History Characters / XComEnemyUnknown

* CloseRangeCombatant: The domain of the Assault, being able to wield {{ShortRangeShotgun}}s, or the somewhat farther-ranged JackOfAllStats assault rifles. Their abilities on the right side are used for offensive bonuses and abilities requiring the Assault to close in, flank, and CriticalHit aliens dead. The left side's defensive bonuses are a bit less strict in their application, but still generally obviously would benefit the Assault in trying to see aliens eye-to-eye (and then shooting them).

** They're some of the best at inflicting these, since they'll be flanking quite often, and shotguns come with above average critical chance rates. The right side of their ability is choke full of bonuses relating to it:
*** The Corporal "Aggression" passive ability grants 10% critical chance for every enemy in sight for the Assault up to 30%
*** The Sergeant "Close and Personal" passive ability grants 30% critical chance against adjacent targets, diminishing from further distance.
*** The Captain "Bring 'Em On" passive ability adds up to 1 damage to critical hits for every enemy the squad sees up to 5.

* MadeOfIron: Has the highest health gain from level ups out of all the classes. The Corporal "Tactical Sense" passive ability gives them more Defense for enemies in sight, up to partial cover-level bonus for 4 enemies, the Major "Extra Conditioning" passive ability give them extra health, increasing based on the level of armor they are wearing, and the Colonel "Resilience" passive ability makes them immune to critical hits. A Colonel Assault will not let the aliens kill them easily.
* MagikarpPower: The right side of the Assault's abilities affects critical chance that requires consistent investment in the side to be reliable and tends to be redundant against the earlier enemies of Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters who are likely to be killed in one shot if hit anyway by the Assault's conventional shotgun (though it becomes more useful on the Impossible difficulty when the Thin Men and Floaters have 6 health to make non-critical shotgun shots [[OneHitKill One Hit Kills]] impossible), while simultaneously being inadequate to kill Mutons and Chryssalids at any difficulty. After the Assault has access to a Scatter Laser and "Bring 'Em On", their ability to run up to things and decisively waste them in one shot grows to be unmatched. In contrast, the left side's bonuses pretty much always come in handy and require no prior investment to be useful.
** The Absolutely Critical Second Wave modifier's guaranteed critical strike hits against flanked targets can make the left side's passive abilities affecting critical damage require less investment in the rest of the tree to be reliable.

* CrutchCharacter: The Heavy's 90% accuracy cover-destroying rockets (that are still liable to go only slightly off-course and hit an alien you aimed for if it misses) and ability to fire twice with the "Bullet Swarm" are invaluable when your low-rank soldiers are significantly unreliable shots. The utility and area-of-effect of said rockets makes them continue to be useful to any squad much later in the game, but they aren't quite as much of a godsend then, especially when Colonel Snipers probably still OneHitKill many enemies in cover without them.
* MightyGlacier: The Corporal "Bullet Swarm" passive ability can encourage the Heavy to stay still and fire two shots on one turn (or fire and reload, fire and move, fire and Overwatch, fire and Hunker Down), the Heavy's rocket attacks require them to not move to use, while the Major "Will to Survive" passive ability reduces damage taken by 2 if in cover and not flanked along with their second-highest health growth from level ups to gives them decent durability.
* MoreDakka:
** They wield light machine guns, which put out even more rounds if the Sergeant "Suppression" active ability is used. The light machine gun also puts out so much dakka it has the lowest amounts of shots before requiring reloading out of all the main weapons.

** The "Danger Zone" passive ability of the Captain makes the "Suppression" active ability or rocket attacks affects enemies within two tiles more of the original target-zone.
** The Colonel "Mayhem" passive adds 1-3 damage to the "Suppression" ability based off the Heavy's weapon's tech level.
* StuffBlowingUp: The unique purview of the Heavy, with abilities to match.
** At the initial Squaddie rank, they get the "Fire Rocket" active ability to use their Rocket Launcher [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin which does... yeah]]. Does 6 damage to targets hit, fires in a straight line and can be blocked by terrain, has an always 90% to-hit chance, requires to not move or fire during the turn to use, and can only be fired once a mission. Can cause UnfriendlyFire. [[spoiler:Can be upgraded to 9 damage and non-line-of-sight-using Blaster Launcher from raiding a Battleship UFO and obtaining a Fusion Core from it]].
** Sergeant Heavy's can get the "Shredder Rocket" active ability, doing 2 less damage than "Fire Rocket" but increasing damage taken by targets hit by 33% for the next 4 turns. Is otherwise alike to "Fire Rocket", while using a supply separate from the "Fire Rocket" active ability.
** The Lieutenant's "HEAT Ammo" (standing for High-Explosive Anti-Tank) passive ability grants the Heavy a specialty in causing robots to blow up spectacularly by increasing all damage done to robotic enemies (Cyberdisks, Drones and Sectopods) by 100%.
** A Heavy Captain may choose between "Grenadier" or "Danger Zone" passive abilities, the former granting two grenades over one if the Heavy equips a grenade, the latter giving the "Suppression" active ability and all rocket attacks an area-of-effect two tiles greater.
** At the Colonel rank, a Heavy can get "Rocketeer" for an extra shot per mission to the "Fire Rocket" ability or Mayhem to add 1-3 damage to "Suppression" and all area-of-effect abilities based off their weapon's tech level.

