User talk:Arrow Quivershaft

Hello, and welcome to my talk page. Basically, I'll elaborate here on anything I think needs to be elaborated on, but isn't actually relevant enough to be on it's own page in the wiki. I might also add little things to the bottom that I think might be relevant to the wiki but aren't sure yet. My first topic on this page will be 1-mission X-COM, which basically means I'm bragging about what I can do. If you don't want to read it, you can leave. :)

1 Mission X-COM

Basics

What IS 1-Mission X-COM?

1 mission X-COM is just that. Playing through the entire game of X-COM:UFO Defense with only 1 UFO assault allowed, and relying ENTIRELY on the funding nations to keep your bank balance running. One Battleship can provide all the appropriate aliens and research topics needed to develop the Avenger, build it, and launch the Cydonia assault. It is understood that you must undertake the Cydonia missions to complete the game. This challenge was originally developed by Robo Dojo 58, but I was the first person(to my knowledge) to complete it.

How do I do 1-mission X-COM?

It's easy. You have to just exercise restraint in dealing with the aliens and adhere to the restrictions in the following section. 1-mission X-COM is a fast challenge, because you only participate in one Tactical mission, which is the majority of time spent playing X-COM.

Requirements/Restrictions of 1-mission X-COM

(Copied directly from http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=242026759 )

• You are allowed only one ground assault. This assault must be a battleship. (If the assault is a Muton Battleship, you may abort and assault a different one, but you can't take any loot from the Muton ship!)
• During this battleship mission, you must capture 3 live aliens: An extra(preferably a navigator), a leader, and a commander. They are needed to unlock the research topics for the final mission.
• You must recover at least one intact power source, one ufo navigation, 1 alien alloy, and one elerium pod. This is the minimal necessary materials needed to build the Avenger, fuel it, and beat the game.
• You can not sell any spoils from the mission. Considering how few you'll have to work with, there's little you'd want to sell anyway! If you need the space, you better destroy what you don't want in the mission itself.(I.E. corpses)
• If your home base is assaulted, you must abandon the base. You get one mission, no freebee shipments from space! You can keep base assaults from happening by not shooting down UFOs nearby, shooting down retaliation scouts(they don't land), shooting down assault battleships(very low, very fast, radar will rarely spot them), and with adequate base defences (but they will eventually get through). The mind shield helps to keep your base hidden, as well.
• Shoot down UFOs! This is your only defense against the alien menace, and to keep your score high enough so you don't lose funding.
• Blaster bombs get one waypoint (direct fire). This is so that you don't beat the final mission in two turns, which is possible otherwise.
• You can not manufacture then sell equipment. None of that laser cannon nonsence. Your funding must come from the funding nations, and the funding nations alone.
• Landed terror missions are to be left alone.
• Alien bases are to be left alone.
• No MC, no psionic labs. Period. (Exception: You can research the Psi Lab in order to get access to the "Mind Shield" research topic; however, you are still prohibited from using the Psi Lab for screening or training.)

Some tips from Robo Dojo 58.

• You'll only have up to 200 elerium with which to arm your final mission, build tanks, build+fuel the Avenger(12 fuel), and keep the skies clear. Spend it wisely!
• You can not destroy bases, but you can stop them from being built. Shoot down the convoy (which usually has two battleships...) before it lands to stop the base. I think that only one ship actually builds the base? Not sure about that one.
• Shoot down terror ships before they land! Those terror missions cost you tons of points and will lose you countries fast.
• Tanks can't be MC'ed, which is vital for the final missions.
• A fully loaded blaster tank takes 65 elerium total. 40 for the 8 ammo, and 25 for the hull. You can only really afford one.
• Every research topic you take inches you closer to defeat. Time is of the essence!

That's too hard!

I never said this would be easy. You don't have to play.

