History Characters / XComEnemyUnknown

** While all XCOM soldiers aside from Heavies pack sidearms, the sniper will probably be the class that uses them most frequently, [[DoNotRunWithAGun since they cannot fire sniper rifles in the same turn that they move]] without Snap Shot, and even with Snap Shot the pistol may be a better pick for a number of reasons.[[labelnote:list]]1) the enemy is so close that the sniper rifle gets a close range accuracy penalty; 2) the Aim penalty when firing after moving can bring a shot's hit chance too low to bother with; 3) a sniper rifle shot would be overkill.[[/labelnote]]

* HidingInPlainSight: While XCOM goes for an ElaborateUndergroundBase, EXALT just sticks their base of operations in the penthouse of an uptown skyscraper.

* ConspicuousConsumption: [[spoiler: Compared to the spartan and straightforward design of XCOM's own headquarters, EXALT's command center is absolutely luxurious, with non-essential things like bear skin rugs, sofas and various kinds of artwork decorating the place. Officer Bradford [[LampshadeHanging points out how it is a bad tactical decision for them to put form over function when designing their command center]]. Possibly justified by their HidingInPlainSight -- the fancy rugs and carpets ''do'' make it look more like a standard penthouse than a straightforward military base would.]]

* KungFuProofMook: Immune to Stunning, Mindfray, Psi-Panic, Mind Control, poison, fire and Flashbangs.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: As described by the developers, it is basically "a flying spider shark. That can turn invisible.". Aesthetically they're more like a robotic squid or octopus, though.
* PersonalSpaceInvader: While strangling. A strangled soldier is completely disabled and helpless, and will take damage every turn until an ally blasts the Seeker off or they die. Freed victims also need to catch their breath after the strangulation attempt, resulting in a heavy debuff to movement range and accuracy for the rest of the turn.

* TentacleRope: They bind the target in place and deal damage over time by strangulation.

* AttackDrone: XCOM's personal ones, with a whole tech tree dedicated to them. They function exactly like the tanks of yore, including, in the case of the Alloy S.H.I.V., functioning as portable cover. There are three varieties, Basic, Alloy (which can be used as low cover when standing still) and Hover (which can fly).

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Are entirely absent from ''XCOM 2''.

** ''Enemy Within's'' buffs to mechanical units on both sides, however, made them very much viable members of a given squad. A fully-upgraded Hover S.H.I.V. can move as far as an upgraded Support trooper, flies further than and twice as long as a trooper in upgraded Archangel armor, and has a heavy plasma cannon. On top of that, it gets Sentinel Drone, an unlimited self-repair system that fixes two hit points every turn ''and'' the ability to fire reaction shots at anything within four blocks like an Assault trooper; this ability is disabled if the S.H.I.V. takes a CriticalHit.

* NoSell: Immune to Mindfray, Psi-Panic, Mind Control, poison, strangulation and fire. ''Not'' immune to Psi-Lance and Rift, which do absolutely massive damage against them thanks to the S.H.I.V.'s 0 Will stat.

* StoneWall: Hover S.H.I.Vs are exceedingly mobile, have very high health, 60 defense while airborne, and are immune to almost everything that's supposed to bypass their defenses, such as explosives and melee (being airborne), poison (robot), do not panic, and are [[WeHaveReserves expendable]], all of which make using one to scout ahead or rescue civilians very effective.

* ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: MEC Troopers are enormous but move with about the grace and agility of a normal human, thanks to their PoweredArmor interfacing as their ArtificialLimbs. They can run, jump and climb with ease, and after you develop Advanced Servomotors to increase their mobility, [=MECs=] visually change their movement animations from normal running to sprinting in ''huge'' loping steps.[[note]]By playing with the "Not Created Equal" Second Wave option, researching Advanced Servomotors, augmenting a soldier with naturally high mobility and giving him/her a MEC suit with the Kinetic Strike Module, you can have a MEC with ''21 mobility''. That's '''faster than a Chryssalid can run'''.[[/note]] This also translates to CQC -- any FinishingMove with the [[RocketPunch Kinetic Strike Module]] shows the MEC Trooper can pull off some impressive combat moves. The only thing [=MECs=] cannot do is apply medikits with the necessary precision, so they spray them as an AreaOfEffect heal.

** Damage Control reduces all damage taken by the MEC by a flat 2[[note]]down to a minimum of 1[[/note]] after they're hit for the first time. The effect lasts two whole turns. Paired with the Shock-Absorbent Armor if the MEC Trooper was a former Assault, that reduces damage by 33% from damage sources within 4 tiles, the soldier can shrug off grenades like they're pebbles from slingshots.

* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: Gene-Modded soldiers cannot be made MEC troopers. A Psionic soldier can, but they lose all their psionic abilities.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Using the Kinetic Strike Module to kill a Berserker, Mechtoid or Sectopod results in a custom cutscene wherein the MEC and target engage in one-on-one, close-range combat with the MEC trooper gaining the advantage and landing a spectacular killing blow, usually sending their defeated opponent flying. MEC-troopers using Kinetic Strike finish off Sectopods in a particularly dramatic fashion: the trooper leaps two body-lengths into the air and comes down smashing the Sectopod with its fists, driving it into the ground. Then, as it attempts one last desperate attempt to fire its cannon at point-blank range, the trooper activates the Kinetic Strike Module and [[AttackItsWeakPoint strikes directly into the priming cannon]], detonating the entire Sectopod. [[DefeatEqualsExplosion It hurts]], but the sheer cool factor makes up for it.

* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: The Kinetic Strike module is quite capable of this, with the victims sent flying back, sometimes smashing through obstacles behind them. Particularly amusing is doing it to a Cyberdisc, which will spin away like a giant coin -- which has the added benefit of knocking it far enough away that the MEC is out of [[DefeatEqualsExplosion its death explosion's]] blast radius.
* RoboSpeak: Downplayed. They talk like other soldiers do, for the most part, but they sound like they're using a voice synthesizer. They also don't emote as much and use a slightly more formal lexicon, with fewer contractions and no slang.
* RocketPunch: The MEC-1 Warden "Kinetic Strike Module" Tactical Subsystem gives the MEC a rocket-assisted fist. It does 12 damage[[note]]''18'' with the "MEC Close Combat" Foundry Project[[/note]] and can [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom send enemies killed with it flying several times away]]. Said flying enemy can also detonate destructible objects it collides with, such as cars, gas pumps or alien power sources, [[DisasterDominoes leading to even more mayhem]]. It can also be used to destroy high cover objects. Unusually for a Rocket Punch, the KSM doesn't detach from the user's arm when used, so it can't be used at range.
* ShockAndAwe: The MEC-3 Paladin "Electro Pulse" Tactical Subsystem discharges an electric pulse that deals 5 damage to all units in a small radius around the MEC, in addition to disabling robotic units. This is the only attack in the game that bypasses all manners of DamageReduction, like the Mechtoid's shield or the Sectopod's Reinforced Armor.

* StealthyColossus: Downplayed. Due to how the cover and line of sight system works,[[note]]An unit that can take cover technically occupies the adjacent tiles out of cover for line-of-sight purposes unless there's something else in said tile.[[/note]] you can order a MEC Trooper to hug a tree or dumpster or tall wooden box, and they'll be completely invisible to enemies on the opposite side. It's as tactically useful as it's funny to see.
* StuffBlowingUp: [=MECs=] are second only to Heavies for the amount of explosives they can carry. The MEC can choose to mount both the GrenadeLauncher and Proximity Mine Launcher subsystems at the same time, for twice the explosive firepower.
* SuperStrength: They overpower Muton Berserkers and Mechtoids for their FinishingMove animations with the Kinetic Strike Module, and are strong enough to bring a Sectopod down to the ground with a double elbow drop.
* TakeCover: {{Averted}}. [=MECs=] can't take cover at all, instead receiving a permanent 10 Defense bonus, cannot be flanked, and the "Hardened" trait that the alien units that can't take cover have: significant (60%) resistance to critical hits. They can, however, take advantage of high cover's ability to break line of sight; the MEC can't see the enemy, but the enemy won't be able to shoot the MEC either. {{Inverted}} with the Lieutenant "One For All" ability, where the MEC Trooper ''becomes'' full cover for your troops to hide behind, at least until the MEC fires off a shot.
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: After spending the early part of the game learning the often-painful lesson that getting caught outside of cover means a quick death, adjusting tactics to accommodate a unit that ''can't'' take cover takes some getting used to; the main skill needed to use them effectively is managing lines of sight instead.

* BadassBaritone: In the English, he is voiced by John Bailey, aka the Epic Voice Guy, so this is a given. It's up in the air how skilled the spokesman is in combat, but he's clearly a high-ranking politician of great renown.

* GiantMook: They are introduced leading packs of non-Elite Mutons, and they have the upgraded strength to prove it.

* GiantMook: They're like the Mutons' big brother, introduced as leaders of midgame Muton packs, and with around double the health, more mobility and a crapton of pummeling power, but they're nothing special in the end.

