XCOM 2: Facilities

[Part of the XCOM 2 story]

Since hitting facilities really damages the Avatar project that's what the soldiers are sent to do, and a few more give their lives to the cause, the most horrifying being IzzBee being impregnated by a chryssalid (who are exactly the same from last time) - eventually dying on the field from its fluids and was turned into a fleshy birth sack that her team mates destroyed before full gestation occurred (which is +3 chryssalids on the field).

Also lost Katz who was obliterated by a pair of sectopods (huge, two legged war machines), Aaron who was beheaded by an archon, Squidman Dan who took cover behind a flaming truck (carrying explosives), Mickey and Rocio exploded by MEC missiles, and Cash who was melted by Andromedon acid.

These things are basically tanks.

During this time Jane Kelly managed to skulljack a codex which spawned what the science team refers to as an avatar, which her squad promptly dealt with as well as a psionic gate guarded by a large floating ball (which hides a psionic tentacle alien) which were all transported back to the Avenger for further study. All this has almost put the Avatar project back at square one, and the aliens are so pissed they finally send a UFO to hunt us down.

Fun Tip: If there is a "fixed" extraction point in a mission and it is not on ground level and somewhere inconvenient / dangerous, blow it up to force it to move.

XCOM 2: Arms Race

[Part of the XCOM 2 story]

As ADVENT begins deploying more advanced units like the annoying shield bearers who can protect all allies around them, so we also start fielding more advanced tech: stronger magnetic weapons and the more durable Predator armor, but even these aren't enough as Lory is burned alive by the splash of a grenade, and Ex-Red Talon soldiers Beebo Bee and Chavez are ripped apart by an enraged (muton?) "berserker" when they misjudged how far the hulking monster could sprint.

Since more supplies are required for further upgrades, squads are sent on raiding missions which resulted in the loss of more soldiers: Old Mary was out sniped by a Codex, Helena and Beth were exploded by a grenade, Douglas was impaled by the spear of an archon (flying robot that looks like just the upper torso of a man), and Downey had the misfortune of discovering an Andromedon. These aliens only exist in a hazmat battle suit and despite managing to kill the alien with her shotgun, the suit powered up all on its own and proceeded to pummel her to death. Thanks to their sacrifices, the rest of their team mates now wield even more powerful plasma weapons and Warden powered armor.

I really dislike these things.

The arms race is enough of a distraction to almost let the aliens complete their Avatar project (the countdown timer that replaces the doom track is a nice touch) but luckily this can still be set back by destroying one of their research facilities. Rashida gains an extra medal of heroism for managing to extract with an unconscious Squidman Dan after her was KOed by a ninja.

XCOM 2: Skulljack

[Part of the XCOM 2 story]

We took another loss today from a team deployed to rescue our rebel allies against an ADVENT raid. While focusing on saving civilians from an imposing Muton (brute type alien), soldier Peyton found himself standing next to a new type of alien coined the faceless. These things look like civilians until you get close, which is when they transform into a towering clay humanoid with giant claws. Even with his shotgun Peyton didn't stand a chance.

Super tall things. I wonder how they hide all their mass?

On a more positive note, the development of the skulljack (think Wolverine's claws, but with USB tips?) is complete and Jane Kelly managed to shove it right into an ADVENT officer's noggin. For some reason this then spawned a digital ghost that needed to be defeated but her squaddies Rev, Squidman Dan and Ursula were more than a match for it.

Thanks to the intel gained from the skulljack and the vial Katz retrieved previously, we now know ADVENT is working on something called the Avatar program, and it comes complete with a visual doom clock and everything. Only bad things will happen if that time marker runs out so we need to step up our game, especially as ADVENT forces are now conducting midnight raids to reduce the potential number of volunteers available to us (bad event that doubles the cost of hiring people for the next month).

