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Incubation Walkthrough - Original Campaign

This is for the original "Scay'Hallwa" campaign.  I played through the entire campaign in an unmodified version 1.52e of the game, following these rules:

The game has a certain element of randomness, so you can't always follow what I've done as an exact script.  Your soldiers may not gain experience in exactly the same way as mine, and may not be able to use the same equipment.  To try to keep things reasonable I always left a commendation or two in the bank, so you can bump up units that are trailing what I describe here.

The "goals" for each mission always include "Bratt must survive", and usually mandate the survival of any NPCs that are along.  I don't list that in the mission descriptions below.

Unrelated to this walkthrough, you can find a 14-hour series of "let's play" videos, by Willy Wonka, on youtube.

Missions:

  1. Mission 1: Secure the Halls
  2. Mission 2: Enter Another Hall
  3. Mission 3a: Way to the Power Station
  4. Mission 3b: Street Fight Area (preferred)
  5. Mission 4: The Portal
  6. Mission 5: Enter the Power Station
  7. Mission 6: Find Dr. Reich
  8. Mission 7: Escort Dr. Reich
  9. Mission 8a: Advance to the Fort
  10. Mission 8b: Lead the Second Attack Path (preferred)
  11. Mission 9a: Way to the Fort A
  12. Mission 9b: Way to the Fort B
  13. Mission 10: In Front of the Fort
  14. Mission 11: Conquer the Fort
  15. Mission 12: The Hole
  16. Mission 13: Under-City
  17. Mission 14: Heaters
  18. Mission 15: Cross the Drawbridge
  19. Mission 16: The Nest
  20. Mission 17: Rescue the Wounded Unit
  21. Mission 18a: Defend Path A
  22. Mission 18b: Defend Path B (preferred)
  23. Mission 19a: Footbridge Path A
  24. Mission 19b: Footbridge Path B
  25. Mission 20: Statue Park
  26. Mission 21: The Aid Station
  27. Mission 22: Residential Area #1
  28. Mission 23: Residential Area #2
  29. Mission 24: To the Flak Battery
  30. Mission 25: Halls #1
  31. Mission 26: Halls #2
  32. Mission 27: Rutherford Rescue
  33. Mission 28: Spaceport #1
  34. Mission 29: Spaceport #2

Prep 1: Supply Shuttle Alpha

Buy advanced combat guns for Bratt (already has the skills) and Maxon (spend one skill point). Maxon will be a designated heavy weapons guy, but you need to live long enough to find some, so spend the Light Weapons point now.

Briefing: First Action.  Corporals Caro, Kelly, and Bratt are given their orders by Captain Rutherford.

Mission 1: Secure the Halls

mission1.png (202962 bytes)
Goal: Kill all enemies.
Enemies: Ray'Ther (10)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 0
Commendations: 0

Place Bratt in the northwest starting point, Maxon below him, West in the third slot. Move each unit one step west and enter defense mode. Repeat twice more to kill the mobile enemies, then move into the doorway. Next turn, rush Bratt through, moving toward the ammo crate, while the other two look north/northwest and defend. Defend next turn to kill the Ray'Ther when they come in range. Shoot any you don't get.

Move Bratt one north, look east, and defend. That should draw the last two out of hiding.

Victory on turn 9, 10 kills, +0 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 1 / Prep 2: Supply Shuttle Alpha

Nothing new to get, unless West got a lot of kills.

Mission 2: Enter Another Hall

mission02.png (206498 bytes)
Goal: One unit must reach designated exit point.
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 18)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 1 (50pts)
Commendations: 0

On the first door, put Bratt in the center, Maxon north of him, and West to the south. Move up to the door and hold position. Next turn, have Bratt open the door and shoot the Ray'Ther, and have West and Maxon go into defense mode.

Set up on door two. One person opens, the person on the left shoots the visible Ray'Ther, everybody defends. Move in, one soldier collecting the box (50pts).

The third one is a trick, because Ray'Ther start spawning as soon as the door opens. You want to use bayonets if possible to conserve ammo and avoid overheating. Put West in front of the door, Bratt north of him, and Maxon west of Bratt.

Next turn, West opens the door, end everybody defends (Bratt looking into the doorway). Maxon covers the nearby hatch with his bayonet. Next turn, back West up one step, so that Maxon has a shot if they get in close.

Sit and wait for the Ray'Ther to charge. Let Maxon bayonet the close ones and use defense mode for point-blank shots on the rest. They should finish up on turn 13, at which point you head to the exit.

Victory on turn 15, 19 kills, +50 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 2 / Prep 3ab: Supply Shuttle Alpha, Battlefield

Some weapons and equipment in Battlefield, but nothing you can use yet. If West has enough experience you can upgrade him to an Advanced Combat Gun.

You have a choice of missions. I went with Street Fight Area (3b), because you pick up an extra soldier.

Briefing: Rutherford's Office.  The unpopular Sergeant Krieger becomes personal adjutant to General Urelis.  Bratt gets to pick his path to the power station.

Mission 3a: Way to the Power Station

mission03a.png (231999 bytes)
Goal: Reach the bridge with two soldiers
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 55), Ray'Coo (1)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 2 (50pts, 10pts)
Commendations: 0

The plan is to have Maxon defend the entrance on the right while Bratt and West push forward. Put Bratt top left, West top right, and Maxon at the bottom. The stranded soldier (Casso) will kill Ray'Ther at the grate, moving steadily toward the center area, taking one step and defending.

Turn 1: move the three units up at full speed. Leave Maxon standing in front of the entrance, from which 1-2 Ray'Ther will appear each turn. Move Casso all the way west.

Turn 2: Bratt/West run past the 1-2 Ray'Ther, allowing Maxon to shoot or bayonet them. Maxon takes one or two steps toward his eventual position immediately south of the ammo box.

Keep moving the units toward each other, Casso one step at a time, Bratt/West at full speed.

Turn 4: Casso gets clear of the barrel, which Bratt pushes westward. Bratt moves south and prepares to shove the other one south, West moves one step west and defends.

At this point a Ray'Coo will leap at you. Kill him with a bayonet (hopefully West's defensive fire did some damage). Have Bratt push the barrel south into the oncoming Ray'Ther and set defense mode, while Casso faces north and defends. West takes a step forward, so he's above the doorway, and defends facing NW.

The way south is clear, but they're still coming at you from above. You need to move Casso closer to Maxon so the two can trade off when weapons get hot, and they can continue to cover the north passage while Bratt and West move south.

Have Bratt push (or just shoot) the barrel and move south. (Note that barrels explode when hit, damaging everything around them. Don't bayonet a barrel.) West takes a step south and defends facing north, Casso takes a step east and defends facing west.

Next turn, rush West through the door and move Bratt a step north and defend. Casso takes one more step east and defends with his last bullet. Maxon, who is still gutting 1-2 guys each turn with his bayonet, should be directly below the ammo box.

Next turn, Casso sprints toward the ammo box. Maxon provides defensive cover if the bad guys allow it, but West and Bratt need to shoot and defend to cover his retreat. (If they're close enough to the door, the Ray'Ther will charge them instead of chasing Casso, which is why Bratt needed to move north last turn.)

Next turn, everybody but Maxon runs. Bratt and West are about out of ammo, and Casso needs some space to reload before he can be useful. If they all move the full distance allowed they won't get hit.

Next turn, Casso reloads and defends. The goal is to have him stand next to Maxon, allowing them to bayonet one enemy each and then defend. Bratt and West rush south, only stopping to open the equipment crates.

At this point you can move to the exit points, achieving victory on turn 11, or you can just sit and shoot fish in a barrel until Casso and Maxon are running low on ammo. In theory if you set up right you can stay here indefinitely, but on difficulty level 3 I'm not sure that's a viable option. I did not get a commendation for finishing on turn 11, so there's no real incentive for finishing early, and you can get an extra 20 or so kills before Casso and Maxon run dry.