Specializes in accurately dealing extreme damage at extreme range with {{sniper rifle}}s, they can also use [[ImprobableAimingSkills special shots]] to hinder enemies.

* CriticalHit: The "Headshot" active ability gives their shot an extra +30% Critical chance and extra damage on a CriticalHit if it happens, sniper rifles have the highest base Critical chance out of all weapons, and the Captain "Opportunity" passive ability lets the Sniper CriticalHit on reaction shots.
* DoNotRunWithAGun: Without the Corporal "Snap Shot" passive ability, Snipers are incapable of firing their sniper rifles on a turn they've moved.

* MagikarpPower: The Sniper starts out with their rifle as the unable-to-fire-after-moving-but-long-ranged version of the light machine gun and a "Headshot" ability that tends to not reliably grant critical strikes against targets in cover while the extra damage from critical striking is usually somewhat redundant in most cases of early-game enemies anyway compared to the Heavy. Colonel Snipers have the highest Aim in the game and will either outflank aliens and score a KillStreak of [[OneHitKill One Shot Kills]] with their "Snap Shot" and "In The Zone" passive abilities from the left side or kill enemies without them ever seeing the Sniper with "Squadsight" from the right side, allowing the Sniper to shoot at enemies any of the squad sees barring line-of-sight blocking them (with Archangel Armor to fly up to the highest vantage point possible, they can do so without ever setting foot from their starting location!). Both will slaughter aliens with contemptuous ease and be difficult to hit wherever they take cover due to the Major "Low Profile" passive ability making any cover they use count as full.

* CombatMedic: The left side of their abilities tends toward the latter word, the right to the former.
* SmokeOut: The base ability for the Support is a one-use-per-mission smoke grenade ability, which provides a defensive bonus equal to partial cover for all units in the smoke, allied or enemy. The Sergeant "Smoke and Mirrors" passive ability lets the Support get another use per mission, and the Captain rank lets the Support get "Dense Smoke" (increased area of effect and increased defensive bonus equal to full cover) or "Combat Drugs" (all units in smoke also gain 20 Will and +10% Critical Strike chance) passive abilities to improve their smoke grenade.

!S.H.I.V.

* FunWithAcronyms: The '''S'''uper '''H'''eavy '''I'''nfantry '''V'''ehicle.

* PsychicPowers

* PsychicPowers

* MagikarpPower: The Sniper starts out with their rifle as the unable-to-fire-after-moving-but-long-ranged version of the light machine gun and with a "Headshot" ability that tends to not reliably grant critical strikes against targets in cover while the extra damage from critical striking tends to be somewhat redundant in most cases of early-game enemies anyway. Colonel Snipers have the highest Aim in the game and will either outflank aliens and score a KillStreak of [[OneHitKill One Shot Kills]] with their "Snap Shot" and "In The Zone" passive abilities from the left side or kill enemies without them ever seeing the Sniper with "Squadsight" from the right side, allowing the Sniper to shoot at enemies any of the squad sees barring line-of-sight blocking them (with Archangel Armor to fly up to the highest vantage point possible, they can do so without ever setting foot from their starting location!). Both will slaughter aliens with contemptuous ease and be difficult to hit wherever they take cover due to the Major "Low Profile" passive ability making any cover they use count as full.

** At the initial Squaddie rank, they get the "Fire Rocket" active ability to use their Rocket Launcher [[ExactlyWhatIsSaysOnTheTin which does... yeah]]. Does 6 damage to targets hit, fires in a straight line and can be blocked by terrain, has an always 90% to-hit chance, requires to not move or fire during the turn to use, and can only be fired once a mission. Can cause UnfriendlyFire. [[spoiler:Can be upgraded to 9 damage and non-line-of-sight-using Blaster Launcher from raiding a Battleship UFO and obtaining a Fusion Core from it]].

