XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based strategy site where players take control of a squad to fight the alien invasion. The type of weapons that your squad uses has huge effects on their efficiency. Careful thought about weapon choices can make all the difference when going into difficult missions. This guide covers everything about weaponry in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, analyzing the weaponry, their uses and qualities, their pros and cons, and situations where they do or don’t work.
1. Categories of Weaponry
In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, there are categories of weapons:
Rifles
Shotguns
Sniper Rifles
Heavy Weapons
Pistols
EXALT Weapons (from Enemy Within expansion)
Every weapon category has certain characteristics and differs in terms of function on the battlefield. Knowing these techniques lets you choose the most apt weapons for your squad.
2. The Best Rifles
The rifle is the backbone of any squad in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It offers a great balance between damage, accuracy, and versatility with the best rifles being:
2.1. Laser Rifle
Features: The Laser Rifle is the first major step from the standard ballistic rifles and offers more damage and accuracy. It has a more rapid fire rate than the earlier rifles.
Strengths: It does more damage per shot than the earlier rifles and is pretty much good against most of the enemies you face in the mid-game. It also helps to bypass some of the armor types encountered later.
Weaknesses: Even though it is a substantial upgrade from a standard rifle, it just can’t pack as much of a punch as those newer ones. Apart from that, it doesn’t have any special effects or unique powers.
2.2. Plasma Rifle
Features: The Plasma Rifle is a deadly upgrade from the Laser Rifle, with better damage and accuracy. It is a considerable technological leap forward, an hence highly effective mostly against enemies.
Strengths: The Plasma Rifle can deal relatively high damage and, with perfect accuracy, can take out some of the heavily armored enemies. It stays in excellent hotness-based consideration throughout the latter stages of the game.
Weaknesses: Advanced research and resources are used to obtain this weapon. It can be too much for lower-tier enemy intakes.
2.3. Gauss Rifle (Enemy Within)
The Gauss Rifle is an attack-type hybrid weapon introduced through the Enemy Within expansion, combining very high levels of damage with the unique ability to penetrate enemy armor.
Strengths: This ability in penetrating the armor makes it more effective against heavily armored aliens. It has a good balance of accuracy damage.
Weaknesses: Like other advanced weapons, it is available only after significant progression in the game. It can be resource-intensive to upgrade and maintain.
3. Best Shotguns
Shotguns are quintessential close-range fighting weapons, putting out heavy damage in a short span of time. Some of the best shotguns include:
3.1. Laser Shotgun
Features: It goes further in dishing out damage than does the standard shotgun. The spread is very good for use in close-quarters engagements.
Strengths: High damage and wider spread make it perfect to dispatch enemies in a small vicinity or room. Hence it will be best carried by Assault class soldiers, who tend to find themselves quite often in close combat situations.
Weaknesses: In long-range, the Laser Shotgun loses some of its potency and has a hard time dealing with swift or well-armored foe. Additionally, the efficiency is less when enemies are scattered.
3.2. Plasma Shotgun
Features: It can dish out more damage and strike more accurately than the Laser Shotgun. With a wider spread, it is a deadly close-quarters weapon.
Strengths: They have an incredible base damage with a wide spread-effectiveness that would make any close-range assault soldier wish to have in his arsenal. When used correctly, it swiftly kills the enemy.
Weaknesses: Like the rest of the shotguns, it is not a very effective weapon against long-distance attacks and, worse, it can become less versatile in missions requiring distant engagement.
4. The Best Sniper Rifles
Sniper Rifles are the key guns of long-range support and high-value target-killing. Among the best sniper rifles are:
4.1. Laser Sniper Rifle
Features: The Laser Sniper Rifle produces higher damage and more accuracy than the standard sniper rifle, and is thus a potent instrument of long-range engagement.
Strengths: The damage and precision of Laser Sniper Rifle are sufficient to pick off very important targets from very long distance, but this is especially true when used in conjunction with powers that increase critical hit chance.
Weaknesses: Less useful at close range, for the Laser Sniper Rifle is best kept at a distanceinking careful positioning.
4.2. The Plasma Sniper Rifle
Features: The Plasma Sniper Rifle does provide an important increase in damage and accuracy over the Laser Sniper Rifle, placing it in the top tier for high-priority target engagements.
Strengths: High damage output and precision make it suitable against most enemies, even those with heavy armor. It is really important to be able to take down the tougher enemies at range from a place of safety.