Victory on turn 17, 56 kills, +60 equipment, 0 commendations.

Mission 3b: Street Fight Area (preferred)

mission03b.png (210514 bytes)
Goal: Keep Lee and Bakee alive for 12 turns
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 60), Ray'Coo (2)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 3 (20, 20, 10)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: West is in the northern slot, Maxon below him, Bratt to the east.

Most of the enemies will be coming from the northwest and center, so you want to have two defenders at the door near the equipment boxes. You should be able to shoot center enemies from both of the top doorways and from the south doorway, allowing you to clear out the center while moving soldiers with bayonets near the center grate. You can't win this one with gunfire using the weapons you have now.

Turn 1: have Bakee (carrying a Light Combat Gun) move directly in front of the door to his left. Have Lee (with an Advanced Combat Gun) move two north and one east, just outside the doorway. Up top, have Maxon and West move toward the equipment boxes, while Bratt shoves the barrel in the east southward to block that approach and then takes a step west.

Turn 2: Bakee closes the door, takes up a diagonal position next to Lee on the open doorway, and with his remaining AP shoots whatever he can. Lee defends. A couple of Ray'Coos will jump in near Maxon; two strokes of his bayonet will take care of one, and the bayonet plus West's gun will take out the other. West continues to move west, and Bratt takes up position just north of the closed door.

Turn 3: Bakee shoots whoever he sees (two shots). Bratt opens his door and shoots who he sees. Maxon moves in front of the door, and West opens the equipment box (20pts). If all goes well you can have Lee take two steps into the room, clearing the doorway so Bakee still can shoot things. Depending on what popped in and your luck, you can either take a second step with Lee or have him shoot what's left. If you can't kill all the enemies, you'll have to wait a turn.

A Ray'Ther may get one swipe at Maxon. You can heal him with West later.

The rest is straightforward once you have Lee in the room. Bakee can shoot one from the door and Lee takes out the other two or three with bayonet and bullets. Move next to the grate if possible. Bratt charges down from the south, possibly stopping to shoot something in the center if necessary. Bakee can support Lee/Bratt while they're moving, but then goes to open the two equipment boxes (20pts, 10pts). Maxon and West sit on the doorway in defense mode. The goal is to be able take out four Ray'Ther from the grate with bayonets, and have Bratt be able to support Maxon and West up top when their guns overheat and they have to close their door.

The "stable" configuration has Bratt directly to the northeast of the grate, Lee standing next to the equipment crate, and Bakee moving up north of Bratt to cover the passageway. Always have at least one of the center units in defense mode.

Keep an eye on Maxon's ammo. If you have to close the door due to overheating, have Maxon reload from the nearby crate. If a Ray'Ther manages to take a swipe at Maxon or West, remember that West has a medical kit.

Victory on turn 12, 62 kills, +50 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 3b / Prep 4: Supply Shuttle Alpha, Battlefield

You can get Standard Assault Rifles for Bratt and Lee, and Advanced Combat Guns for West and Bakee. Depending on where the experience fell you can probably pick up a Flame Thrower for Maxon at this point -- I chose to hold off -- but you probably can't use the Sniper Rifle yet.

Mission 4: The Portal

mission04.png (187328 bytes)
Goal: Kill the Gore'Ther
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 40), Gore'Ther (1)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 3 (20pts, 20pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 1

Move your soliders through the doorway as quickly as you can, Bratt in front. Keep them in a horizontal line. At the start of turn three, have the soldiers move down one step and fire, starting with the guys farthest from the Ray'Ther. Eliminate all the enemies you can see. End the turn with Bratt past the end of the wall, facing north in defense mode, and (if Bratt had to shoot somebody, increasing his weapon temp) a soldier right next to him defending to the NW.

Next turn, continue to move soldiers forward. Bratt's weapon will be hot, so move him up to bayonet range and have whoever was behind him step up and defend. Kill enemies. Next turn, Bratt runs north while others fill in and defend. The SW grate will become exhausted but the central one will continue to spawn 3-4 Ray'Ther each turn, so you need to get your bayonets in range. All five of your troops should be in firing positions, and they all have bayonets, so it doesn't matter much who goes where. Don't forget to open the equipment boxes.

The last will pop out in turn 12. Turn 13 starts the next phase, killing the Gore'Ther. Have a soldier low on ammo stand in front of the door to the north while the others form a firing squad. Open the door and run back while everybody else defends. Kill the four Ray'Ther at point-blank range.

With an eye on ammo, set up one soldier in the west (below the equipment boxes) and one just south of the central grate. Send another up to open the last door. Lead the Gore'Ther down, moving quickly. After he enters the room he'll change targets and turn toward the soldier near the grate, allowing the soldier to the west to shoot him in the back (may take two shots).

Victory on turn 20, 40 kills, +90 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 4 / Prep 5: Supply Shuttle Alpha, Battlefield

Pick up the Sniper Rifle if you can use one. They never really go out of style, so it's not a bad idea to have Bratt carry that and then bank his skill points while waiting for a Banner. You really, really want a Sniper Rifle for missions 6 and 7, and this is your last opportunity to pick one up for a while.

Mission 5: Enter the Power Station

mission05.png (303315 bytes)
Goal: Kill all enemies
Enemies: Ray'Ther (8), Gore'Ther (6)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 3 (10pts, 50pts, 20pts)
Commendations: 0

The first switch will swap the position of the southernmost platforms. Move all but one of your troops to the platform, lining them up so they can fire southwest (three across the bottom, one on the left). The sniper rifle really shines here. Hit the switch to move both platforms, then play "firing squad" on the three Gore'Ther.

Shuffle your troops northward off of the mobile platform, and move the button-pusher on. Hit the rightmost switch after everyone has moved. Reunite on the north platform, then hit the left switch. You'll want at least two units in defense mode when the platform reaches the other side.

Kill the Ray'Ther that charge (two turns), then send one unit to open the northern of the two doors that lead into the room to the east. You should have both Gore'Ther chasing you. While this is going on, the other units sit on the mobile platform, forming a firing squad, and move back to the center. The "bait" heads around toward the southern door. When he reaches it, the Gore'Ther should be in perfect position. Move the platform back across, and shoot them both in the back.

(Tip for Gore'Ther evasion: the Gore'Ther can only move two squares, so you can easily outrun it for as long as required. Just remember that, while a diagonal move costs two APs, a diagonal attack is only one. Move an extra step when rounding corners. If you pack some stimulants, or position yourself carefully and rest, you can let the Gore'Ther move up to you, take 3 steps past it, turn and kill it with a single soldier -- but you'd better have a weapon with at least 4 power.  The bayonet is a risky choice for this.)

Have the "bait" unit open the equipment boxes while one or two other soldiers head to the northern area.

Your final task is to deal with a Gore'Ther and a Ray'Ther in the northwest room. Have your "bait" unit move to the far northeast corner, while one unit moves up to draw the Gore'Ther. Once he clears the doorway the Ray'Ther will charge, so be ready with defensive fire.

Grab the final equipment (20pts) with the NW unit and then kill the Gore'Ther using the earlier trick with the platform.

Victory on turn 31, 14 kills, +80 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 5 / Prep 6: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Mission 6: Find Dr. Reich

mission06.png (306819 bytes)
Goal: Find Dr. Reich, then reach exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 26), Gore'Ther (4), Cy'Coo (1)
Ammo boxes: 3
Equipment boxes: 10 (20/20/10, 20/20/10, 20, 50/50/impl)
Commendations: 1

You have four Gore'Ther to deal with, and a Cy'Coo playing artillery. There are damaged bridges that will collapse if two units stand on them at the same time. Make sure that doesn't happen to your soldiers.