* MagikarpPower: The Sniper starts out with their rifle as the unable-to-fire-after-moving-but-long-ranged version of the light machine gun and with a "Headshot" ability that tends to not reliably grant critical strikes against targets in cover while the extra damage from critical striking tends to be somewhat redundant in most cases of early-game enemies anyway. Colonel Snipers have the highest Aim in the game and will either outflank and score a KillStreak of [[OneShotKill One Shot Kills]] with their "Snap Shot" and "In The Zone" passive abilities from the left side or kill enemies without them ever seeing the Sniper with "Squadsight" from the right side, allowing the Sniper to shoot at enemies any of the squad sees barring line-of-sight blocking them (with Archangel Armor to fly up to the highest vantage point possible, they can do so without ever setting foot from their starting location!). Both will slaughter aliens with contemptuous ease and be difficult to hit wherever they take cover due to the Major "Low Profile" passive ability making any cover they use count as full.

* MagikarpPower: The right side of the Assault's abilities affects critical chance that requires consistent investment in the side to be reliable and tends to be redundant against the earlier enemies of Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters who are likely to be killed in one shot if hit anyway by the Assault's conventional shotgun (though it becomes more useful on the Impossible difficulty when the Thin Men and Floaters have 6 health to make non-critical shotgun shots [[{{OneHitKill}} One Hit Kills]] impossible), while simultaneously being inadequate to kill Mutons and Chryssalids at any difficulty. After the Assault has access to a Scatter Laser and "Bring 'Em On", their ability to run up to things and decisively waste them in one shot grows to be unmatched. In contrast, the left side's bonuses pretty much always come in handy and require no prior investment to be useful.

** They wield light machine guns, which put out even more rounds if the Sergeant "Suppression" active ability is used.

** The "Danger Zone" passive ability of the Captain makes the "Suppression" active ability affects enemies within two tiles of the original target.
** The Colonel "Mayhem" passive adds
* StuffBlowingUp

** They wield light machine guns, which put out even more rounds if the "Suppression" ability is used.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure

* MagikarpPower: The right side of the Assault's abilities adds critical chance that tends to be redundant against the earlier enemies of Sectoids, Thin Men and Floaters who are likely to be killed in one shot if hit anyway by the Assault's conventional shotgun (though it becomes more useful on the Impossible difficulty when the Thin Men and Floaters have 6 health to make non-critical shotgun shots [[{{OneHitKill}} One Hit Kills]] impossible), while simultaneously being inadequate to kill Mutons and Chryssalids at any difficulty. After the Assault has access to a Scatter Laser and "Bring 'Em On", their ability to run up to things and decisively waste them in one shot grows to be unmatched.

** They're some of the best at inflicting these, since they'll be flanking quite often, and shotguns come with above average crit rates.

Advanced weapons platform that can be deployed in place of a human soldier.

* PoisonousPerson

* GiantMook: Heavy Floaters

----

* ATeamFiring: The Heavy's light machine guns do comparable damage to sniper rifles while being able to be fired while moving and their cover-smashing rockets with a 90% hit-rate are a godsend to squads everywhere. However, the Heavy's Aim stat is the lowest out of all the classes and their shots will only become reliable at much later levels and a S.C.O.P.E. on-hand.

* BeamSpam: S.H.I.V.s are equipped with Laser Cannons.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: They disappear from the game all together and are never mentioned again (even at the Temple Ship which has you fight through all the enemies you've faced up to that point) after your attack on the alien base.

* BeamSpam: SHIVs are equipped with Laser Cannons.

!Shaojie "Chilong" Zhang
Formerly a member of the Triads, he contacts the Council after obtaining a mysterious alien artifact. After XCOM extracts him, he joins them as a veteran Heavy class soldier.

!Shangjie "Chilong" Zhang

!PSI
XCOM soldiers who bear "The Gift", as the invading aliens call it, their psionic powers can turn the tide of battle. Any XCOM soldier could have the potential, though those with strong wills are more likely to have it.

[[folder:XCOM and The Council]]

* TheSpock

* TheKirk

[[folder:Soldiers]]

* CloseRangeCombatant: The domain of the Assault, being able to wield {{ShortRangeShotgun}}s, or the somewhat farther-ranged JackOfAllStats assault rifles. Their abilities on the right side are used for offensive bonuses abilities to requiring the Assault to close in, flank, and CriticalHit aliens dead. The left side's defensive bonuses are a bit less strict in their application, but still generally obviously would benefit the Assault in trying to see aliens eye-to-eye (and then shooting them in it).
* CriticalHit: The Colonel Resilience passive ability makes them immune to critical hits
* LightningBruiser: Thanks to the Run and Gun ability. In a more subtle example, the Sergeant Lightning Reflexes passive ability lets them avoid one reaction shot per turn.
* MadeOfIron: Has the highest health gain from level ups out of all the classes. The Corporal Tactical Sense passive ability gives them more Defense for enemies in sight, up to partial cover-level bonus for 4 enemies, the Major Extra Conditioning passive ability give them extra health, increasing based on the level of armor they are wearing, and the Colonel Resilience passive ability makes them immune to critical hits. A Colonel Assault will not let the aliens kill them easily.

