User:Amitakartok

I'm not very experienced in X-COM. In fact, I've only finished it once, using the following tactic:

• Starting base at the northern tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula, covering Europe and parts of Russia and Canada.
• First thing was to research Laser Weapons, recruit two more soldiers, build a Tank/Laser and buy a Stun Rod.
• As soon as I could, I stuffed the Skyranger with Laser Rifles. Since using the Rocket Launcher was clumsy and expensive, I relied on a Heavy Laser for fire support. Now, before you start yapping about the Heavy Laser having no autofire and weak accuracy: it's fairly accurate aimed shot is fine for fire support, mainly because one shot can and will kill pretty much anything short of a Cyberdisk, not to mention that Heavy Plasma isn't the best to use against Sectopods...
• When I was able to do so, I sold one Interceptor and started building a Firestorm. The remaining Interceptor was stuffed with dual Plasma Cannons. Once the Firestorm was complete, I sold the second Interceptor and relied entirely on the Firestorm which chased and killed pretty much anything except Battleships. As for them, I had a strict rule: never, EVER, attack a UFO unless you can kill it with impunity. That means Battleships are out of the question.
• The free hangar was used by a Lightning. Before some more yapping, let me enlighten you: small engagements such as assaulting a Large Scout doesn't need HWP support and as such, excellent for training rookies.
• After experiencing some major setbacks (such as losing the US in about June and China in August), I built a small interception base in India to cover that area. Result: 3 more alien bases!!! After rooting them, I started to prepare for Cydonia: I built a hidden base at the South Pole which housed the Avenger under construction. I also started to get equipment for everyone for the coming battle: so far I was using Lasers mainly because of the simple reason that Heavy Plasmas are a bit of overkill and Plasma Rifles are nearly nonexistent in 2001. Once everything was set, first thing to do was rooting the alien base in Antarctica, conveniently right next to mine (their second base there was already downed months ago), as a sort of training. I also attacked and downed a Battleship (finally), but it was over water so I couldn't get anything out of it. After a lenghty repair, I set off to Cydonia with 2 Hovertanks (both plasma) and as many soldiers as I can get, all in Flying Suits and Plasma weapons (except a Psi-Amp and a Blaster). This military buildup all but exhausted my Elerium stocks: one more training mission would set me back for months until I would aquire enough Elerium so time was of the essence! XD

As for now, I have started another session with the restriction that I only attack Cydonia when I have full intelligence on the aliens; in other words, full UFOpaedia, which could take a while.

I recently got attacked by a Muton retaliation battleship. Those bastards, they kept shooting Blasters onto my hovertank, wiping out half of my standing forces and severely damaging the module so I had to start over for numerous times. Why? Even if I won, I would lost about 75% of my base because of the General Store being nuked and collapsed. Finally I had enough and turned to XcomUtil. Turning blasters into stun launchers then advancing with two rookies and a hovertank is a very pleasant sight! And about the hovertank: you keep saying that the Firestorm is needed for building hovertanks, right? Well, this is my second hovertank and I didn't even begin researching UFO Navigation yet! Bug?

Present ('99 July) techs:

• Have two bases: starting one in Europe, expansion base in US under construction (no defenses yet, because without interceptions there is no retaliation).
• Team composition: 6 troopers with laser rifle, 2 with heavy laser (heavy plasma when I get there), one with super-heavy weapon (blaster when I get one, currently unarmed), one tech trooper (medkits, later psi-amp) and a Hovertank/Plasma (I don't plan on switching to Hovertank/Launcher because they're too weak: surely they have some serious damage, but very limited ammo).
• Lost one of the Interceptors to a Supply Ship (it was armed with a plasma and a laser), replacement in the exp. base.
• Repelled one base attack. Races sighted: sectoids, floaters and mutons (latter attacked me).
• Haven't lost any sponsors yet.

• Currently I have embarked to a terror mission in Chicago. I hope it isn't snakemen... Update: what the hell?! the mission ended just as it started! oh well, that's +48 points for me and 1500 less for the aliens.
• That hyperwave decoder was finally completed. Heh, the floaters are pretty pissed: they keep sending scouts to find my base and keep geting shot down by Interceptor-2. Not to mention those Sectoid scouts who are trying to build a base right on my doorstep. Fools...
• I have lost two sponsors so far: Brazil and Australia. One of the South American bases is already destroyed (it was floater, easy as pie), I have the other to tackle, plus the Australian one (which I don't know where it is, the Interceptors keep running out of fuel while patrolling and they can't keep up with Supply Ships either).
• Completely intact Sectoid Abductor: motherload! 100 ELERIUM!!! :D Really, I have about 500 units of E-115 in stores so this batch is welcome. On the other hand, my stores are overflowing but from what? Maybe from that >1100 units of alien alloys? (I hear you ask: why do I have so much? The answer is, with the mortality rate of ~0.9 soldier/mission, I need a constant stream of personal armors as well as rookies. Recently I got some extra, because officers are privileged to use new equipment; in this case, Power Suits.)