Mysterious Hostile "Human" in EXALT Mansion

[bodkin]

I recently attempted an EXALT Mansion and thought it would be fun to go in at night with full Night-Ops gear. I don't have much experience with these outfits, but it was going quite well until something unexpected showed up.

Spoiler:

Every other enemy was named "EXALT", but not these guys. Are they even EXALT units? I managed to kill a few before my team was wiped out so I checked the bodies and they were only labeled "Corpse". They came with an Elite Soldier Badge.

Spoiler:

I can't help but think they were created just to counter night time strategies. I'm not sure how to feel about this, but maybe some of you know something I don't. Who are they?

[Solarius Scorch]

No, they're not EXALT members. They're local military forces.

[bodkin]

So EXALT has hired them to fight against XCom? I didn't realized this could happen. Thanks for the info!

[Alex_D]

Those are the Manor missions, right?
These are part of the "Reinforcement Alert" units. Essentially mercenaries hired to counter manor missions.

[Rag]

Those are the Manor missions, right?
These are part of the "Reinforcement Alert" units. Essentially mercenaries hired to counter manor missions.

Is that similar to the 10 turns time limit of farmer missions? I was always curious about those and if purposefully waiting 10 turns for them could ever be a "good" idea to get more loot, or if it is just always a death sentence.

I tried seeing how bad it was on my first farmer mission and was immediately killed from off screen, was fun.

[bodkin]

I certainly hope we get more than 10 turns for Manor missions, because it can take a very long time to clear these locations. It also makes my night-ops gear practically useless since these guys appear to have night vision as well.

[Solarius Scorch]

Those are the Manor missions, right?
These are part of the "Reinforcement Alert" units. Essentially mercenaries hired to counter manor missions.

Yeah, except they're not necessarily mercenaries - they can be just local military forces, since the area is mostly controlled by the cult.

[mg2k22]

I certainly hope we get more than 10 turns for Manor missions, because it can take a very long time to clear these locations. It also makes my night-ops gear practically useless since these guys appear to have night vision as well.

In my experience they don't necessilary appear at a fixed turn. I believe I got the intervention team at about turn 20 once and another time already at about turn 7 or 8. They were quite a surprise to me the first time I got them...

PS: Once I adopted my tactic and expected them, they were not too much of a problem anymore. Definitely beatable.

[Alex_D]

I think those forces appear twice, like one wave at around turn 5 and another at turn 10.
I have a team with mortars and machine guns just waiting for them when it happens. 

[Solarius Scorch]

The number of waves depends on how advanced the manor is. Their timing is randomised, so sometimes you may get as many as 4 squads in the same turn.

[Alex_D]

The number of waves depends on how advanced the manor is. Their timing is randomised, so sometimes you may get as many as 4 squads in the same turn.

Yes, I noticed it's randomized. (I keep Exalt just for the fun of these manors. And Hybrid bases for the loot.)

I know if you hated the player you would give these local reinforcemets RPGs, RLs and GLs as well. But I know you don't 

[Solarius Scorch]

I know if you hated the player you would give these local reinforcemets RPGs, RLs and GLs as well. But I know you don't 

What are you implying? I'd do it out of love for the players!

But the real reason why their guns are so modest is that I'd need to make a new unit (for the new loadout), and that's a hassle which I think is not needed.

[Bonakva]

What are you implying? I'd do it out of love for the players!

But the real reason why their guns are so modest is that I'd need to make a new unit (for the new loadout), and that's a hassle which I think is not needed.

No Sol. If they had explosives it would be too much. I can just picture two squads showing up at the back of my soldiers on turn 5 of the battle and wrecking all the RPGs.
I once had the luck on the golden tower 2 turns in a row to catch the spawn units (yes, I'm a loser). Dak I lost half my squad, just because I was killed from the rear of a conventional weapon.

[Solarius Scorch]

No Sol. If they had explosives it would be too much. I can just picture two squads showing up at the back of my soldiers on turn 5 of the battle and wrecking all the RPGs.
I once had the luck on the golden tower 2 turns in a row to catch the spawn units (yes, I'm a loser). Dak I lost half my squad, just because I was killed from the rear of a conventional weapon.

Yeah, agreed - this mission is supposed to be a bit of a pain, but this would be just too much.