If you have a sniper, place him in the front-middle point. On turn 1, have him move one step north and enter defense mode to try to kill the Cy'Coo. (He will take some useless shots at Gore'Ther as well.) Your remaining troops will set up angles to draw the Gore'Ther. You can let the bridges take them out by drawing them to the damaged sections, but you get no experience for that. (I completed the mission without collapsing any bridge sections.)

(If you didn't manage to pick up a Sniper Rifle, you may have to dodge the Cy'Coo's shots until you can get closer. The "artillery" units in this game will always fire at where a unit was standing on the previous turn, so as long as everybody moves to a previously-empty location you'll never get hit. You might get lucky and hit the Cy'Coo with a Standard Assault Rifle, but this is pretty long range.)

Work two units on the left and two on the right, sending one east/west and the other two north on each side. Keep the western north-bound unit close to home until the Gore'Ther have taken a few steps, otherwise one of them splits north. On the east side you want to make the northern unit the bait; otherwise they head for the collapsing bridge section.  Keep shuffling the "bait" unit back until the shooter has a less-than 45 degree angle shot at the Gore'Ther.

Have the 5th unit (preferrably with a Sniper Rifle) use defense mode to kill the Ray'Ther approaching from the north. Have other units support this endeavor as they are able, opening equipment boxes as the opportunity arises (20pts, 20pts, 10pts at each location).

Turn 15 should see the last of the charging Ray'Ther. Reload anybody who ran out with the ammo boxes and run your units across, remembering to only put one on each 3-square bridge section at a time.

Move everybody up and grab the equipment box (20pts). Set up in front of the northeast door, rest, then open it. Kill the three waiting Ray'Ther. The left and right equipment boxes have 50 pts each, the center one has implants that grant +1 Light Weapons and +1 Heavy Weapons skill. (I gave it to Maxon so he's ready for the machine guns.)

Victory on turn 25, 31 kills, +220 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 6 / Prep 7: (none)

You have no access to new equipment.

Mission 7: Escort Dr. Reich

mission07.png (308698 bytes)
Goal: Reach the east exit. Dr. Reich must survive
Enemies: Ray'Ther (15), Gore'Ther (3), Cy'Coo (5)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 5 (50/50/impl, 50/50)
Commendations: 2

You should have 5 or 6 units, including Dr. Reich. You're going to send two units north to clean up and open boxes, while the rest work the center. Keep your sniper in the center group to take care of the Cy'Coo.

Positioning: put West/Lee on top, Bakee next to Reich, Maxon below Reich, and Bratt at the bottom right.

Turn 1: Move Bakee east onto the damaged bridge as far as he can go. Move Bratt south one square, aim at the nearest Cy'Coo, and defend. Maxon moves south of Bratt. Reich moves south to the switch. West and Lee move to the west edge of the platform so they don't get hit by Cy'Coo.

Turn 2: Reich pulls the switch (and takes a step to avoid getting tagged). New friends! Maxon takes out two with his bayonet and then shifts south. Bakee shoots the other two and shifts east. Bratt moves west (not south -- Maxon was standing there) and defends, still trying to take out the Cy'Coo. (If Bakee misses, he'll need to take out the Ray'Ther -- with his heat level, defending is unwise.) West and Lee aim at the half-dozen Ray'Ther and defend.

Turn 3: Bakee takes a step forward and defends. Everybody south does a defensive shuffle, while the guys up north kill anything still moving and then start unloading the boxes (50pts, 50pts, +1 Battle Fitness).

Bakee is going to have a problem with that Gore'Ther, so Maxon needs to charge forward to set up for a back shot. Keep Reich near the switch so Bakee has an escape route. Make sure they don't end up on the damaged bridge section! Maxon should get an easy rear shot, and can then open the equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts).

Now for the last two Gore'Ther. If you bring them through the center section the bridge will collapse and you'll miss out on the experience. We're going to bring them up to West and Lee in the northern section. Put West as far north as possible, and Lee right at the edge of the moving platform. Move the bridge back, and lure them on with Bakee. When they're both on, move the bridge north, and lure them forward with Lee. You'll have an easy back shot after a couple of steps so long as you keep Lee very close. If one of them goes after West, you have enough room to maneuver that, whichever one he chases, the other will get a clean shot quickly.

To finish the mission, move everybody to the eastern-most platform. When all of your surviving units are on it, the mission will end.

Victory on turn 24, 23 kills, +200 equipment, 2 commendations.

Post 7 / Prep 8: Power Station Supply Base

You can pick up a Flame Thrower or Heavy Machine Gun for Maxon. In the expansion, a Light Plasma Gun is also available. The LPG is similar in power and accuracy to a Standard Assault Rifle, but has shorter range and never runs out of ammunition.

This is probably a good time to start thinking about body armor. Standard Armor provides good all-around protection at a cost of two Battle Fitness points. BF is required for some of the heavier weapons and the Banner anyway, so it's worth spending a point or two here.

If you're a point or two shy, remember that you can spend commendations for points here. (By this point I had accumulated four commendations and spent none.)

Note you can recruit more soldiers if you feel you need them. Mission 8a allows five, 8b allows six. It is not necessary to do so to complete the game, but if you took the mission with Casso you'll want a 5th.

I picked up a Banner for Bratt, using two commendations; a Flame Thrower for Maxon; and a Heavy Machine Gun for Bakee. Everybody got Light Armor, which was free for most of them after the weapon purchases.

Briefing: Visit Urelis' Office.  General Urelis promotes Bratt to sergeant.  Rutherford briefs Caro and Bratt on Reich's findings, then directs them to attack the fort.

Mission 8a: Advance to the Fort

mission08a.png (236917 bytes)
Goal: Kill five Squee'Coo
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 32), Squee'Coo (5)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Those grates are about to open, so you need to rush to cover them. You want at least one bayonet on each grate. The flame thrower can restrict their attack paths, forcing them into a longer attack route that doesn't end with you getting slashed when your guns overheat.

Rush the grates, sending the machine gun with the banner so he can fire twice (nearby units get an extra AP). Keep killing Ray'Ther until they stop coming on turn 10.  Collect the equipment (50pts, 50pts) with Bratt, and head for the door.

Lee, with his Standard Assault Rifle, is going to take point. Open the door, move him into the doorway, and have him defend to the southeast.  (Do not step fully into the Scay'Coo line of fire!)  The first Scay'Coo charges. Defense fire and a couple of swipes with a bayonet will kill it. Advance to the next piece of wall and repeat.

The third one is across a gap, so it's best to shuffle the sniper forward. Peek around the wall, shoot, and if you don't kill him step back one. (If Bratt is the sniper and carrying a Banner, he'll have 4 APs at all times, which makes this pretty quick.)

Grab the equipment (50pts) and reload a weapon if necessary.

The last two are north of the building and below the grate. Charge up the ramp, sending two soldiers left (Lee followed by Bratt for the extra APs) and the rest to the right.

Advance Lee/Bratt cautiously, defending often. When the Squee'Coo charges, shoot until it changes form.  Then you can either defend or keep shooting. You may not be able to kill it in one shot with defensive fire, so continuing to shoot may be the best option. Don't forget to have Bratt grab the equipment (50pts).

Be careful walking Lee around the corner to hit the last one -- he gets exposed to fire earlier than you might expect. Better to sneak West up the east side for a quick shot and back him away, while the other two rest and prepare to jump out and finish the job on the other edge of the wall.

Victory on turn 28, 37 kills, +200 equipment, 0 commendations.

Mission 8b: Lead the Second Attack Path (preferred)

mission08b.png (268736 bytes)
Goal: Kill three Squee'Coo; reach the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 18), Gore'Ther (2), Squee'Coo (4)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: from left to right, Maxon (flame thrower), Lee (Standard Assault Rifle), Bakee (HMG), West (Advanced Combat Gun). Bratt with the Banner and a Sniper Rifle behind.