State of Decay 2: Hamlet Squad

[Part of the Diary of Zombies]

Despite all their talk, Rev maintains her leadership and finds more ammo thanks to the assistance of Red-Talon over the radio. David and Little Joe join her army and warn about an opposing army entering the area and much like the bandits that Val dealt with - Rev takes Joe to get information from their scouts (violently) then attacks the stupid leaders who unlike the bandits, have no backup and are meeting in a shed? Rev softens them up by luring a speedy feral into them before executing the trio to secure her legacy (map victory).

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll shoot!"

A trading team named "Hamlet Squad" composed of squidman Dan of "Team Humanity" and "Stragglers" Lory and Beth are then sent to Meageher Valley where the starting house is AGAIN almost a carbon copy of the other starting houses. Lazy much? Dan is elected leader while Team Sanctuary again provides utilities Team Humanity delivers a HUGE stockpile of weapons, ammo and grenades (benefit of winning as warlord) to them. This, along with the fact that pretty much every neighboring enclave is some form  of military group, makes the plague hearts in the region a piece of cake.

Squidman Dan wastes no time in recruiting soldiers Zeb, Rocio, Hailey and Kraken and establishes a trade summit among all the remaining soldiers. Some idiot thieves try to crash the party and get themselves killed easily. The zombie horde that comes to checkout the gunfire afterwards takes longer to clear out but are not a problem for a room full of armed and trained soldiers (on this difficulty). Once Zeb and Dan kill the final juggernaut in melee, the summit is a success and Dan secures his legacy (map victory). These successes have let the survivors expand the territory greatly, but now find their borders next to zones where the blood plague is more intense.

Insight: Trader leaders seem to be rare, and that's possibly because their legacy quests are super easy. Also without fail, every single game one survivor is going to have a prepper aunt whose quests eventually provide a jeep and a .22 silenced rifle.

State of Decay 2: Team Humanity

[Part of the Diary of Zombies]

With a surplus of fuel, Val sends out heart destroying teams armed with molotovs which does the job nicely while she plays peacekeeper between the enclaves of Rashida and Peyton. These two eventually join the Stragglers too as they end up saving each other more and more often. Soldier Umoren and squidman Dan also join, arriving with the warning that a large group of bandits is arriving into Drucker County. Umoren and Val deal with their many scouts and then find their base of operations, using long range sniping to take down all of them. With them gone Val is certain her legacy is secure (map victory) and they never had to move base once!

You'll need at least nine molotovs minimum per heart.

Downey isn't happy there though, so she takes the soldier Umoren and bad girl Rev from Team Sanctuary to Cascade Hills to settle into a house that looks a lot like the last base she was in. At least this one has higher walls. While Team Sanctuary continues to provide utilities to that region, the trio also get daily gifts from Val's Stragglers (benefit of winning as sheriff, you can have two benefits active). Surprisingly, it is Rev who earns the leadership of this group: team Humanity, as her goals align with that of Downey and Umoren. First job: build an army.  

Helping people around the hills they manage to recruit Nancy, Nestor, Lance, and stray cat Brandon. Alas, Nancy is exploded to death when she uses molotovs on a plague heart within an LPG warehouse, and Lance is killed in a firefight against people abducting doctors. Doctor Monique takes his place as the team moves into a huge container fortress that easily houses them all, even when soldier sisters Krissy and Parniyan arrive. Other than the heart in the LPG warehouse, the rest are pretty straightforward to clear with this team - even when low morale (out of meds) has them grumbling and considering exiling their leader Rev.

Insight: It took me a long time to work out that outposts have lockers that you can deposit and withdraw items to and from your main base. This makes looting easier as you don't always need to go back, unless you want to deposit rucksacks.

Metal Gear Survive: The Lord of Dust

[Part of the MGS Diary]

With the crew working on the rail gun and construction on the traps, I am sent to get the last thing we need: Iris energy to bait the Lord of Dust. Dan gives us the location of a teleport outpost he'd already activated (YAY) which is close to another singularity site: some hybrid of a shipyard and mine.