* DamageReduction: They get a '''huge''' buff in ''Enemy Within'' in "Reinforced Armor", a perk that reduces ''all damage received by half'', rounded up. In short, that gives them ''60 health'' for you to whittle down. And that armor doesn't matter to Drones, so they'll repair a Sectopod by 4-6 health.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Subverted. Their base Aim is a mediocre 60 (70 on Classic/Impossible), but if they have a height advantage (something they'll move to obtain whenever possible), it goes up by 30% (from the inherent height bonus and Damn Good Ground). Elites fully avert this, having a respectable 70 Aim (80 on Classic/Impossible) that puts them on the Muton's level, further compounded by Depth Perception (+5 Aim if above the target, a position Snipers tend to go for naturally) and, if the target is at less than half health, Executioner adds a further +10. Altogether, an Elite Sniper can have as much as ''125% chance to hit'' if they're above a wounded target that they can see at the start of the turn, and that's not counting the possibility of the target having been Holo-Targeted by a Heavy beforehand for ''10 more Aim''. This means they have a not-insignificant chance to hit even a hunkered soldier in full cover, and makes them a very high priority target right alongside the Heavies.

* GlassCannon: Has the lowest health rating of all EXALT units, but deals a lot of damage. Executioner can make them very dangerous against moderately healthy XCOM troopers, especially if they don't have to move to take a shot and are at a height advantage.
* LongRangeFighter: Even moreso than XCOM snipers, since they have no pistol.

** High rank defense-build MEC Troopers later in the game are very comparable to Sectopods. Their primary weapons deal about the same damage and can be fired twice, [=MECs=] with the GrenadeLauncher or Proximity Mine Launcher are capable of indirect fire much like a Sectopod's [[MacrossMissileMassacre Cluster Bomb]], and the Damage Control and Absorption Fields skills together block about as much damage as Reinforced Armor.

* GrenadeLauncher: The MEC-2 Sentinel "Grenade Launcher" Tactical Subsystem. Does 4 damage[[note]]5 if you research "Alien Grenades" in the Foundry[[/note]] and has longer range than the Trooper's sight range. If the MEC has a spotter, s/he can land some really long-range shots.

* ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: MEC Troopers are enormous but move with about the grace and agility of a normal human, thanks to their PoweredArmor interfacing as their ArtificialLimbs. They can run, jump and climb with ease, and after you develop Advanced Servomotors to increase their mobility, [=MECs=] visually change their movement animations from normal running to sprinting in ''huge'' loping steps.[[labelnote=+]]By playing with the "Not Created Equal" Second Wave option, researching Advanced Servomotors, augmenting a soldier with naturally high mobility and giving him/her a MEC suit with the Kinetic Strike Module, you can have a MEC with ''21 mobility''. That's '''faster than a Chryssalid can run'''.[[/labelnote]] This also translates to CQC -- any FinishingMove with the [[RocketPunch Kinetic Strike Module]] shows the MEC Trooper can pull off some impressive combat moves. The only thing [=MECs=] cannot do is apply medikits with the necessary precision, so they spray them as an AreaOfEffect heal.

** [[BeehiveBarrier Absorption Fields]] at Colonel rank caps all incoming damage at 33% of the MEC Trooper's max health, so it can shrug off what would be 15-damage crits with no personal injury, which would be enough to severely injure even the hardiest soldiers. To make it better, it also takes the lower health of more basic MEC suits into account ''and'' stacks up with Damage Control; a Colonel Rank trooper in a MEC-1 Warden can face truly ridiculous amounts of firepower and will only be at risk if ''severely'' outnumbered.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%"X has this" and "X and Y" etc. are not context.

Serving as the middleman between the Commander and the rest of XCOM, Bradford communicates your orders to everyone else and performs the administrative work, leaving you free to focus on defending Earth. In addition, he coordinates XCOM field operations, monitors the strategic situation and gathers intel on possible alien activity from XCOM's Mission Control center.\\\

%%* TheBrigadier

%%* TheKirk: To [[TheMcCoy Dr. Shen]] and [[TheSpock Dr. Vahlen]].

%%* NomDeGuerre: "Central".
%%* NumberTwo: To the PlayerCharacter.

* TheDanza: Her voice actress is also named Moira.

* ForScience: Downplayed. She's always eager and interested in what she's researching, no matter how morally questionable, and will be annoyed if soldiers use explosives (which destroys valuable research material). She's also the inventor of the alien "[[EnhancedInterrogationTechniques interrogation]]" device and personally oversees each interrogation. That said, she'll also thank soldiers for the risks they take in recovering live specimens, acknowledge that their survival can come before retrieving research materials and is disgusted by the aliens' callousness and their misuse of their advanced technology, which could have been used to do so much good.
** In ''Enemy Within'', she's appalled at how badly mutated the EXALT Elites are. While she does physically modify XCOM soldiers her geme mods are well thought out and removable, EXALT meanwhile has permanently disfigured their soldiers.

* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: She is in charge of both alien autopsies (xeno-biology) and interrogations (psychology). Also, she can reverse engineer and discover the basic principles behind captured alien weaponry and devices (electronics and engineering). Might be explained in that she is the head researcher working with other scientists that might covers the fields that she is not an expert on: she's smart enough to understand their conclusions while not necessarily getting in to the details of their methods.

%%zce* TheSmartGirl:
* TheSpock: Opposed to [[TheMcCoy Shen]], Vahlen favors utilizing as much of the might of the alien technology as possible, as logically, it would give humanity the best chances to to beat them.

* [[AmbiguouslyBrown Ambiguously Asian]]: Has a subtle maybe-Chinese accent, a somewhat asian shape to his eyes, and his last name is Chinese, but we can't get more specific than that. XCOM 2 reveals he is from Taiwan.
%%* CoolOldGuy

%%* TheEngineer

%%* TheAdjectivalMan

%%* BadassInANiceSuit

%%* PinnedDown: They can Suppress targets if necessary.%%Meaning?
%%* PoisonIsEvil: They're not on the good guys' side.

%%* TheDragon: The first one you encounter.

%%* GiantMook: They're big, durable and powerful, and should be underestimated at your own peril. %% Zero Context Example: Read the trope page and elaborate on how they're "giant" compared to Mutons, Sectoids, etc.

* TookALevelInBadass: The [[CannonFodder lowly Sectoid]] becomes ''incredibly'' dangerous after being integrated into a mechanized suit. Its only inherent weakness is Psionics, which only come very late in the game.

%%* EvilOverlord: An entire race of them.

%%* EvilOverlord
* EvilPlan: The entire invasion of earth was little more than a test for humanity, to force them to develop advanced technology and psionic powers of their own and eventually become strong enough so that they could to be of use for the Ethereals against what comes after.

%%* TheManBehindTheMan: For the Sectoid Commander.

* SniperDuel: You get an achievement for killing an EXALT Elite Sniper with one of your own snipers. The weapon your sniper uses doesn't matter, though; landing the killing blow with their handgun counts just the same. %%Do grenades count?

* JumpJetPack: The Lieutenant "Jet Boot Module" ability lets MEC Troopers leap up several stories high.

* MiniMecha: MEC Troopers are restricted to the Mechanized Exoskepeton Cybersuit when deployed in the field. Said suit is so big the MEC is unable to use cover or use regular items, but boasts enhanced strength and resilience over regular infantry gear and is able to wield {{BFG}}s and RocketPunch enemies so hard they cause [[StuffBlowingUp vehicles to explode]]. With the right upgrades and subsystems, it's also considerably faster than a normal human too.

* SuperStrength: They overpower Muton Berserkers and Mechtoids for their FinishimgMove animations with the Kinetic Strike Module, and are strong enough to bring a Sectopod down to the ground with a double elbow drop.

* AntiArmor: A MEC trooper armed with the Kinetic Strike Module and Electro Pulse can become your de-facto sectopod hunter (bonus points for coming in from the Assault class for boosted close-range damage reduction). These troopers can rapidly close to range, disable and damage a robotic target with EMP, and then spend both actions next turn dealing two guaranteed 18-damage melee strikes. More than enough to annihilate anything short of a Sectopod, and all but guaranteeing that the squad will easily finish one of those off.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: The Electro Pulse subsystem of a tier 3 MEC suit ignores all manners of DamageReduction.
* ArmoredButFrail: Downplayed. Despite the class gaining additional hit points compared to most classes, the trooper is not much more sturdy than a normal human; the bulk of a MEC Trooper's HP comes from the suit itself. This has the benefit of allowing the MEC to intentionally take fire during a mission, since as long as HP doesn't drop below the points added by the armor, the MEC will come home uninjured and ready for another mission right away.
* ArtificialLimbs: The soldiers have all traded their regular ones for crude replacements. This is necessary, as when they jump into their {{Mini Mecha}}s, the suit's limbs effectively become their own, allowing [[ImpossiblyGracefulGiant incredible mobility and finesse for a unit of their size]].
* ATeamFiring: The normal aim growth of a MEC Trooper's on par with a Heavy's, so not exactly impressive -- a soldier augmented as a Squaddie will have only 80 aim or so at Colonel rank. Downplayed with the "Hidden Potential" Second Wave option, whereupon [=MECs=] can get a reasonable aim boost between 1 and 5% with each rank, a growth comparable to Assaults.