With a Banner, taking out the Gore'Ther is straightforward. The unit directly in front of the Gore'Ther (Bakee) takes one step forward to ensure that it stays square. The other units rest to gain an action point. At the start of the next turn, the side units charge forward and shoot or bayonet the Gore'Ther from the rear diagonal. (Use two units because one bayonet strike is not a guaranteed kill on a Gore'Ther.) Repeat on the next one, or just hit with the flame thrower from behind.

There are four Squee'Coo. The first two are halfway up on the east and west sides, the third is most of the way up the west side, the fourth is at the top. You want to deal with the far west one first, because it's going to be shooting at you if you advance down the street much farther.

Send Lee south and west, around the building. He'll duck around the corner and shoot at the one on the east. Meanwhile, walk Bratt up until he can snipe the far one. Once you knock it down, let it come running to you. Move the remaining troops up a little, but don't expose yourself. Depending on how your sniping goes, either Lee or Bratt will be able to take a shot at the one in the east.

Move up the west side, with the machine gun on the east side. The Squee'Coo in the north will take a shot at you if you move north of the equipment box, so use the cover of the wall to get Lee and Bratt in position. Bratt can shoot the one in the north while the others take out the charging Ray'Ther.

With the northern one out of the way, Lee can poke his head around the wall and take out the one to the west.

Once they're down, your goal is to grab the contents of the two equipment boxes in the west (50pts, 50pts) and the one in the east (50pts) before you run out of ammo.

Victory on turn 17, 24 kills, +200 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 8a / Prep 9a: Power Station Supply Base

The next mission has a lot of Ray'Ther, and you can use 6 soldiers plus Harvey, so it's a decent place to start training a new soldier if you want a 6th. You won't get much use out of a 6th soldier until mission 13 though.

Mission 9a: Way to the Fort A

mission09a.png (276675 bytes)
Goal: Blow up all entry points; reach the flak battery
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 34), Gore'Ther (2), Squee'Coo (4)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

There are three grates. You want to take out the first two; after that you can have bayonet-equipped soldiers sit on the third.

You start with two Gore'Ther behind you, so your opening move is a westward sprint. At the start of turn 2 mines will be dropped in the open area ahead of you. Keep moving west. At the start of turn 3 more mines will be dropped all around you (or in front if you foolishly passed up on getting a Banner).

Your enemies will happily step on the mines, killing themselves and anyone adjacent. No experience is to be had, but it'll take the wind out of the first enemy charge or two.

Harvey has a weak weapon but is equipped with servos. Have him clear out the mines around him, and move up other units. Stay a square away from mines that a Ray'Ther might step on. You want to work Harvey toward the southern grate, while your heavy weapons guys get in position toward the northern one (the flame thrower can be used to block paths, forcing more of them into mines).

I used Harvey and West to clear out the southern grate with some support from Bratt, while the rest worked north. Keep killing Ray'Ther until turn 8, when they stop coming out of the lower grates (and start heading down at you from up north). Blow the southern grates and shift north.

The Gore'Ther will be on your doorstep by turn 9. They can't be killed by the mines, but they can kill you by stepping on one, so stay a few steps ahead. If you leave one unit at the southern grate, they will turn south, and can be killed easily, and they can swing west and pick up the equipment box (50pts).

Head north, shooting Ray'Ther. On turn you can walk up and blow the grate. Remember to collect the equipment box up here (50pts). Line up two guys in the doors, and have them move up, fire, and move back to snipe the health off of the Squee'Coo inside. Continue until they're all dead. Watch your ammo levels.

Grab the two equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts) and step on the exit square.

Victory on turn 26, 40 kills, +200 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 8b / Prep 9b: Power Station Supply Base

Not much to do.

Mission 9b: Way to the Fort B

mission09b.png (268052 bytes)
Goal: Blow up all entry points
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 75), Squee'Coo (3)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 3 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

There are three grates. The one on the east side will spawn enemies for longer than you have ammunition, as will an unmarked spawn point far to the south. You need to blow up the eastern grate quickly.

Positioning; Front row, left to right, is Bakee, Bratt, Maxon, West. Back row is Lee and Harvey.

Mines will be dropped at the start of turn 1. You will need to defuse them to move. Make sure you're not standing next to one when an enemy approaches.

Work your way south, moving as far as you can, defusing mines as you go. The Ray'Ther to the north will pursue but shouldn't catch you. You can pick them off easily on turn 2, or let the mines kill them if they're in the right places. Use Harvey and Lee in defense mode for rear guard to catch any that slip through.

Turn 3 starts with more mines and a couple more Ray'Ther to the north. Keep working toward the doorway. Use West to clear the path for Bratt and Maxon, who will be moving into the doorway. Harvey can clear space around the eastern ammo box -- you can shoot over it if nobody is blocking the doorway.

If all is going well, you got rushed by a Squee'Coo at the end of the turn. For Turn 4 your goal is to kill the Squee'Coo, get Maxon behind the doorway even with the ammo box on the east side, and either Bratt or Lee right next to him (depends on weapon temperature). Bakee and his HMG will be to their west. Do this however you need to, but end the turn with Maxon on the right, Bratt or Lee next to him in defense mode, and Bakee next to them.

Turn 5: have Bakee clear out anybody who's too close (should get two shots with HMG + Banner, and the angle is good so your troops won't get hit). Maxon takes two steps south and uses Flame Thrower mode B on the Ray'Ther south of the grate, sealing it off. He takes one step back north, which takes him out of the line of fire of the Squee'Coo to the west. Bratt/Lee sprints across the street, clearing the doorway. The other half of Bratt/Lee moves up to stand in the doorway next to Maxon, and the others tighten in. Harvey/West need to watch the Ray'Ther from the north, but those are likely blowing themselves up.

Turn 6: the Squee'Coo charge the bait. They end up nearly adjacent. Happily we have a flame thrower nearby. Use Mode B to hit them both. Move clear, fire the last flame round at the one in front, then shuffle defenders around so Bakee can take a shot. If you aim at the rear-most one you'll hit them both and probably kill them. Move West and Harvey forward, getting West in position to blow the grate.

Turn 7: Lee and Bratt advance, using defense mode to cover. Bakee moves up and demonstrates what an HMG is for -- you can kill 3 Ray'Ther at the far south end with one shot. Make room for Harvey, who will blow the grate at the start of turn 8.

Turn 8: the fires at the grate have dissipated. Kill any Ray'Ther that pop in and have Harvey blow the grate. Start sliding to the south, continuing to cover the southern end with the HMG. We'd like to move west and pop the nearby grate, but you'll notice there are no Ray'Ther spawning, and all the paths leaving it are a single square wide. Instead, we're going to sweep south, get our bayonets on top of the spawn point, and then push west, returning for the equipment boxes and the final grate. Reload Maxon, and keep an eye on your ammo levels.

Turn 9: Harvey goes for the equipment box. Bratt, Lee, Bakee push south, West covers the nearby grate (some will take that path), Maxon runs south after reloading.

Turn 11: everybody is heading south.

Turn 12: Lee is killing anything that moves with his bayonet at the far south. West is a couple paces to the west backing him up. The remaining units are pushing westward, with Bakee using his HMG to clear the way. (He should stay near Bratt, so he can take two steps and still fire. One shot can take out three Ray'Ther if they spawn west, north, and south of the grate, and you aim for the western one.)

Turn 15: Harvey blows the grate. Send somebody up for the equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts) and Harvey toward the final grate. West and Lee continue to bayonet the 4 Ray'Ther that pop in every turn.

You can hang around and kill more Ray'Ther, or blow the final grate and finish the mission.

