Rock Paper Sectoid: RPS vs. The Alien Menace

[Lacessit]

If you don't get through enough snipers, feel free to alter me into an assault or somesuch. I'm just quite keen to hop out of the trench and give Fritz a right walloping! Hit for six, right-oh and Bernard's your uncle!

[Flint]

If you need any more filler troops, feel me to throw me into my untimely death as well!

[Sparkasaurusmex]

I am a bit confused. Are DarkFenix and Arathain doing this together (or same person?) or is it just two different playthroughs featuring the same names?

[arathain]

Have you ever seen up together in the same room? What does that tell you, eh?

DarkFenix is doing a seperate playthrough using the list I have posted, as far as I can tell. If anyone else uses the RPSers I, for one, would very much like to know how you get on.

[Sparkasaurusmex]

Thanks for clearing that up! Cool, two chances to be a hero!

[MadJax]

Jax's Playthrough:

Well, I've started the list now (I'm in August now) that I've been through friends and family (My memorial room is a bit cramped). I current sit with one of my original starting 4 (John "Buzz" Aldred - Heavy) at the rank of Colonel with 24 missions and 55 kills under his belt. After my usual squad was wiped out down to 2 people from 6 during my first encounter with Berserkers, Sectoid Commanders and a bastard Cyberdisc, I had a fresh squad of Squaddies (Officer upgrade, no rookies in my teams any more) made up of a Major Heavy ("Liandra"), a friend "Daisy" (Support), Jim(Support), Alec (Sniper), Kieron (Assault) and Tom Francis(Assault).

We were sent to a large UFO which had landed in Mexico. It seemed nice a clear with some slow progression until we came to the huge opening in the rear of the craft, Mutons and Berserkers streamed out (Ok, like 6 mutons and 2 berserkers) destroying the sparse cover we hid behind. Jim was the first casualty as the reaction shot flew past the first berserker and we was unceremoniously parted from every bone in his body, leaving nought but a stain to prove he existed.

The fight was hard with Liandra, Tom and Kieron leading the way, supported by Daisy at the rear and Alec covering from the treeline. Eventually they made their way into the bowels of the UFO to be confronted by 3 sectoids. After what they'd just been through, I made the classic Xcom mistake, I underestimated them and got cocky. The sectoids let loose, grazing Tom, which cause Kieron to panic ( which in the most awesome way possible caused him to destroy a sectoid which previously had a 20% chance of being hit). However this wasn't enough as the remaining two took potshots at Tom once more, the final shot taking his head clean off. Thats when the "FFFFUUUU" moment came as a Cyberdisc rounded the UFO and lit up Alec like a christmas tree. The screams... the fire...

Needless to say the remaining 3 co-ordinated and took the silver bastard down.

More from me as I continue :)

[Makariel]

If anyone else uses the RPSers I, for one, would very much like to know how you get on.

I intend to start classic ironman (skipping the tutorial, who needs such a thing?) with the RPS crew next week (unfortunately I have to travel for work the next couple of days, no way to play XCom). What could possibly go wrong?

[DarkFenix]

I do believe congratulations are in order, Colonel Makariel. You made it to my first top ranked soldier, surviving 14 missions with a tally of 26 aliens.

My primary squad currently consists of:
Colonel 'Spitfire' Makariel leading the team in an assault role, with aforementioned 26 kills from 14 missions.
Major 'Devil Dog' AlexClockwork as his partner in shotgun-toting crime, 18 kills across 11 missions.
Major 'Fast Lane' Lasikbear as the team's chief medic, 9 kills from 13 missions.
Captain 'Stacks' Splynter backing up Lasikbear in support, 6 kills from 9 missions.
Major 'Claymore' Gorzan is the team's marksman, popping 9 heads in 9 missions.
And last but not least we have Captain 'Kong' Sunjumper bringing up the big guns with 6 kills from 5 missions.