* BarrierBustingBlow: The Kinetic Strike Module can also be used to punch holes in walls. If any enemy is right behind that wall section, well, it's gonna hurt. Most enemies will be killed outright.
* BeehiveBarrier: Briefly manifests this when hit by enemy attack if the MEC Trooper has [[DamageReduction Absorption Fields]].
* {{BFG}}: The only kind of weapons they can use, which deal more damage than even the heaviest infantry weapons of the same tier. They burn through their ammo supplies incredibly quickly, though (unless you get the right upgrades).
* BoringYetPractical: Calling anything regarding these soldiers "boring" is a bit of a stretch, but the Kinetic Strike Module is often picked because the boost to mobility is more useful than the Flamethrower subsystem, with the melee attack as a situational bonus.

* CombatMedic: The MEC-2 Sentinel "Restorative Mist" Tactical Subsystem makes them one. It heals like a regular Medikit to ''all'' allies within 2 tiles, including the MEC him/herself. This means that after a particularly grueling encounter, the MEC can heal the entire squad for up to ''36 health'' with one single action, and it is one of the few abilities that doesn't bring a MEC Trooper out of "One For All" mode. The only thing Restorative Mist can't do is stabilize or revive a critically wounded teammate, due to the lack of precision when applying the healing.

* EnhancedPunch: The "Kinetic Strike Module", essentially a rocket-assisted fist, is the alternative to the Flamethrower for the level 1 MEC suit. [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom The poor sap who gets killed by a punch sent flying several tiles back]], and if they hit a car, ''it immediately explodes''. [[BoringButPractical It also increases mobility by 3, which isn't nearly as flashy but can come in handy]].
* FireBreathingWeapon: The MEC-1 Warden "Flamethrower" Tactical Subsystem. It does 6 damage (9 with the "Jellied Elerium" Foundry Project) in a wide radius and has a lasting area effect, and is great for mopping up clustered aliens or keeping melee enemies at bay, with the added bonus of panicking ''any'' organic enemies (including Chryssalids, Berserkers and even Ethereals) in its area of effect that aren't killed outright. Does not work on robots.
* GatlingGood: Their starting Primary Weapon is a handheld minigun.
* GoodCounterpart: To the Mechtoids in principle and most functions. They can also be compared to Sectopods at higher levels.
* GoThroughMe: Lieutenant-grade MEC Troopers can take ''One For All'', a skill that effectively turns them into a High Cover object until they move or fire their weapons. Additionally, Support troops that undergo MEC surgery gain the passive effect ''Distortion Field'', which gives +10 Defense to nearby allies in cover.
* GrenadeLauncher: The MEC-2 Sentinel "Grenade Launcher" Tactical Subsystem. Does 4 damage (5 with the "Alien Grenade" Foundry Project) and has longer range than the Trooper's sight range.

* JetPack: The Lieutenant "Jet Boot Module" active ability lets them jump up buildings.
* TheJuggernaut: There are options that turn the MEC Trooper into nothing short of a main battle tank on two legs. Given how they're usually the most exposed (and most often targeted in higher difficulties) unit on the battlefield, these can come in handy.
** Damage Control reduces all damage taken by the MEC by a flat 2 after they're hit for the first time. The effect lasts two whole turns. Paired with the Shock-Absorbent Armor that reduces damage by 33% from damage sources within 4 tiles if the MEC Trooper was a former assault, the soldier can shrug off grenades like they're slingshot pebbles.
** [[BeehiveBarrier Absorption Fields]] at Colonel rank caps all incoming damage at 33% of the MEC trooper's max health, so it can shrug off what would be 15-damage crits with no personal injury, which would be enough to severely injure even the hardiest soldiers. To make it better, it also takes the lower health of more basic MEC suits into account ''and'' stacks up with Damage Control; a Colonel Rank trooper in a MEC-1 Warden can face truly ridiculous amounts of firepower and will only be at risk if ''severely'' outnumbered.