Victory on turn 19, 78 kills, +150 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 9b / Prep 10: Power Station Supply Base

West picked up a Standard Assault Rifle. Lee had 4 skill points available, so he picked up a Servo System. That requires enough skills to let him carry Standard Armor, Ammo Pack, and Small Medic Kit, so he picked up one of each.

Mission 10: In Front of the Fort

mission10.png (281587 bytes)
Goal: Blow up all entry points; reach the ComBot
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 50), Squee'Coo (2)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 1

Positioning: you get Harvey plus your usual five soldiers. You need to rush the first grate, which means Lee and West are closest. Maxon and his Flame Thrower bring up the rear.

Turn 1-2: West, Lee, Harvey rush the grate. Bratt and Bakee deal with the Squee'Coo that pops out and takes a shot.

Blow the grate and kill everything, then head east. First one on the door opens the equipment box (50pts). Move Bratt south of the door, Lee in front of the door, West above or behind Lee.

Turn 7: Bratt opens the door and shoots everything he sees. Lee runs into the room, aims north, and defends. West comes in and stands next to him (no servo, can't defend). Bakee next, then Maxon. Anybody who can't move more than one square just rests.

Advance northeast, defending and using Bakee to kill things. Watch for Squee'Coo and Ray'Ther from the southeast -- use defense mode to kill them with Lee and West.

Turn 9: blow the grate with Harvey, and make room for Maxon to push south. (Set him up at the north edge of the dividing wall.)

Turn 10: Maxon runs south. Bratt moves one square to the top of the wall, and shoots every Ray'Ther he can see. Lee runs south after Maxon, parking himself at the south edge of the wall. Bakee and Harvey chase after, West grabs the equipment box (50pts) and reloads.

Be careful about stepping past the edge of the wall -- there's a Squee'Coo up north waiting for you.

Turn 11: Maxon uses Flame Thrower Mode B on the grate. Next turn he'll cook the other side while we deal with the Squee'Coo and get everybody through the choke point.

When the flames die down, kill any Ray'Ther and blow the grate. Lee runs south for the equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts), Bratt and Bakee set up near the block (have Harvey shoot the barrel to clear it), Maxon and West move to the north end. (Note you can shoot Ray'Ther through the diagonals, but they can and will move up and hit back.)

Turn 18: Lee is about to grab the final box. Have Bratt push the block eastward and shoot anything he can (his ammo is probably pretty low). Bakee takes one or two shots to hit anything else. West pushes the barrel south and shoots it, possibly killing a Ray'Ther. Maxon and Harvey rush in.

Victory on turn 19, 52 kills, +200 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 10 / Prep 11: Power Station Supply Base

Not much to do; saving up skill points for what we find in the Fort.

Mission 11: Conquer the Fort

mission11.png (200503 bytes)
Goal: Blow up all entry points; kill all Scay'Ger
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 120), Squee'Coo (5)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 3 (50pts, 50pts, 20pts)
Commendations: 0

The ComBot has 15 health and 10 front armor, but no back armor. Keep it pointed at the bad guys.

Positioning; West, Bratt, and Bakee are north of the ComBot, Maxon, Harvey, Lee to the south.

The goal here is to clear a path for the ComBot so it can walk through the town. Blocks move 4 squares unless they encounter an obstacle. Before that, however, we have to close some grates in the south.

Start by having Bakee take one step north push the block to the east, then continue north. West steps north, pushes his block to the east, and defends. Bratt takes two steps north and defends. (If they move any farther they'll come under fire.) The ComBot kills everything at the nearby grate and moves west. Lee and Harvey run toward the grate to the east, while Maxon starts moving north.

Turn 2: ComBot kills everything in front and keeps moving west. Harvey blows the grate while Lee kills all of the Ray'Ther with bayonet and bullets. Maxon moves north. Bakee and Bratt knock down the Squee'Coo to the northeast. West moves up, pushes the block, and defends.

Turn 3: keep moving north, eliminating Squee'Coo, while Harvey, Lee, and Maxon had toward the western passage. Ray'Ther can't get through because the block is in the way, but we can push it farther to open things up. The ComBot moves fully west and continues to suppress Ray'Ther near the grate.

Turn 6: Bratt, Lee, and Bakee set up facing east to hold off the Ray'Ther while Harvey prepares to charge the grate. West, then Harvey, then Maxon go through the westward passage.

Turn 7: ComBot clears out the Ray'Ther one last time and starts heading up the road north. West and Harvey charge the gate. Maxon uses mode A or B to block the passage north, so Ray'Ther don't come in from there. The remaining troops hold off the Ray'Ther and blow the barrel so the last block can be pushed clear. Bakee's HMG is very useful for keeping the Ray'Ther population in check. Go easy on defense mode -- let Bakee kill large groups, conserve your heat and ammo.

Turn 8: West kills Ray'Ther, Harvey blows the grate, Maxon runs east. The ComBot continues north, possibly stopping to shoot if it can hit 2-3 Ray'Ther at the grate to the east.

Turn 10: the ComBot is up north. Soldiers immediately adjacent to the ComBot won't get hit when it fires, so make a tight formation and start moving east.

Keep working toward the eastern grate. Use mode B on the flame thrower to block off the northern approach while you move. Move the ComBot one square north, so you can cover the western and northern approaches while Harvey runs underneath to the grate. Lee covers the grate with his bayonet. Bakee runs north next to the ComBot. Maxon and Bratt are about out of ammo by now.

Turn 14: blow the grate. Everybody moves north. ComBot tears big holes in the Ray'Ther. Bakee picks up some experience points shooting the last of his ammo. Bratt runs up and opens the crates (50pts, 50pts, 20pts).

Move west, rushing Harvey up. Spend the last of your ammo, then blow the grate.

Victory on turn 20, 128 kills, +120 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 11 / Prep 12: The Fort

Maxon gets a Mine Thrower, and picks up (skill-free) Ammo Pack and Standard Armor. Bakee gets a Rapid Fire Machine Gun. He was one skill point away from a Servo System, so I commended him and bought a Servo, Ammo Pack, Standard Armor, and a Small Medic Kit.

Lee trades his Standard Assault Rifle for a Double Fire, which loses a bayonet but gains in every other way. (He's got two free skill points, and needs three to carry a Jet Pack, but those aren't available just yet.) West spent a technical skill point on a Sniper Rifle.

I thought about giving Bratt a Double Fire as well. The choice is going to be mission-dependent, so for the moment I left him with the Sniper Rifle.

The basic plan is to keep Bratt and Lee with light weapons, Maxon and Bakee with heavy, and move West toward heavy.

West picked up Heavy Stimulants, and Lee and Bakee picked up Light Stimulants. (I never used stimulants during this walkthrough, but they don't cost any additional skill points, and they can be helpful in a pinch.)

After all this I still had 530 equipment points available.

Mission 12: The Hole

mission12.png (283591 bytes)
Goal: Destroy all Scay'Ger; reach the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Coo (about 31), Al'Coo (2)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: from top to bottom, Lee, Bakee, Bratt, Maxon, West.

You have two Al'Coo to deal with, and you really want to attack them from a distance. They only have melee attacks, but they'll take out your ComBot easily.

Your ComBot will knock 5-27 HP off of the Al'Coo each round (it has 100 HP). Your other weapons will do 3 damage if you get lucky. You want to hit the Al'Coo with the ComBot and mines (25-35 pts) to whittle his health down, then have another unit destroy it to get the experience.

Maxon drops a mine in front of the Al'Coo, and takes a step west. West takes a step west and enters defense mode. Lee moves north one step and enters defense mode with his Double Fire. Bakee takes one step north and then shoots the Ray'Coo near the hole with his machine gun. Bratt snipes the Ray'Coo to the far northwest. The ComBot fires twice and then faces west to present his front armor to the Ray'Coo.