Weaknesses: It requires a lot of research and resources to get and upgrade, much like other advanced weapons. And, its efficiency gets left behind when the foe arrives within close range or if the Sniper is not quite well placed.
5. Best Heavy Weapons
Heavy Weapons were built to dish out massive damage and control the battlefield. The best heavy weapons include:
5.1. Rocket Launcher
Features: The Rocket Launcher fires a high-explosive rocket that deals devastating AOE damage, perfect for breaking down enemy cover and chasing after groups of enemies.
Weaknesses: Rocket Launcher ammunition is limited, whereas it works against precise and stealth moves. The weapon can also be inconvenient against enemies that have a scattered approach.
Strengths: Ability to clear large areas and destroy IED cover makes it valuable in missions where battlefield control is important. It works very well against clusters of enemies or heavily fortified positions.
5.2. Plasma Cannon
Features: It is yet another heavy energy weapon that delivers a short concentrated range of spittle. It stands a little higher than the Rocket Launcher in both damage and accuracy.
Strengths: It combines high damage with accuracy, which it uses to great effect on armored and high-value targets. It is a very balanced weapon, being terrifying in power but unsure in precision.
Weaknesses: It suffers from the same weaknesses as the bigger heavy weapons; less so in missions demanding swift action and pinpoint accuracy. Sometimes this weapon can be overly high in damage ever to be economically wise to employ.
6. Best Pistols
The pistols are secondary weapons that find utility in a range of situations. Normally, they deal less damage compared to primary weapons but some pistols get away with a particular high value of their own.
6.1. Laser Pistol
Features: The Laser Pistol delivers moderate damage boosts compared to the standard pistol. It serves as a dependable backup for soldiers needing that second weapon for close-quarters confrontation.
Strengths: It serves as a good secondary weapon due to its increased damage, coupled with excellent accuracy. Ideal for a soldier who might have to rely on it as the primary weapon in tight situations.
Weaknesses: Generally speaking, pistols don’t deal as much damage as primary weapons; hence, they might not be all that great when it comes to high-stake situations.
6.2. Plasma Pistol
Features: The Plasma Pistol, in comparison with the Laser Pistol, brings more damage and accuracy to an already potent secondary weapon.
Strengths: It holds an advantage with its high damage and reliability, making it the go-to secondary firearm especially when a primary is impractical.
Cons: Like all pistols, it inflicts less damage than primary weapons and is less effective in harder situations.
7. Exalt Weapons (from Enemy Within)
Introduced in Enemy Within, Exalt weapons offer more possibilities to the players. These are weapons wielded by the Exalt faction and include:
7.1. Exalt Rifle
Features: The Exalt Rifle is supposed to perform somewhat like the basic rifles but with a few differences. It is thus a good, balanced choice if you ever come up against Exalt enemies.
Strengths: Balanced in damage and accuracy, it can be thrown into many different situations with varying degrees of success. It evenly straddles the line between top performance with weapons and resource investment.
Weaknesses: It might not provide the same power and specialization offered by the more advanced weaponry but is a very dependable alternative to go after Exalt forces.
7.2. Exalt Shotgun
Features: Offering considerable damage in close-quarters combat, this shotgun exhibits traits like other shotguns but with some unique attributes.
Strengths: ma goodin tight spaces and can do really heavy damage at close ranges. Depending on your point of view, it is equally as good as other shotguns.
Weaknesses: It really tends to hold no value if working in longer distances or requiring great aim or stealth in an assignment.
8. Choosing the Best Weapons
Different criteria, like mission-specific objectives, enemy types, and squad combinations, affect the choice of best weapons to use in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The following are some aspects to take into account when selecting the best weapons:
8.1. Mission Objectives
Assault Missions: For missions demanding aggressive engagement, the Plasma Rifle and Plasma Shotgun serve high-damage purposes and can do very well having an offensive capacity at close quarters.
Area Control: When fighting to control the largest area or break enemy cover, the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Cannon rule!
Precision and Support: The Plasma Sniper Rifle and Laser Pistol are perfect for situations requiring accuracy; the Plasma Sniper Rifle takes down a target at long range, while the Laser Pistol provides solid backup at close quarters. Support roles again should incorporate weapons that allow for maximum versatility or adaptability within the squad.
8.2. Enemy Types
Armored Enemies: Heavy armor on enemies calls for weapons of high damage or anti-armoring capability. Plasma Rifles and Gauss Rifles are perfect for such foes, while Rocket Launchers can clear out groups of heavily armored enemies.