* LandMineGoesClick: The MEC-3 Paladin "Proximity Mine Launcher" Tactical Subsystem. Once planted, the mines will explode if an enemy moves into its radius or an explosion sets it off, causing 8 damage. They can also be launched beyond the trooper's visual range as well, like the GrenadeLauncher, making for a nasty surprise for an unwary group of aliens.
* LightningBruiser: Fully upgraded [=MECs=] have mobility on par with a Support with "Sprinter", with the resilience of an Assault and firepower similar to a Heavy's. Bringing them in from a Major or Colonel Sniper/Assault also gives them incredible accuracy, almost guaranteeing that each turn they will be able to engage and kill at least one enemy, even on Classic difficulty. Their movement animations depict them as being pretty fast-moving for their size. They are also incredibly expensive, so it's tough to field more than one or two of them at a time before you start encountering the Meld droppers (Mechtoids and Heavy Floaters), and they earn experience at half the rate of normal soldiers.
* MachineMonotone: Zig-zagged. While they all sound unnaturally calm and speak in clinical, surgical terms, both female voice options and one of the male voice options are rather chipper in tone and pitch. Played frighteningly straight with the other male voice option, which sounds downright sinister.
* MagneticWeapons: Their laser-tier Primary Weapon is a handheld railgun.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: They react calmly to damage, such as saying "I'll need minor repairs at some point" when reduced to one health.
* MiniMecha: MEC Troopers are restricted to a clunky mech suit somewhat bigger than the average human when deployed in the field, though said suit boasts enhanced strength and resilience over regular infantry gear and is able to wield {{BFG}}s and [[RocketPunch rocket punch enemies]] so hard they cause [[StuffBlowingUp vehicles to explode]].
* MoreDakka: [=MECs=] are designed around this. The ''starting'' weapon is a gatling gun, and they can wield large and powerful weapons that would be dangerous to use by any other soldier, at the cost of having even fewer shots per magazine than the Heavy (two as base, five at most with Ammo Conservation researched and "Expanded Storage" picked at Captain rank).

* NoSell: Immune to poison, strangulation and fire. [=MECs=] with Body Shield negate all CriticalHit chance from the nearest enemy.
* PowerfulButInaccurate: MEC weaponry hits a lot harder than regular infantry weapons of equivalent tech level[[labelnote:*]]i.e. a Minigun is on par with a Laser Rifle, a Railgun equals a Plasma Rifle, and the Particle Cannon deals even more damage than the Alloy Cannon and Heavy Plasma[[/labelnote]], but to offset this, the trooper's aim scales more or less like that of a Heavy, the least accurate soldier class in the game. Most shots from the average MEC trooper will have a ~60% hit chance even without the huge innate defense of late game enemies if not at more or less point blank. Of course, the MEC Trooper's base Aim is the same as from when they were regular troops, so if you augment, say, a Colonel-rank Sniper, the resulting trooper is devastatingly powerful ''and'' scarily accurate. It's more whitewashed with the "Hidden Potential" Second Wave option enabled, that makes the MEC's aim scale just like an Assault's.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: The Kinetic Strike module is quite capable of this, with the victims sent flying back, sometimes smashing through obstacles behind them. Particularly amusing is doing it to a Cyberdisc, which will spin away like a giant coin (which has the added benefit of knocking it far enough away that the MEC is out of [[DefeatEqualsExplosion its death explosion's]] blast radius).
* RoboSpeak: Downplayed. They talk like other soldiers do, for the most part, but they sound like they're using a voice synthesizer. They also don't emote as much and use a slightly more formal lexicon (fewer contractions, no slang).
* RocketPunch: Of sorts. The MEC-1 Warden "Kinetic Strike Module" Tactical Subsystem gives the MEC a rocket-assisted fist which does 12 damage (''18'' with the "MEC Close Combat" Foundry Project) and can send [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom aliens killed with it flying across the room]]. Said flying alien can also detonate destructible objects it collides with, [[DisasterDominoes which can lead to even more aliens exploding]]. It can also be used to destroy adjacent tall cover objects. As icing on the cake, it also makes the MEC it's installed on even faster, with a movement range increased by 3 tiles. For the cherry on top, MEC Close Combat allows the MEC to use the 18-damage punch as the first action in the turn and not end it there, so the trooper can punch and either shoot, go on Overwatch, reload, use another subsystem, or punch again. An upgraded KSM can put a real dent in a Sectopod's health pool.
* ShockAndAwe: The MEC-3 Paladin "Electro Pulse" Tactical Subsystem discharges an electric pulse that deals 5 damage to all units in a small radius around the MEC, in addition to disabling robotic units. This is the only attack in the game that bypasses all manners of DamageReduction like the Mechtoid's shield or the Sectopod's Reinforced Armor.
* ShoulderCannon: How many of their secondary armaments, such as the grenade launcher and mine mortars, are mounted.
* StuffBlowingUp: Second only to the Heavy for the amount of explosives they can carry. The MEC can choose to mount both the "Grenade Launcher" (that lobs grenades farther than a normal soldier) and "Proximity Mine Launcher" (which sets up mines that detonate when an enemy steps into them) Tactical Subsystems at the same time, for twice the explosive firepower.
* SuperStrength: They overpower Muton Berserkers and Mechtoids for the animations with the Kinetic Strike Module, and are strong enough to bring a Sectopod down to the ground with a double elbow drop.
* TakeCover: {{Averted}}. [=MECs=] can't take cover at all, instead receiving a permanent 10 defense bonus (half that of low cover), cannot be flanked, and the "Hardened" trait that the alien units that can't take cover have: significant (60%) resistance to critical hits. They can, however, take advantage of full cover's ability to break line of sight; the MEC can't see the enemy, but the enemy won't be able to shoot the MEC either. {{Inverted}} with the Lieutenant "One For All" ability, where the MEC Trooper ''becomes'' full cover for your troops to hide behind, at least until the MEC fires off a shot.
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: After spending the early part of the game learning the often-painful lesson that getting caught outside of cover means a quick death, adjusting tactics to accommodate a unit that ''can't'' take cover takes some getting used to.