Turn 2: soften the Al'Coo with the ComBot, then finish with small arms. If you have any movement left, shift Bratt north, and get ready to move Lee and Bakee to where they can push the block.

Turn 3: they're starting to come out of the hole. Get the ComBot over where it can do some good in the northeast. Lee, Bakee, and Bratt clear out anything that pops up. Maxon and West clear out the bottom, blowing the barrel so the block can be shifted next turn. (Remember that Maxon can shoot over walls, and Bakee's mode B can hit multiple enemies.) Have Lee push the block and shoot the stray Ray'Coo up top. The block will force the Al'Coo to go the long way around. Bratt moves up to support.

Turn 5: West shoves the block, forcing the Al'Coo to go even farther. Maxon moves northeast so he can join the hole-clearing fun -- firing grenades in mode A he can go up a couple of experience levels pretty quickly. Only use the ComBot if you have to. West and Bratt go for the equipment boxes.

The ComBot can safely shoot the Al'Coo right over the heads of your troops. Use this to wear it down, then kill it with a grenade or small arms fire as before.

Turn 8 you are free and clear. Run Bratt and Lee to the northern equipment boxes while Bakee moves next to the exit. West grabs the boxes in the south. Maxon and the ComBot just hang out.

Victory on turn 10, 33 kills, +200 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 12 / Prep 13: The Fort

Maxon's grenade-fest earned him enough skill points to pick up a Servo System, which is fairly important when firing your weapon costs 3 APs. That comes with a Small Medic Kit and Light Stimulants.

Mission 13: Under-City

mission13.png (302890 bytes)
Goal: Activate the switch in the north within 20 turns
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 86), Ee'Ther (3)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 2 (50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

We need a heavily-armed fast runner for this one. Bakee, with a Rapid-Fire Machine Gun and a Servo System, gets the job.

Positioning, left to right: Bakee and West on top, Maxon below West, Bratt and Lee at the bottom. Spot above Lee is empty, though you could bring a 6th soldier.

Turn 1: Lee moves three steps east, as does Bratt. They're setting up on the southern Ee'Ther. Don't fire this round -- the Ee'Ther regenerate so you'll just be wasting ammo. Bakee moves onto the elevator, which descends. West moves north to the ledge and one step east. Maxon defends, which when combined with his Servo System and Bratt's Banner will give him 6 APs -- enough to fire the Mine Launcher twice.

Turn 2: kill the first two Ee'Ther. Lee empties his Double Fire, then Bratt empties his Sniper Rifle. Bakee empties his RFMG, then West empties his Sniper Rifle. If either of them live, follow up with Maxon's grenade launcher. Bakee's RFMG usually does a pretty good job, so the northern one should die. Five hits from a Double Fire are also pretty effective; when they're finished, have Lee and Bratt run north to help provide cover for Bakee. Maxon can shift north and shoot a mine at a cluster of three Ray'Ther in the north.

Turn 3: Bakee runs straight north. Maxon throws a mine. West shoots anyone in sight and defends (though his weapon temp will make this less than useful). Bratt and Lee continue north.

Turn 4: the third and final Ee'Ther is heading down the ramp, along with a large group of Ray'Ther friends. Bratt moves north and a step west, and uses his remaining movement to shoot the Ee'Ther a few times. Lee moves north and defends. Bakee unloads on the Ee'Ther. If it dies, he moves north to the wall and then starts moving around it. West and Maxon can either help kill the Ee'Ther or shoot some incoming Ray'Ther.

Turn 5: West moves east to the wall and shoots whoever he can. Bratt runs west to get the other angle on the northern vent. Maxon drops a mine on a large group, probably at the vent -- Lee's Double Fire should be able to handle what's coming down the ramp. Bakee moves around the corner, shooting only if necessary to avoid getting hit next round.

Turn 6: Bakee is running north and west toward the equipment boxes. Bratt and West cover the grate, Lee defends to take care of any ramp stragglers. Try to save your mines -- only use them if a large group boils out of the vent.

Turn 7: Bakee still running, Bratt and West shooting, Lee moves next to Bratt to cover the north. Maxon rests.

Turn 8: Bakee moves next to the boxes. Turn 9, Bakee opens the boxes (50pts, 50pts) and starts heading east toward the elevator.

Turn 10: Bakee is running east. West and Bratt shoot Ray'Ther, then start moving toward the center. Lee runs southeast toward the elevator.

Turn 11: continue moving.

Turn 12: Bakee is still running but can stop occasionally to shoot groups of Ray'Ther that get close (mode B works well). Have West pick his targets rather than defending -- let the RFMG do its work so the Sniper Rifle doesn't overheat or run out of ammo. West should be moving close to the elevator. Bratt and Lee are still moving toward the south elevator, with Lee standing on it at the end of the turn. Maxon moves closer to Bratt, since he will need to do some clearing out of the top area. (He should have 3-4 mines left.)

Turn 13: Bakee is in position, and can fire at anything he likes. Lee moves off of the elevator and stands in front of the next one. West moves on then off of the other elevator. (The Ray'Ther will go for Bakee rather than West if you keep him close to the wall, so don't worry if he's low on ammo or high on heat.) Bratt moves up to the southern elevator.

Turn 14: Bratt moves in behind Lee. West defends. Bakee shoots whoever he can. Lee and Maxon rest.

Turn 15: Maxon takes out the Ray'Ther at the upper grate. Lee gets on the elevator, moves a couple of steps northeast, and defends. Bratt follows him up the elevator. Bakee and West continue the Ray'Ther genocide.

Turn 16: Lee goes east two, north one, and defends. Bratt is going to a position to his south. Maxon fires at the nearby grate again, hopefully killing everything that came out of it. West is about out of ammo, Bakee is having fun.

Turn 17: Lee takes three steps north (servos plus banners equals high mobility) and defends. Bratt follows, using all movement. Maxon and Bakee do their thing.

Turn 18: Bratt moves north and hits the switch to raise Bakee's elevator. Bakee takes a step and throws his switch to finish the mission. (You may need to do it in "unit view" to avoid camera issues.)

Victory on turn 18, 89 kills, +100 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 13 / Prep 14: The Fort

West is still a skill point shy of a Rapid Fire Machine Gun. We could give him a commendation, but we're not going to use him next mission anyway. Bratt picks up a Double Fire.

It's worth noting that most or all of the soldiers are advanced enough now to not get any experience from killing Ray'Ther. So killing them in ways that don't yield experience (mines, barrels, hazardous obstacles) is perfectly acceptable.

Mission 14: Heaters

mission14.png (301591 bytes)
Goal: Activate the lever in the south within 8 turns
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 80), Ee'Ther (6?)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 3 (50pts, 20pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: you can only use three units for this mission. I put Bakee (Rapid Fire Machine Gun) and Bratt (Double Fire) in front, with Maxon (Mine Thrower) behind.

Turn 1: note the Ray'Ther to your south, and the two Ee'Ther in their midst. Note also that Bakee has a glowing red dot under him -- if you don't get moving it'll kill all three of you. They glow dimly, then brightly, then detonate.

Bratt shoots the two Ray'Ther and defends. Bakee shoots the first Ee'Ther with everything he has. If he fails, Maxon follows up with a mine.

Turn 2: the Ee'Ther has been weakened by your defensive fire. Bratt takes 2 steps forward and shoots the Ee'Ther twice. Bakee takes three steps forward and kills the Ee'Ther, then the Ray'Ther. Maxon takes three steps forward. The nearby enemies are dead and you're clear of the evil glowing dot.

Turn 3-4: run south, hit the switch, and get ready to kill some bad guys to the west. Heavy weapons and defensive fire are the keys.