This is the worst defense mission to date with enemies coming from all around and a generally poor spot to defend. Even with guns and turrets I barely scrape through again, surviving thanks to a tracker kicking an explosive barrel next to me that also triggered a chain of bombers to detonate. Miranda patches me up back at base camp and once everything is prepared, it is time to face the Lord of Dust.

Once the bait wormhole is open, the gigantic creature comes running right into the traps operated by my crew - but its not enough to just railgun it then and there, first I have to fight off three massive armies of wanderers that he summons. There are a few defenses that are established for each, but really it comes down to the portable ones you can carry. While regulars and bombers are present in all, mortars show up at the end of the second force and a team of trackers arrive near the end of the third force: good thing I still had ammo for those!

The Lord of Dust, about to be dusted!

With all the minions defeated I head over to Sahelanthropus' rail gun and double tap the great centipede, finally killing the monster. Unfortunately we lost the disabled kid during the battle but the survivors now have a clear shot of trying to get home.

Insight: Your base defenses are somewhat useless here as you need to protect a trio of traps out on the field to the East. Between each wave you can sprint back to your storage area to resupply though.

Metal Gear Survive: Sahelanthropus Mansion

[Part of the MGS Diary]

After making preparations it's time to secure Sahelanthropus in one of the longest defense missions so far (15 minutes). The narrow passage is a great funnel for the first few waves to get caught on my fences and traps but bombers and mortars that appear towards the end push me back. Luckily there is a blind corner that is very handy not just for mines and balloon traps but the mortars tend to miss their shots which explode their allies who line up on the other side of the rock face.

Sending zombies into the stratosphere via hot air balloons is a thing.

Finally the rail gun is secured, but back at base Seth has shown his true colors: an infected agent for the Lord of Dust! With the disabled kid as a human shield he opens a portal back to the original base camp where Reeve and I chase him down. Grenades seem to do the trick in both stunning and killing the monster he turns into, and after some repairs both base camp and the FOB in the jungle are now accessible to the team.

Dan, who is actually a Charon Corps survivor, says we'll need a few more things before facing the Lord of Dust - the first being blueprints to a trap that can restrain the large creature. These are located in a mansion high up in the mountains and the trek there is both lengthy and dangerous as the jungle is full of grabbers. Somehow I sneak in and out and still have just enough oxygen to make it back to the Sahelanthropus outpost with the plans in hand.

Insight: Bait bottles will force grabbers to hop out of their hiding spots and investigate. Also don't be too greedy with looting in this mission as you have to make it all the way back before the game saves. That's unlikely to happen if you can only walk.

Metal Gear Survive: Dark Mire

[Part of the MGS Diary]

After the initial food scavenging I don't have much choice but to scout out the dust jungle and quickly find more enemy types: "grabbers" scorpion type bugs that pose as plants whose first attack is to rope your leg and immobilize you, "mortars" who are wanderers that can shoot either bullet like projectiles or explosive rocks from their hand, and the most deadly "trackers": kung fu wanderers who can leap great distances and enjoy spinning roundhouse kicks.

I am forced to flee from that last type on our initial encounter, hanging off a broken bridge to hide until a herd of goats distracted them away from me. I also recruit survivors Seth and Dan who really distrust each other but are in agreement that the Lord of Dust needs to be destroyed before any further wormhole research takes place. There is a weapon that arrived recently that can do it too, but I first have to reach it.

Literally hanging on by a thread...

Using a handy walker gear I make my way through a wanderer filled swamp - so many that I opt to simply ignore the teleporter outpost in the center and sprint past, following the river to the remains of a familiar massive metal gear: Sahelanthropus! The rail gun it sports is the weapon we need but first I opt to unlock the teleporter outpost right beside it. While my walls and mines deal with the regular wanderers, emplaced mortars in the outpost clear out enemy shooters that appear on the high ridge line. An easy defense!

Insight: Enemies seem to spawn around objectives. If you complete the objective stealthily and leave enemies alive, there's a good chance that they will just vanish on your next visit to the area.