* YouRequireMoreVespeneGas: Costs Meld to create and upgrade, which is extremely limited and valuable. Creating a pilot and providing him with a fully-upgraded suit costs a whopping ''210'' Meld, and most missions are only guaranteed have 20 Meld available unless there are Mechtoids and Heavy Floaters (and you don't kill them with explosives). On the upside, if a pilot does go down, you can generally recover the cybersuit and repair it; while there is a Meld cost to create a new pilot, the cybersuit itself requires much more.

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: Zig-zagged. At first the only two voice clips were of an American male and an American female, but DLC content such as the ''Elite Soldier Pack'', ''Slingshot Pack'' and ''Enemy Within'' added several variances of American accents, as well as other languages. The latest version of the game features English, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish and Russian voice acting as selectable for all soldiers.

* [[TheSmartGuy The Smart Girl]]

* SlenderManStandIn: Tall, slender fellows in business suits with nothing but malicious intent for humanity.

* HotScientist: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. While she keeps it very professional when it comes to her choice of clothes, she has a conspicuously attractive face and voice.

* TheMcCoy: Opposed to [[TheSpock Vahlen]], Shen has a much more catious view on utilizing the alien technology, as he has ethical concerns that humanity might drift towards becoming too much like the aliens if restraint is not applied in how it is used. Conversely he is more willing to engage in questionable behavior within the realm of contemporary or near contemporary technology. Specifically he has no stated issue with the use of otherwise illegal weapons against the aliens as well as being in favor of the creation of [=MECs=] which involves amputation of functional limbs.

* TheMcCoy: Opposed to [[TheSpock Vahlen]], Shen has a much more carious view on utilizing the alien technology, as he has ethical concerns that humanity might drift towards becoming too much like the aliens if restraint is not applied in how it is used. Conversely he is more willing to engage in questionable behavior within the realm of contemporary or near contemporary technology. Specifically he has no stated issue with the use of otherwise illegal weapons against the aliens as well as being in favor of the creation of [=MECs=] which involves amputation of functional limbs.

* TooDumbToFool: It's extremely hard to mind-control them, in a possible case of GameplayAndStoryIntegration; they're dumb animals that hardly have minds to ''be'' controlled.
* WeaponForIntimidation: Of the {{living|Weapon}} variety. They seem to be engineered to primarily spread panic and fear, and as such most of them are found in Terror missions, where the opposition is unarmed civilians and, logically, relatively ill-equipped peacekeeping forces like police or National Guard. On the flipside, once XCOM obtains plasma weaponry on par with the aliens', Chryssalids are easily trounced, often in one non-{{crit|icalHit}} shot.

* ArmCannon: Like their lesser brethren. Unlike regular Sectoids, they're pretty accurate when firing it, though they'll keep it for a [[EmergencyWeapon last resort]].
* CombatMedic: Their Greater Mind Merge ability allows them to heal other Sectoids by a single point.

%%* DiscOneFinalBoss

* EmergencyWeapon: If they can't use their PsychicPowers such as being faced down by a S.H.I.V. or on forced cooldown from Neural Feedback, they'll resort to their [[ArmCannon arm-mounted Plasma Pistol]]. Their aim with it is good enough to finish off a weakened enemy in low cover.

* KungFuProofMook: In ''Enemy Within'', they're immune to Flashbangs.
* MindControl: The first enemy to have this ability, they can take control of (usually weak-Willed) XCOM troops temporarily.
* MindRape: Mindfray, which always causes 5 damage, and lowers accuracy, mobility, and Will.
* MyBrainIsBig: They've got bigger cranial structures than the rank-and-file Sectoids.