My campaign's only casualty remains Lieutenant 'Kingpin' Tikey.

I've been taking my time thus far, allowing myself to complete missions and research aplenty without hurrying along the main mission line too much. I've just reached the underground base mission, my squad are packing carapace armour and mostly laser weapons (except my supports, who have light plasma now). I feel invincible, which means I'm going to get screwed so damn hard at some point in the near future, then I will cry. Still, high ranked assaults manning the line with 18+ hp aren't easy nuts to crack for any enemy.

[Tikey]

:(

I'm dying too much for my liking.

[arathain]

I respect your unquenchable bravery as much as it is possible, Tikey, but to be perfectly frank I really wish you had learned to shoot straight.

[lasikbear]

Glad to see I am doing well in at least two playthroughs! Really regretting buying a boxed copy and then deciding I was too cheap to go for release day shipping.

[Makariel]

I do believe congratulations are in order, Colonel Makariel. You made it to my first top ranked soldier, surviving 14 missions with a tally of 26 aliens.

/salute
Just doing my job, Sir.

I like the ring of Col. 'Spitfire' Makariel :D and am a bit surprised to hear that assaults have a relatively good life expectancy, all things considered. My initial thought was that support or heavy's would have the best chances of going through in one piece.

[Kadayi]

Throw us in a sniper slot as and when

[Gorzan]

Well, seeing how there's one colonel, two captains and three majors, odds say a major will die next. Wich means odds say I might die next.
It's a luck I chose the most safe of the roles!

[DarkFenix]

Assault troopers do indeed seem to last surprisingly long. Their entire skill set seems to revolve around either making themselves hard to kill, or making anything that gets near them die very quickly. Support draw the enviable task of running across a battlefield with a medkit.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, my casualty-free spell is over with the death of Major AlexClockwork, taken by that cruel underground base mission. All the health in the world won't help when you're pinned down then your cover gets destroyed.

Edit: Haha @ your ninja prophecy Gorzan.

[Tikey]

I respect your unquenchable bravery as much as it is possible, Tikey, but to be perfectly frank I really wish you had learned to shoot straight.

But I play games therefore I should be a heartless killing machine!

[Splynter]

Well, things are going alright in my current campaign. Currently prepping for an assault on an enemy base, and dreading the results of that mission.

EDIT: Disaster! Had to pull out of an abduction mission when a whole bunch of Mutons and a Berserker took out 4 soldiers with their ability to wreck cover and soak up damage. With 3 veterans down in one mission, I'm going to be hard pressed to get my squad back up to fighting shape, not to mention the spreading panic levels. All this just one day away from the completion of Titan armour. They could have made it! A vigil was held down in the barracks for Disco, Scarecrow and Moose tonight.

My current named squad members:

Cpt. Alex "Trip" Clockwork: Assault with 17 kills in 11 missions.
Sgt. Drake "Nix" Sigar: Sniper with 4 kills in 4 missions.
Sq. Drayk: Sniper with 1 kill in 1 mission.

Casualties:

Mounting, tragic casualties.

Cpl. Makariel: Assault with 11 kills in 4 missions.
Cpl. LasikBear: Support with 4 kills in 5 missions. (Oops, double name there, seems like you have another shot at glory!)
Sq. Gorzan: Sniper with 1 kill in 2 missions.
Maj. Daniel "Enigma" Bell: Sniper with 29 kills in 13 missions. My most trusted instrument of death. Taken out in the open by a bastard Cyber Disk.
Cpt. "Disco" Arathain: Heavy with 3 kills in 2 missions.
Lt. Lasik "Scarecrow" Bear: Support with 11 kills in 5 missions.
Cpt. "Moose" Tikey: Heavy with 11 kills in 10 missions.

[Tikey]

Yay I'm alive in somebody's game!

[Splynter]

Yay I'm alive in somebody's game!

Well, that didn't last long...

[Tikey]

SADFACE

I'm the new Kenny :(