Medikits and Arc Throwers, it will also give 1 more grenade.
• Field Medic/ Revive/ Savior
  • It is most difficult to get the Field Medic, Revive and Savior combination on a single soldier, which is one of the most useful ones, so you should consider how to address a lack of a dedicated medic during the game.

Notes

• The choice of abilities is a coin toss: you get can allow for some amazing synergies but also to be completely disparate abilities.
• Usually the most available solution for a dedicated Medic is to have Field Medic combined with Deep Pockets, allowing for 4 Medikit uses. If you're lucky the soldier might also have Revive or Savior but it is very rare to have these four abilities on the same soldier.
• Council awards of soldiers are even better since you can see what the choices will be up to the rank of the soldier and allow a more planned choice.