* PsychicPowers: MindControl, MindRape, and {{Psychic Link}}s are all at their disposal.

* RunningOnAllFours: Minus holding their arm with the mounted plasma pistol up, much like the standard Sectoid.
* SquishyWizard: More or less. For all their vaunted psionic abilities, they're just sectoids, and the plasma pistol they're waving around is hardly a threat to your Titan Armor wearing forces and and Alloy/Hover S.H.I.V.s., though they shouldn't be underestimated even then, as their Aim is decent and they also have a grenade that they ''will'' use; besides that, they have health and defense about on par with a Heavy Floater.

* NoodlePeople: Their long, lean bodies, spindly limbs, overlong fingers and small, round heads invoke the trope perfectly, and help highlight [[UncannyValley just how creepy they are]].

* PaperThinDisguise: An intentionally invoked case of UncannyValley; their inhuman eyes, unnatural slenderness, pronounced fingers and patches of scales all betray what they really are.

* {{Handguns}}: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged.]] In his introductory cut scene, he wields a pistol, but when gameplay starts he is weaponless. Then once he's recruited, he's classed as a Heavy, which doesn't use pistols.

* RecruitingTheCriminal: In turn for protection from his former colleagues, Zhang gets amnesty and a spot in XCOM. It helps that he has standards: he knows for a fact that they have a common enemy even before he joins the crew.
* RuggedScar: Zhang sports a few on his cheek and across his right eye, particularly noticeable [[http://images.wikia.com/xcom/images/4/44/Quick-Look-XCOM-EU-Slingshot-DLC-with-Gameplay-Video-15.jpg during cutscenes]]. No doubt a keepsake from his former profession.
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: Obviously, being a defecting Triad member.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He can easily die in his recruitment mission if you aren't careful, failing the operation. However, the Council can offer the same mission later on, and he will be perfectly fine despite having died, with zero comment on the matter... unless you're playing ''Enemy Within'', where the mission is only offered once, and failing it will end the entire ''Slingshot'' campaign.

* DiskOneNuke: MEC Troopers have extremely powerful weapons and abilities and boast enough health to easy take several shots from even a light plasma rifle, making them the deadliest combatants on the battlefield until Cyberdisks show up. Their absolute effectiveness is countered by their incredible cost (augmenting a soldier and building them a MEC suit is one of the most cost-prohibitive actions in the game, the latter especially at higher levels) and slow level rate from reduced per-kill experiance. By the end of the game, they're on par with the rest of your elite soldiers, fulfilling a more specialized role instead of just being the "Destroy-Everything" robot.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: A soldier needs to be pretty badass to qualify for XCOM in the first place, and once you give that soldier cybernetic enhancements, well...

* RocketPunch: Of sorts. The MEC-1 Warden "Kinetic Strike Module" Tactical Subsystem gives the MEC a rocket-assisted fist which does 12 damage (''18'' with the "MEC Close Combat" Foundry Project) and can send [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom aliens killed with it flying across the room]]. Said flying alien can also detonate destructible objects it collides with, [[DisasterDominoes which can lead to even more aliens exploding]]. It can also be used to destroy adjacent cover objects. As icing on the cake, it also makes the MEC it's installed on even faster, with a movement range increased by 3 tiles just like a soldier with Sprinter. For the cherry on top, MEC Close Combat allows the MEC to use the 18-damage punch as the first action in the turn and not end it there, so the trooper can punch and either shoot, go on Overwatch, reload, use another subsystem, or punch again. An upgraded KSM can put a real dent in a Sectopod's health pool.

* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: In ''Enemy Within'' they loose all their psionic powers if they become MEC trooers, and a MEC trooper cannot become a psion. [[SelfImposedChallenge A Second Wave option exists that prevents Psionics and Gene Mods from coexisting in the same soldier as well]].

* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: Gene-Modded soldiers cannot be made MEC troopers. A Psionic soldier can, but they loose all their psionic abilities.

* BadassBoast: Unlike the other soldiers, MEC troopers take fire very calmly. If they take a hit that does not breach their remaining bonus armor, certain voice options deride the ineffective fire and, if properly specced, they can [[CounterAttack promptly queue up a devastating retaliatory shot]].

* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Each race the Ethereal's conquered, they experimented upon in an effort to bring out psionic powers. Each was deemed a failure, for different reasons, and repurposed as minions to conquer the next species. Ironically, when you finally confront him, the Uber Ethereal reveals that his own people originated from a similar failed experiment, conducted by an unknown third party.