My Strategy

Basic Tips

• Forget beating the aliens. Just win.
• Don't take tanks on your one ground mission. Yeah, they're tough, but in this challenge, 4 soldiers is more useful.
• Don't shoot down the battleship! (As if you have a choice, but I know there are some awfully creative people out there!)
• Completed research topics give you points! This is a good way to try and keep your score up.
• Be prepared for your funding to drop. Rapidly.
• Save at the beginning of every month! If possible, save 2 or 3 times a month, so you can restart if the funding council decides to can you at the end of the month.
• Your score will be low. Real low. Think negative triple digits in most months. The funding council will not be happy often, and you may win only because you repeatedly succeeded on your 50-50 chance of not being cut.
• Be prepared for your battleship assault ASAP. You don't know when it'll come, so you want to be prepared.
• Scrimp and save! You may be able to turn a profit from the funding nations in early months, but later in the game your finances will be dropping every month because of funding cuts and withdrawing countries.
• If you can afford it, build two empty bases to either side of your main base to give alien retaliation scouts alternative locations to find. These bases should consist of an Access Lift and NOTHING ELSE.
• If you assault a Sectoid or Ethereal(!) battleship, write down who's getting psi-attacked. This is the only screening you'll get the entire game.
• Equipment in the trunk of the Skyranger doesn't count against storage space! This is useful when buying your Avalanche Missiles.
• Don't let your Interceptors get destroyed. They're expensive to replace and they're a negative on your score.
• Don't screen soldiers. The usefulness of having a few extra stat points is negated by the mortality rate of you soldiers on the Battleship mission, and screening is expensive to boot.

Hit the ground running...for your life.

Place your base in a good central location. You need to be able to detect the Battleship, so a good location is vital. I like Europe, on the Greecian Peninsula. As soon as the game starts, go into your base starting screen. Build a Large Radar System to enhance detection abilities, a second Living Quarters, a second General Stores, and an Alien Containment. Build your base so you can expand your base as rapidly as possible; you won't have time to putter around. Forget a defensive base layout. You won't be fighting here anyways.

After you've started construction on those facilities, go into research. Start all three topics IMMEDIATELY, and put all the scientists on Laser Weapons. Then go into the 'purchase' screen and buy 6 Soldiers, 16 Scientists, an Avalanche Launcher, 14 Stun Rods, 1 grenade, and as many Avalanche missiles as you can stuff into your General Stores. If you stuffed as much junk as you could into the Skyranger, you'll have room to buy a few extra missiles. The best strategy is to stuff in everything except 7 pistol clips, and then unload it when your second General Stores is done. Make sure you get the missiles LAST, so that you have all the important items already ordered. Now go back and equip one Interceptor with a Stingray/Avalanche combo, the other with a Cannon/Stingray combo.

Exit, and start using the fast forward time buttons. As soon as that second Avalanche launcher comes, equip that instead of the Cannon. Assign scientists as they arrive, and when Laser Weapons is done, research the Laser Pistol and then the Laser Rifle. As soon as Laser Rifle research is finished, hire 4 Engineers are manufacture 14 Laser rifles. Research the Medi-Kit after the Laser Rifle; make 14 of those as well. Put the following equipment in the Skyranger: 14 each of the Laser rifles, stun rods, medi-kits, grenades. If you want anything else, there's 24 item slots left before you hit 80. Electroflares might be a good idea but are by no means required, since the interior of a Battleship is well-lit. In the meantime, shoot down any UFOs, and keep your missile stocks sufficient to stay

Battleship Assault!

By the time late February rolls around, you should start looking for a Battleship to plunder. By this point you should have at least your Laser Rifles manufactured, and if you're lucky you might have your Medi-Kits done or almost done. If you're REAL lucky, you might even have Motion Scanners. If you're lucky, the aliens will choose to build a base in the area your base is, and you'll be able to find them that way. Unfortunately, this often isn't the case. In March, start sending the Skyranger out on sweeps to far reaching areas of the globe, fully loaded with men and equipment. I've intercepted Battleships in South America from Europe with this method. Keep looking, sooner or later you'll detect and then be able to intercept a Battleship.

Once you find the Battleship, intercept it while its landed. You won't have much time to do this, only a few hours. When you land, equip your men with the kit I suggested(Laser Rifle, Stun Rod, Grenade, Medi-Kit.) The total weight of this loadout is 22. Before you disembark from the Skyranger, check to be sure everyone has full TUs. If they don't, have them discard their grenade OR their medikit; your choice, because whichever they discard, it'll bring them below 20 weight units, so even the weakest soldiers won't be encumbered.

I can't really give any specific tactical advice for the mission given the randomness of the level, but I can make a few notes.

• The majority of the aliens will be INSIDE the Battleship.
• Keep a strategic reserve of troops in the Skyranger for if things start to go bad.
• Stun any alien you possibly can. This is the best way to ensure you get the Minimum 3. This rule does not apply to Terror Units.
• The Leader(s) and Commander usually stick to the top floor. So does the Navigator, but sometimes he'll come downstairs.
• Probably the easiest race to intercept would be Floaters, but you likely won't have a choice, nor will they allow access to the Mind Shield.
• Be prepared to lose a number of troops. Half the squad is pretty common.

Aftermath

In progress.

Research Blitz!

In progress.

Final preperations

In progress.

Cydonia

In progress.

Final Notes

In progress.