Swarm Enemies: For enemies coming in large numbers, weapons with an area effect come in handy: Rocket Launchers and Plasma Cannons qualify here. The Laser Shotgun having a wide spread is also great against multiple enemies in close quarters.
8.3. Squad Formation
Balanced: For balanced squads, a combination of rifles and shotguns can bring flexibility. Plasma rifles provide high damage against a wide variety of enemies, while the Laser Shotgun offers capability in close combat.
Specialized Roles: If the squad contains specialized roles such as snipers or heavy weapons specialists, then that equipment needs to be the best. In brief: Snipers benefit greatly from the Plasma Sniper Rifle while heavy weapons personnel derive the most value from the Rocket Launcher or the Plasma Cannon.
9. Advanced Weapon Tactics
The effective utilization of weapons in X-COM: Enemy Unknown, in application, also pertains to their tactical employment:
9.1. Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Mods: These serve as modifications applied to weapons to enhance their capabilities. For example, an autoloader allows a weapon to fire more often; a scope enhances its accuracy.
Customization: Weapons can be customized to suit a particular role inside one’s squad to improve effectiveness in different situations, such as supplying snipers with scopes and assault officers with extended magazines.
9.2. Positioning and Cover
Optimal Positioning: To get the greatest use out of the weapon, your soldiers must be placed in an advantageous position-the high ground or behind cover. A sniper positioned on the high ground will do better, and therefore his visibility and accuracy will be enhanced.
Using the Cover: If cover is used adequately, it will lessen the chances of enemy hits and also provide maximum weapon utilization. Weapons that deliver a lot of damage can quickly finish an enemy hiding behind the cover.
9.3. Overwatch and Reaction Fire
Overwatch: Using weapons in Overwatch allows soldiers to shoot enemies during the movement phase. Put weapons with high accuracy and damage to successful use during overwatch.
Reaction Fire: Weapons with high damage potential are best for reaction fire, so that soldiers can attempt to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemies moving into their line of sight.
10. Comparative Analysis
To offer a detailed picture of the best weapons, one must perform the comparative analysis of key weapons:
10.1. Laser Rifle vs. The Plasma Rifle
Damage Power: The Plasma Rifle is better at damage than the Laser Rifle, making it more desirable against tough foes.
Accuracy: Both rifles are accurate, but their slight advantage comes from the Plasma Rifle having greater damage when faced with tougher encounters.
10.2. Laser Shotgun vs. Plasma Shotgun
Damage Output: The Plasma Shotgun is capable of dealing more damage as compared to a Laser Shotgun and hence fares better in perilous close-quarter encounters.
Range and Spread: Both shotguns make for excellent short-range weapons, with the Plasma Shotgun gaining a bigger edge due to its damage advantage.
10.3. Plasma Sniper Rifle vs. Laser Sniper Rifle.
Damage and Precision: As compared to the Laser Sniper Rifle, the Plasma Sniper Rifle is better in terms of greater damage and precision and is the weapon for dealing with high-priority targets.
Resource Requirement: The Plasma Sniper requires the consumption of more resources and research, which is well justified due to its enhancements.
10.4. Rocket Launcher vs. Plasma Cannon
Area-of-Effect: Both can deliver decent AOE damage, but the Plasma Cannon delivers finer precision and potency.
Utility: The Rocket Launcher is more suited for wiping out clusters of enemies, whereas the Plasma Cannon is more dedicated to precision strikes.
11. Conclusion
Selecting the best weapon in XCOM: Enemy Unknown is contingent upon several factors, such as mission objectives, enemy types, and squad composition. A thorough understanding of pros and cons of all weapons thus goes a long way in enabling the player to customize the arsenal to fit their own playstyle and the challenges at hand.
Laser Rifles and Plasma Rifles strike a balance between damage and accuracy, making them sufficient for most occasions. Shotguns, such as the LaserShotgun and Plasma Shotgun, have servicability in close quarters, with Sniper Rifles-later, the Plasma Sniper Rifle-for long-range coverage. Heavy Weapons like the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Cannon are best for taking out groups and enemies that have heavy armor.
In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the best weapons are those that suit your tactical approach and those needed for each particular mission. Choosing and upgrading the right weapons will optimize the player’s efficiency and allow them to successfully survive in the testing yet immersive environment of XCOM: Enemy Unknown.