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XCOM 2 Game Guide by gamepressure.com

XCOM 2 Game Guide

Table of Contents

Unlocking skills using AP | Character development XCOM 2: War of the Chosen Game Guide

Last update: 05 September 2017

Since we've already covered the way of obtaining APs by soldiers, we should now focus on spending the points. The AP are used to inlock additional abilities of regular soldiers (those available in core game). These points replaced the Advanced Warfare Center from the core game. In case of Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars, thins are a bit different - they use the APs as regular skillpoints.

The AP skilltree. - Unlocking skills using AP | Character development - Character development - XCOM 2 Game Guide
The AP skilltree.

When these classes gain a new level, they don't choose one of two skills, but one of 3 (tops). Furthermore, they can even unlock a few of them at once - if they have enough AP. Regular soldiers get 3 to 10 AP for each level. In case of the new soldiers, the amount is much higher - it still depends on Combat Intelligence, but is always able to unlock at least one ability. This allows them to unlock some of the lower-tier skills (and some of them are more powerful than the higher ones - more about that later on).

How to use these points? There are two ways of doing this:

  1. In case of Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars, you just enter the abilities tab of the given character and you're all set to spend the available APs.
  2. In case of the remaining units, you will need a Training Center.
The facility for unlocking abilities. - Unlocking skills using AP | Character development - Character development - XCOM 2 Game Guide
The facility for unlocking abilities.

After building the facility, you will be able to use the Train Abilities option. After activating it, you just need to choose the soldier you want to develop and you will see a skill tree identical to that seen in case of new classes, where the regular abilities are seen (2 for each rank), as well as some additional ones, borrowed from other classes. In this tab, you can unlock anything that you have ability points for. This allows a lot of flexibility in creating soldiers.

Below, you will find all the abilities:

Ability

Effect

Ever Vigilant

If a soldier uses all his action points, he automatically enters the Vigilance mode.

Guardian

If Vigilance is active, it gives a 50% chance that after a successful shot a soldier will perform another attack.

The ability can be activated as many times as you like.

Covering Fire

Activates attacks in the Vigilance mode in an enemy makes an action; not only if they move.

Salvo

Shooting grenades or heavy weapons doesn't end the turn for the given soldier.

Shredder

Soldier's attacks pierce enemy's armor.

Hail of Bullets

Fires a series of projectiles that have 100% chances of hitting the target.

Uses a lot of ammo.

Blast Padding

Gives 1 additional armor point to a soldier and reduces explosion damage by 66%.

Volatile Mix

The range of grenades in increased by 1 and deal 2 damage more.

Chain Shot

Take a shot with -15 accuracy penalty; if it reaches the target, you have another shot.

Holo Targeting

Each shot that misses the enemy also marks them, giving a +15 accuracy bonus for the rest of the team when shooting to that particular enemy.

Rapture

Perform an attack with 100% chance of critical hit and marks the target, making it receive +3 damage with every subsequent attack.

Deadeye

Take a shot with minor accuracy penalty (-25), but major damage boost (+50%).

Serial

With every sniper rifle kill, the soldier gets all their action points back.

Kill Zone

Shoots at every enemy moving within the given area.

Death From Above

Killing an enemy who stands lower than the player costs only one action point and doesn't end the turn.

Aim

After taking cover (Hunker Down) the soldier will get a +20 accuracy bonus in the next round.

Deep Cover

If the soldier didn't attack during the turn, he'll Hunker Down.

Rapid Fire

Allows you to shoot 2 times, each shot getting a -15 penalty.

Has no cooldown.

Phantom

If the team is revealed, the soldier remains concealed.

Untouchable

If a soldier kills an enemy, the next shot taken at him has a 100% chance of miss.

Shadowstep

The soldier doesn't provoke the negative effects of Reaction Fire and Overwatch.

Run and Gun

Allows you one action after sprint.

The skill requires 3 turns to cool down.

Implacable

If a soldier kills an enemy during a turn, they're granted one movement point.

Lightning Reflexes

The first Vigilant shot at this soldier always misses.

Some remarks:

  1. Some of the soldiers have a better chance of winning an Ability from a particular tree. For example: Reapers have a much better chance of getting the Sniper ability than other soldiers.
  2. In the table above you won't find abilities that cannot be used by other classes. These are abilities such as hacker abilities of the Specialist class, melee attacks of Ranger (even though they are available to Templars and Regenades) or those associated with using Grenadier's grenade launcher.
  3. The cost of most abilities isn't dependant on their original level (i.e. the rank at which they're unlocked), but some are classified as "super" - these always cost 25AP.
  4. Some abilities are particularly interesting. Namely the Blast Padding skill, that grants a soldier 1 additional armor point and explosives damage reduction; Untouchable, which grants immunity for 1 attack after they kill an enemy; and Shredder, which makes regular bullets penetrate enemy armor.
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