* MoreDakka: Has light machine guns as their main weapon, self-explanatory.

* CriticalHit: The Headshot active ability gives their shot an extra +30% Critical chance and extra damage on a CriticalHit if it happens, sniper rifles have the highest base Critical chance out of all weapons, and the Captain Opportunity passive ability lets the Sniper CriticalHit on reaction shots.
* DoNotRunWithAGun: Without the Corporal Snap Shot passive ability, Snipers are incapable of firing their sniper rifles on a turn they've moved.
* FinishingMove: The Captain Executioner passive ability aids the Sniper in this, gaining +10 Aim against enemies at 50% or lower health.
* GeoEffects: The Sergeant Damn Good Ground passive ability lets the Sniper benefit further from this, gaining an extra +10 Aim and Defense for being at a higher elevation level to aliens.
* KillStreak: The Colonel In The Zone passive ability sets up a flanking Sniper to do this. Killing enemies that are uncovered or flanked by the Sniper do not take up an action, potentially letting the Sniper fire and kill over and over again.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: The farther and thus more improbable a shot is, ''the more accurate the sniper rifle becomes''. Combine with Squadsight for some ''really'' long-distance shots.
** Disabling Shot lets the Sniper ''target an enemy's weapon'', forcing them to reload before they fire again.
* LongRangeFighter: As one [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin likely expectt from a Sniper]]. Unlike all other weapons, sniper rifles are ''less'' accurate the closer the target is. The left side of the Sniper's abilities helps alleviate this weakness, but placing a Sniper right next to an alien still probably isn't going to work out that well.

* SmokeOut: The base ability for the Support is a one-use-per-mission smoke grenade ability to provide a defensive bonus equal to partial cover for all units in the smoke, allied or enemy. The Sergeant Smoke and Mirrors passive ability lets the Support get another use per mission, and the Captain rank lets the Support get Dense Smoke (increased area of effect and increased defensive bonus equal to full cover) or Combat Drugs (all units in smoke also gain 20 Will and +10% Critical Strike chance) passive abilities to improve their smoke grenade.

!PSI Class

* [[ArmCannon Arm Pistol]]: How they wield Plasma Pistols. They are converted to a more conventional form when salvaged, however.

* PsychicLink: They can use their telepathic abilities to boost the stats of their allies with an ability called Mind Merge: the target gets +10% to Aim and +1 HP for a turn. What you're not told until you figure it out for yourself is that [[spoiler:killing the Sectoid that's boosting the other unit kills them both as a result of psychic backlash.]]

** ScaryShinyGlasses

!Floaters / Heavy Floaters

* CyberneticsEatYourSoul

!Mutons / Heavy Mutons

* {{BFG}}: The plasma rifles wielded by Heavy Mutons.

* [[spoiler:TheDragon]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: The very first alien the player sees in the tutorial.
* MindControl

* MoreDakka

* KillingSpree: The Colonel In The Zone passive ability sets up a flanking Sniper to do this. Killing enemies that are uncovered or flanked by the Sniper to not take up an action, potentially letting the Sniper kill and fire over and over again.

* LongRangeFighter: As one [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin likely expects]] from a Sniper. Unlike all other weapons, sniper rifles are ''less'' accurate the closer the target is. The left side of the Sniper's abilities helps alleviate this weakness, but the placing a Sniper right next to an alien still probably isn't going to work out that well.

* CloseRangeCombatant: The domain of the Assault, being able to wield {{ShortRangeShotgun}}s, or the somewhat farther-ranged assault rifles.

* MadeOfIron: Has the highest health gain from level ups out of all the classes. The Corporal Tactical Sense passive ability gives them more defense for enemies in sight, up to partial cover-level bonus for 4 enemies, the Major Extra Conditioning passive ability give them extra health, increasing based on the level of armor they are wearing, and the Colonel Resilience passive ability makes them immune to critical hits. A Colonel Assault will not let the aliens kill them easily.

* BoomHeadshot: The first ability they learn, in fact.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: The farther and thus more improbable a shot is, ''the more accurate the sniper rifle becomes''. Combine with Squadsight for extra-long-distance shots.

* LightningBruiser: Thanks to the Run and Gun ability.

* CombatMedic

* ArmPistol: How they wield Plasma Pistols. They are converted to a more conventional form when salvaged, however.

!Sectoid

!Thin Man

!Outsider

!Floater

!Chryssalid

!Muton

!Cyberdisc

!Drone

!Berserker

!Sectopod

!Ethereal