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Xcom 2 Long War Guide <LATEST>

XCOM 2: Long War 2 (LW2) and its successor, Long War of the Chosen (LWOTC), transform XCOM 2 into a grueling, multi-layered strategic marathon. This guide covers the essential systems you must master to survive the resistance. 1. Master the Strategy Layer: Haven Management

Unlike the base game, your primary "economy" is managed through Resistance Havens.

Intel is King: In the early game, assign almost all rebels to Intel. This is the only way to detect missions early enough to have sufficient time for infiltration.

Haven Advisors: Assign a soldier as a Haven Advisor to root out Faceless infiltrators who steal your supplies. High-ranking soldiers (especially Officers) are more effective at this.

Liberation Chain: Your main goal is to liberate a region. Look for missions with "Find a Lead" as a reward; these are the first steps toward capturing a region and securing a massive monthly supply boost. 2. The Infiltration Mechanic

Infiltration is the most critical addition to LW2. When you launch a mission, your squad "waits" at the site to prepare.

The 100% Rule: Aim for at least 100% infiltration on every mission. Launching at 0% will result in "Swarming" enemy activity, making victory nearly impossible. xcom 2 long war guide

Squad Size vs. Time: Larger squads take much longer to infiltrate. For most early missions, a squad of 4–6 soldiers is the "sweet spot" for hitting 100% infiltration within typical 5-to-8-day mission windows.

Boosting: If you find a vital mission with a short timer, you can spend Intel to "Boost Infiltration," which increases the infiltration rate by 50%. 3. Tactical Combat and Squad Composition

LW2 combat is a game of "Alpha Striking"—killing or controlling the enemy before they can act.

A. Contact Protocol (The First 2 Turns)

Do not yellow-move into the fog. Move your entire squad in a blue move (the first action point) in a wide but tight formation. The soldier who reveals the pod should be your Assault, Shinobi, or Ranger—someone with high dodge or a defensive ability.

The Reveal Turn:

  1. Do NOT advance further. Stop.
  2. If you have a Shinobi in stealth, you should have already scouted this pod. You should never blunder into them.
  3. Kill the entire pod in one turn. If you cannot, use crowd control: Flashbangs (disables abilities, reduces aim), Suppression (forces enemy to shoot at the suppressor), or Sting Grenades (disorients).

Conclusion: The Long War is Won in the Haven

You cannot shoot your way through Long War 2. If you try to fight every pod, you will run out of soldiers by September. The key to victory is strategic cowardice: infiltrate to 200%, use Shinobi to scout, plant the bomb, and leave before the first shot is fired. XCOM 2: Long War 2 (LW2) and its

Remember: Every civilian you save, every relay you destroy without triggering an alarm, and every region you liberate weakens Advent's grip. You are not a military. You are a pestilence. Be quiet. Be fast. Be relentless.

Good luck, Commander. You’re going to need it.

The Endgame (August+)

  • Research: Powered Armor (WAR suits for Technicals) -> Plasma.
  • Weapons: Coilguns (the hidden tier between Mag and Plasma) are the best value in the game.
  • The Avatar Race: At this point, you should have 25 Colonels. Do the Forge/Codex coordinates/Waterworld back-to-back. Do not stop to smell the roses.

Part 4: The Tactical Layer – Fighting the "Long War" Way

Part II: The Five Hidden Resources

Your soldiers have visible stats (Aim, HP, Mobility) and five invisible ones. Manage these or lose.

  1. Yellow Alert: Every pod on the map has a hidden "awareness" meter. If you fight a long, four-turn firefight with one pod, every other pod on the map is walking toward the noise. Solution: Kill pods in 2 turns or less. If a fight goes to Turn 3, you are now fighting the entire map, not one pod.

  2. Fatigue (The Real Wound): In vanilla, gravely wounded means 20 days out. In Long War, a soldier who uses two abilities in a mission might be "Tired" for 8 days. A soldier who uses no abilities is ready for the next mission in 2. Meta-strategy: Build a roster of 40 soldiers. Your "A-team" is a myth. You have an "A-pool" of 12, a "B-pool" of 15, and a "C-pool" of sacrificial Shinobis who only run overwatch.

  3. Infiltration Percentage: The timer you see is a lie. What matters is disguised infiltration. A squad at 100% infiltration faces the intended enemy count. A squad at 150% infiltration reduces enemy strength by 30%. A squad at 50% (sprinting with 8 soldiers) doubles the enemy count. Golden rule: Never launch a mission below 100% unless it's a retaliation. One extra gun does not justify fighting two extra pods. Do NOT advance further

  4. Scanners (Not the Item, the Mindset): A Battle Scanner doesn't just reveal enemies; it reveals empty space. Knowing where the enemy isn't is more valuable than knowing where they are. Throw a scanner at the extraction zone. If it's clear, dash to it. If it reveals a pod, you just avoided a squad wipe.

  5. The Shaken State: When a soldier bleeds out but survives, they become "Shaken." They lose will and gain negative traits (e.g., "Fear of Psionic Attacks"). Most players dismiss them. Wrong. A Shaken soldier with a Stock and a Scope on a Resistance haven jailbreak mission is still a legal soldier. Use them as "Operation Fodder" on very easy missions to cure their trauma. Burning a soldier for one mission to regain a Sergeant is a fair trade.

7. Mods to Pair with Long War 2

  • Evac All (saves 50 clicks per mission).
  • Gotcha Again (better LoS indicators – critical for flamethrower/shoot-through-walls).
  • RoboJumper’s Squad Select (handles fatigue/gear presets).

Base Management & Facilities

The Ultimate XCOM 2: Long War 2 Guide – From Panic to Victory

If you’ve clicked on this article, you’ve likely already heard the stories. You’ve heard that Long War 2 (LW2) isn’t just a mod; it’s a total conversion that turns XCOM 2 into a grueling, months-long guerilla campaign. You’ve heard about the 100+ soldiers, the infiltration mechanics, and the brutal "RNG" that makes the vanilla game feel like a tutorial.

You might be asking yourself: Is it playable? Can I actually win?

The answer is yes. But you cannot play Long War 2 like you play vanilla XCOM. The rules have changed. This guide is your field manual for surviving the early game, managing the geo-scape, and eventually taking the fight to the Elders.