By Ivan Sorensen, Lead Designer
Art: Christian Quinot 

 

The beating heart of XCOM: The Miniatures Game is the squad you command in battle. You lead the same troopers throughout missions, and your success depends on their ability to stand up to the alien menace and your ability to use each one effectively. 

 

Stats!

 

Each soldier has a Troop Profile. Your operatives are rated for:

• Initiative, familiar to Five Parsecs From Home players, determines when an operative acts in the game turn. 
• Speed governs your operative’s movement speed and agility.
• Combat Skill covers your operative’s weapons training and ability to take down foes.
• Toughness is an operative’s physical endurance and health. 
• Morale represents your operative’s courage and discipline under fire. 
• Will is a mysterious additional value that is not unlocked until later in the campaign (wonder what that could be for?).

 

When they set foot on the battlefield for the first time, your XCOM operatives are but Rookies. They may have a unique quirk setting them apart, but it is not until after their first mission that they truly develop.

 

From Rookie to Veteran…

 

As XCOM operatives take part in missions, they receive their Class: Support, Assault, Heavy, or Sniper. These classes unlock XCOM’s advanced weaponry options. Each comes with a unique Squad Ability. 

For example, the Heavy has Suppression, the ability to lay down punishing suppressing fire with its machine gun; meanwhile, Assault has Close Combat Specialist, the ability to shoot twice in a turn at enemies within 4”.   

 

Squad Abilities are limited to one use per game turn, so choose carefully!

 

…From Strength to Strength

 

As the operatives complete more missions, they progress in one of two ways: First, their combat profile improves as they become better shots and meaner, leaner killing machines. Second, they get promotions, which improve their ability to lead their comrades into battle and bolster their Morale.

 

As the campaign unfolds, additional options become available, including the genetically enhanced Gene Modded Trooper, the esoteric Psi Operative, and the fearsome MEC Trooper, who truly teaches the meaning of ‘heavy metal’ to whichever hapless Sectoid wanders into its line of fire.

 

Photography: Fatima Martín Pérez, Sculpt: Sean Bullough. Painter: Rosie Williams

 

“Tell my kids, I—”

 

But not all is fun and games. XCOM: The Miniatures Game is a game with stakes. Just as in the video game, tabletop casualties may not survive to fight another day. Players are advised to train up additional troopers by swapping operatives out between missions to avoid an unfortunate alien grenade costing you multiple high-ranking and experienced troopers. 

 

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