Suicidal commanders

[sanoslav]

Hello,
I have bred a very effective(reactions, accurracy...), team and I am facing a stupid situation now. The aliens are very likely to panic/berserk when my commando starts reducing their numbers very quickly(which is almost always). This is quite fun when the battleship interior shakes with alien blaster fire and they end up with nice atrium inside filled with corpses... But this effect is highly undesirable when trying to get the base commander. 7-8 turns into the game I am far from entering the command center, but commander and engineers will fire their blasters in berserk mode killing themselves. Damn, I need that commander for Cydonia research!

How can I prevent the nervous breakdown, or enter the command center quickly?

[ivandogovich]

Instead of ending your turn with full time units waiting for reaction fire, move your troops, cover them with smoke and use the "expend time units" button to ensure that they can't go Rambo on you.  Alternately, set your weapon on the ground at the end of your turn and pick it up when your turn begins.  Another fine alternative, especially if you want live captures, is simply to arm everyone with stunrods, and small launchers and stun them all.  Very effective.

[sanoslav]

Hey, thanks for quick answer, however I do not have problem with MY blasters, but aliens blowing themselves with THEIRS. Or are you suggesting I shouldnt fire at them to avoid them panicking?

[Dioxine]

Manufacture a lot of Small Launchers and try to focus the alien elimination process on stunning instead of killing, stunned do not induce a Morale hit.

[mrxian]

I didn't even know panicking units fired their blaster bombs.

[ivandogovich]

Hey, thanks for quick answer, however I do not have problem with MY blasters, but aliens blowing themselves with THEIRS. Or are you suggesting I shouldnt fire at them to avoid them panicking?

Hehe. Your problem is that you are too lethal which causes panic in the alien forces.

Stun em all, and avoid scaring them.  (Don't let your trooper reaction fire.)

[sanoslav]

Oh now I get it, so stunned do not count against morale! That is great news, now I finally have use for those 40+ launchers I got from missions

It will be somewhat harder due to snakeman/chrysallid combo in the base, but that what my elites are made for!

thanks everyone.

[SIMON BAILIE]

Does mind controlling a lot of them count against morale as with 2 very strong psionic troops you could mind control 6 or more in one turn?

[pilot00]

Does mind controlling a lot of them count against morale as with 2 very strong psionic troops you could mind control 6 or more in one turn?

This is the simplest solution really. An alternative would be to run a bunch of rookies up to the command center. Whoever survives this will establish sight on the commander, enabling the psi-corps to controll him/it, use mind probes to identify it/him. Then kill the rest and bring him/it down the lift for stunning. It will cost you some rookies, but:

"Your sacrifice will be remembered"

[SIMON BAILIE]

A bit of a harsh approach to your troops but I like it.

[pilot00]

A bit of a harsh approach to your troops but I like it.

I am not fond of "Swarm tactics" but the fact that I dont use them doesnt mean nobody does

Plus on the days of yore, we always had 2-3 rookies on the skyranger as a matter of doctrine. To get down the ramp, and to breach the doors.