In the realm of tactical combat within your favorite strategy games, Squad Leaders and Pilots play pivotal roles. While both types serve as commanders, they have unique attributes, functions, and abilities that can dramatically impact your gaming experience. Let’s break down the distinct characteristics of these leaders, how you can recruit them, expand your roster, promote them, and how their unique perks can synergize for powerful strategies.
Distinguishing Between Squad Leaders and Pilots
Squad Leaders
Squad Leaders embody the essence of your infantry, representing your boots-on-the-ground operations. They excel in close-quarter engagements and are vital for coordinating ground strategies. Each Squad Leader possesses unique stats that enhance through experience, reflecting their growth and development.
Pilots
On the other hand, Pilots serve as high-impact fire support utilizing various vehicles, providing your team with heavy artillery and strategic mobility. Each Pilot’s abilities complement the Squad Leaders, making them indispensable during key operations.
Both Troops bring necessary flexibility to your forces, allowing you to adapt to the many challenges presented in-game, such as confronting enemies and overcoming obstacles.
Recruiting Squad Leaders and Pilots
Initial Choices
When you initiate your journey, you’re given a menu of four Squad Leaders and Pilots to choose from, selected from a larger pool of eight characters. This first team is crucial, and while you should explore your options thoroughly, it’s advisable to ensure at least one Pilot is part of your starting roster.
Gaining New Leaders
To acquire additional Squad Leaders or Pilots, you must visit the black market and purchase either a Squad Leader Dossier or a Pilot Dossier. Once you acquire these documents, you can access the “Hiring” tab to recruit new leaders for 30 Authority points.
Maintaining a high Authority score is critical, as low Authority can complicate troop management in battle. It’s wise to recruit new members during periods of high Authority—preferably above 90—to optimize your effectiveness.
Expanding Your Roster
While you typically field a limited number during missions, expanding your roster beyond that number is strategic. Here’s why:
Diverse Perks: Different Squad Leaders and Pilots come with distinct abilities and perks. Tailoring your team to the mission at hand requires flexibility in roster selection.
Risk of Injuries: The Wayback is perilous; your leaders can become incapacitated or even fall in battle. Having backups is essential to maintain operational effectiveness.
Manage Exhaustion: Rotating leaders helps mitigate exhaustion, which can occur when a leader participates in consecutive missions. Watch for the “Weary” status and allow tired leaders to recuperate.
Promoting Squad Leaders and Pilots
Importance of Promotions
Promotion points are earned by completing missions, which unlocks additional perks for your leaders in the Squads menu. Promoting your squad leaders enhances their capabilities and stats, equipping them with unique abilities that align with your strategic focus.
Costs and Benefits
Each Squad Leader and Pilot begins with a unique perk, which you can build upon through promotions. For instance, advancing a character like Lance Corporal Marta Carda requires 20 promotion points to gain her first additional perk, “Solid Grouping.” Cumulatively, this can unlock a wide array of abilities, increasing combat effectiveness but also raising their Supply Costs.
The Promotion Tax Table
| Rank | Promotion Cost |
|---|---|
| Lance Corporal | N/A |
| Corporal | 20 |
| Sergeant | 30 |
| Staff Sergeant | 40 |
| Gunnery Sergeant | 55 |
| Master Sergeant | 75 |
| First Sergeant | 100 |
| Rank 8 | 130 |
Promotion strategies involve the thoughtful selection of perks, allowing for specific synergies that can amplify their strengths in the field.
Unique Squad Leaders’ Perks
Jane Darby
As a leader of the 103rd Infantry Recon “Black Sleeves,” Jane Darby is adept at scouting and stealth. Her unique perk, High Value Targets, disables enemy specials for a turn, combined with perks like Scout, increasing her detection range. This makes her invaluable on intel-gathering missions.
Edwin Pike
A battle-hardened commander from the 1st Spaceborn Regiment, Pike boosts his allies with perks such as Inspiring Presence and the unique Taking Command, enhancing troop efficiency within the battlefield.
Tekko’Beo Phosa
Known for his unprofessional attitude, “Tech” is a powerhouse with the unique Get Motherfucked, allowing him to wield powerful weapons with ease, maximizing damage output against fortified targets.
Fedor Yazhov
Fedor embodies the wild spirit of a mercenary, utilizing perks like Fearsome to inflict morale damage while the unique No Mercy perk enhances his chances against wavering foes.
Marta Carda
Lacking in combat experience but filled with potential, Carda can provide support through healing and enhancing special weapon usage, making her essential for prolonged engagements.
Kody Griefinger
Known as a tactical terrorist, Griefinger brings versatility with perks that allow him to eliminate high-priority targets while maintaining a defensive edge with skills like Deploy Decoy.
Gabriel Exconde and Ivory Isom
Both excel in mobility and support roles. Exconde, with Sentry, amplifies defensive strategies, while Isom’s Zero In provides consistent accuracy, essential for hitting critical targets.
Achilleas Kainoo
Kainoo thrives on offensive strategies augmented by Spartan Duty, offering him an increasing AP boost as his health wanes, keeping him a formidable presence in battle.
Conclusion
Knowing the strengths, breeding paths, and unique perks of your Squad Leaders and Pilots allows for more tailored strategies. As you recruit, promote, and rotate your commanders, you’ll pave the way for efficient and effective battle tactics, leveraging their unique capabilities in the thick of chaotic engagements. As your team evolves, moving through their unique perks will become key in securing dominance over the challenges of the Wayback. Keep adapting, strategizing, and leading them to victory!