Turn 9: you're about on top of the grate (bayonets would be lovely right now, but we packed those). Keep killing and moving toward the switches. Leave Maxon next to the ammo box.

Turns 10-15: when you see brightly-glowing dots, open the nearby door. The Ee'Ther or Ray'Ther will rush through and get fried at the end of the turn. Don't forget to close the door after. Use defensive fire and the RFMG to kill any that get through, while using the mine thrower to keep the grate area clear. If you're patient you can just continuously whittle them down.

Turn 16: Maxon runs out of ammo about now. Reload him and have him start moving back toward the switches, using the RFMG to kill enemies if there aren't too many. (Some rounds you'll get two Ray'Ther, some rounds you'll get six.)

Turn 20 you're about clear. Open the next doors (the middle ones) and start heading toward them. Use defense mode and the Mine Thrower to keep the Ray'Ther from the grate off of your back. Be prepared to shoot a straggler or two. Get ready to rush through.

Turn 24 it's time to go. Bratt charges, Maxon follows, Bakee trails in defense mode. Next turn, rush through, moving Bratt and Maxon toward the equipment (50pts, 20pts, 50pts), Bakee toward the exit.

Victory on turn 27, 88 kills, +120 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 14 / Prep 15: The Fort

The Flame Thrower comes in handy next round, so we pick up one of those for Bakee. West gets a commendation and a Rapid Fire Machine Gun. Bratt switches back to a Sniper Rifle. Maxon keeps the Mine Thrower and Lee keeps the Double Fire.

Mission 15: Cross the Drawbridge

mission15.png (311436 bytes)
Goal: Activate the drawbridge; activate the lever in the far southwest
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 82), Squee'Coo (2), Ee'Ther (2)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 9 (50pts, 20/50pts, 50 pts, impl, 20pts, 50/50/50pts)
Commendations: 0

Front row, top to bottom: West (RFMG), Lee (Double Fire), Bakee (Flame Thrower), Bratt (Sniper Rifle). Maxon (Mine Thrower) is behind Lee.

Turn 1: West moves one step west and shoots the three Ray'Ther. Lee, Bakee, and Maxon run westward. Bratt starts shooting at the Squee'Coo in the towers to the south.

Turn 2: Lee shoots the Ee'Ther in the doorway; this probably won't be enough, so Maxon moves one square west and drops a mine in. (In my game this wasn't enough, and West had to shift southwest and fire one final shot with the RFMG.) Bakee uses the Flame Thrower mode B to neutralize the nearby vent (fire at the square NW of the grate), then moves west next to the door. Bratt continues to work on the Squee'Coo, knocking them down. Weapon heat and bad luck could make this take a turn or two. If he gets hit, use West or Maxon to heal him. West should move so he has a bead on the doorway.

Turn 3: Bratt should be able to finish off the Squee'Coo. Move him west to boost APs with the banner. (Forget about the box to the south for now -- there are three more way down there, so you can pick it up on the way.) Lee moves toward the doorway and defends. West runs up beside him (or close to it). Bakee moves one square south so the big guns can double-up on the doorway.

Turn 4: Lee and West move up to the doorway and defend. Bratt shoots the stray Ray'Ther coming around from the north. Maxon should be moving west, but stay clear of the action at the door.

Turn 5: time to test the body armor. Lee runs through the door and defends. West follows, standing in the doorway; if Bratt is nearby, he defends as well. Bakee renews the flame barrier on the grate and moves up to the other side of the doorway. Maxon moves toward the bridge. Bratt tries to stay in the middle of everybody.

Lee will get hit, but that means he gets to shoot twice at point-blank range, weakening the Ee'Ther. If the Banner was close, West will get a shot in as well.

Turn 6: Lee moves west (if he wasn't at the all already), shoots once, and defends. West finishes off the Ee'Ther with the RFMG. Bakee pushes forward. Maxon continues south.

Turn 7: Lee and West clear some space and some Ray'Ther. West is going to run south for the stuff. Bakee charges in.

Turn 8: flame the vent (you want to use mode B on the square to the west of it -- stand in the middle of the base of the ramp), grab the equipment (50 pts), and hit the switch. Everybody heads toward the bridge. Maxon can keep the grate suppressed when he isn't opening equipment boxes near the drawbridge (20pts, 50pts), but you probably won't need him.

The plan from here is to have West head east to pick up the four equipment boxes, while everybody else pushes across the drawbridge. You don't need to fire the first grate again -- the last Ray'Ther pop out on round 10. Let Lee lead the charge across the bridge, followed by Maxon and Bratt, with Bakee hurrying along.

Turn 16: you're across. Maxon is busily killing groups, and should sit just south or southwest of the ammo box so he can reload. Lee shoots any strays. Bakee needs to get forward and flame the vents, with Bratt nearby to keep the APs up.

Turn 17: Bakee uses mode B on the square directly to the north of the vent. (If there's two Ray'Ther north of the grate, you may need to have Bratt shoot the first so Bakee can hit the second.) Lee moves to the doorway and defends, spotting for Maxon.

Turn 18: Bakee grabs his box (50pts) and moves north. Lee charges his box (+1 Battle Fitness), Maxon shoots the Ray'Ther near Lee and reloads. Bratt opens the door to the west.

Next turn, everybody runs for the door. Bakee can use the last of his ammo for one final Flame Thrower mode B shot on the grate to the south while Lee and Maxon run to the door. Once they're through, close the door to keep the Ray'Ther out.

Turn 22: everybody sits and waits while West runs for the equipment (20pts up top, 50/50/50pts below).

Victory on turn 26, 86 kills, +340 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 15 / Prep 16: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Briefing: Get Out of Here.  Bratt notifies Rutherford over the radio about the nest he found.

Mission 16: The Nest

mission16.png (329554 bytes)
Goal: Reach the exit area
Enemies: Nor'Cyn (2 tubes), Dec'Ther (about 34)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 0
Commendations: 1

There are multiple hazards on this level. The incubation tubes attached to the Nor'Cyn will fire at you, with the same delay as other Scay'Ger artillery (e.g. Cy'Coo). They also spawn a few Dec'Ther each turn.  It's a good idea to destroy them, but they're heavily armored so you'll need flames and mines to get the job done.

The Dec'Ther are kamikaze spiders, and are strong enough to kill everything around them regardless of armor.

The green muck lowers your "fightingpower", which is what determines whether your unit panics. At this point your units can handle a reduction without too much trouble, but you don't want to leave them sitting out there.

Positioning: from top to bottom, Bakee (Flame Thrower), West (RFMG), Bratt (Sniper Rifle), Maxon (Mine Thrower), Lee (Double Fire).

Turn 1: everybody moves the full limit. Bakee moves north, taking two steps into the muck. West moves up and west, Bratt chases Bakee, and Maxon chases West. Lee shoots the Dec'Ther so the south and then moves north.

Turn 2: Bakee takes a step north and then hits the incubation tube with four shots from the Flame Thrower. If he doesn't kill it, he can finish the job next turn. Bratt takes out the Dec'Ther heading in from the north west and defends. Maxon drops a mine on the northern incubation tube, killing the Dec'Ther spawn. Lee runs up, West runs toward the next set of planks.

Turn 3: West gets on the planks, Maxon kills the northern incubation tube with a second grenade. Bakee moves north to the next plank, shooting at a stray Dec'Ther (might have to use mode B to get enough range). Bratt defends. Lee heads into the muck chasing West.

From here, get your units ready to cross the muck gap, keeping a couple of shooters in defense mode. Dec'Ther will come at you from the west. Maxon's launcher can be useful here.

Turn 13 should see the last of the Dec'Ther spawning from the west.

Victory on turn 14, 36 kills, +0 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 16 / Prep 17: Assembly Camp

You have an opportunity to pick up High Energy Lasers and Jet Packs. The Jet Pack gives you a 5-square jump that consumes all remaining APs. These are incredibly useful because you can jump over walls, diagonal movement is measured correctly (allowing an 8-square diagonal move), and you can jump with your last AP after firing or moving.

Lee gets a Jet Pack, using two available skill points. His Battle Fitness skill makes him eligible for Attack Armor or Heavy Armor; I went with the Attack Armor. It offers better protection in the front than Standard, and if I'm getting attacked from two different directions I've done something wrong.

Bakee also gets a Jet Pack, using three skill points. Again I chose the Attack Armor.

Maxon is a point away from the High Energy Laser. I held off on buying that for now.

Some new weapons from the expansion are available, but I ignored those.

Briefing: Next Steps.  General Urelis commends Bratt and rejects Rutherford's assessment of the situation.  Rutherford asks Bratt, Caro, and Kelly to participate in a surreptitious evacuation of the civilians.

Mission 17: Rescue the Wounded Unit

mission17.png (329803 bytes)
Goal: Reach the exit area within 15 turns
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 30), Ee'Ther (2)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 9 (50pts, 20pts, 50/50pts, impl, 20pts, 20/10/20pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: top row, left to right: empty, Lee, Maxon; below them Bakee, Bratt, West.

Turn 1: West moves east, toward the ramp, and defends. Bratt shoots the barrel to the south, killing both Ray'Ther, and runs east. Bakee takes four steps south, then uses his last AP to jump in next to the equipment box. Lee uses all but one AP to run north, then jumps up on the east side. Maxon drops a mine on the cluster of 5 Ray'Ther in the northwest, then moves in behind Bratt.

Turn 2: Bakee uses Flame Thrower mode B on the square below the grate, killing the Ray'Ther and blocking their spawn point. He opens the equipment box (50pts) and then jumps eastward toward Bratt. West, Bratt, and Maxon run down the stairs. Lee jumps into position on the rightmost switch.

Turn 3: West and Bratt get ready to play firing squad on the door. Bakee run-jumps east, preparing to vault into firing position on the eastern grate. Maxon kills anything currently at the grate and keeps moving east. Lee rests.

Turn 4: Lee throws the switch, then jumps over to the next switch. The outer door opens. Bratt and West kill the Ee'Ther. (If he dies quickly, Bratt can open the nearby equipment box (20pts). If not, West can grab it next turn.) Maxon hits the grate with another mine and moves northeast. Bakee run-jumps to where he can fire on the grate.

Turn 5: Lee throws the left switch and jumps over the wall to the equipment box. West and Bratt defend. Bakee uses Flame Thrower mode B on the eastern grate, then opens the equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts). Maxon runs toward the equipment box in the east.

Turn 6: Lee opens the equipment box (+1 Light Weapons, +1 Heavy Weapons) and run-jumps east over the wall. West takes out the second Ee'Ther, which was weakened by the defensive fire, and moves toward one of the ammo boxes. Bratt moves toward the doorway. Maxon fires a mine at the Ray'Ther clustered around the middle grate, and moves toward the equipment box. Bakee jumps over the wall to take a firing position on the middle grate. Note that the grate in the west is now open.

Turn 7: Bakee neutralizes the middle grate, then run-jumps to the equipment boxes. Lee run-jumps toward where West is standing. Bratt runs through the doorway. West follows suit. Maxon opens the equipment box (20 pts) and runs west.

Turn 8: West shoots anybody who got near Maxon and heads north. Lee runs or jumps to the other side of the wall to cover Maxon's retreat. Bakee opens equipment boxes (20/10/20pts). Bratt moves to the exit area.

Victory on turn 8, 32 kills +240 equipment, 0 commendations.

If you don't have Jump Packs, you have a slightly longer fight. The start is similar, but you'll want to send an extra unit around to collect the southwest equipment box while Bakee uses his flame thrower. Use the mine thrower to keep the Ray'Ther population in the east under control, and plan to reload it. You'll need to use it to push through the long doorway as well.

It's also worth considering doing the switches with somebody other than Lee (perhaps West) who can benefit more from the skill point boost in the equipment box.

Post 17 / Prep 18ab: Assembly Camp

Nothing new to get.

Mission 18a: Defend Path A

mission18a.png (283514 bytes)
Goal: Occupy both exit zones on turn 15
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 49), Ee'Ther (4)
Ammo boxes: 3
Equipment boxes: 6 (20/50pts, 20/50pts, 50pts, 20pts)
Commendations: 1

Start with West, Bratt, Lee up front, Maxon and Bakee behind.

When you step in front of a door, two other doors will open, neither of which is the one in front of you. The switches lock the doors in place. Doors won't close when there's somebody standing in them. If you don't have jump packs you can work your way through to the switches, leaving two soldiers behind to keep the doors open until the switches are thrown.

But, we do have jump packs, so this is easier. Lee run-jumps to the southern switch. Bratt moves to the lower door, opening the inside upper door. West takes two steps forward, opening the remaining doors, and defends. Maxon moves up behind West while Bakee moves north.

From here just move your guys westward. Ray'Ther will start spilling in from the north and south. Bakee can control one with his Flame Thrower, Maxon the other with his Mine Thrower, while you shift your troops.

Grab the equipment in the southwest (20/50pts) and northwest (20/50pts) Bakee can grab the equipment in the north (50pts) and use his flame thrower to neutralize the northern entrance. Bratt can suppress the southern entrance with his Double Fire and the occasional mine from Maxon. West grabs the nearby box (20pts), then moves northwest to the ammo box so he can provide defensive fire when the flames die. Maxon holds the door open for him until West or Bakee hits the switch.

Move to the exit zones. The mission ends on turn 15; if you're on the squares you're good, if not you fail.

The door near the topmost exit zone will open around turn 7 and an Ee'Ther will come out. The door near the bottom zone will open around turn 9, and an Ee'Ther will pop out around turn 12. Use Bakee's Flame Thrower to neutralize them if you don't have enough firepower nearby to take them out in one turn.

No enemies spawn at the start of turn 14. The start of turn 15 is when the mission ends.

Victory on turn 15, 53 kills, +210 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 18a / Prep 19a: Assembly Camp

Lee switches to a Sniper Rifle, and Bakee switches to an RFMG.

Mission 18b: Defend Path B (preferred)

mission18b.png (372557 bytes)
Goal: Occupy both exit zones on turn 10
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 33), Ee'Ther (1), Squee'Coo (3)
Ammo boxes: 3
Equipment boxes: 7 (20/20pts, impl/50pts, 20pts, impl/50/50pts)
Commendations: 0

You start out near the exit zones, surrounded by enemies. The trick is to gather up the equipment boxes before time runs out. The two Jet Pack soldiers will take care of this.

Positioning, left to right: Lee and West on top, empty and Maxon in the middle, Bakee and Bratt at the bottom.

Turn 1: Lee shoots the three Ray'Ther he can hit (west, north, northeast), then run-jumps north into the doorway. West hits Squee'Coo northwest and northeast, switching to the other target when the first is knocked down. (Start with the northern one.) Bratt shoots one Ray'Ther, steps east, and defends. Maxon hits the two Ray'Ther in the northwest, and moves west. Bakee grabs the two equipment boxes (20pts, 20pts).

Turn 2: Maxon and West deal with the Squee'Coo approaching from the west. They both move toward the western exit zone. Bratt runs south toward the doorway. Bakee uses a mode B shot to obstruct the wide opening the Ray'Ther are approaching through, then run-jumps to the equipment boxes. Lee run-jumps to the northern equipment.

Turn 3: Bakee opens his boxes (+1 Heavy Weapons, +1 Light Weapons; 50pts), and run-jumps back north. Bratt closes the door and grabs the equipment nearby (20pts). West shoots a Ray'Ther to the east and defends. Maxon hits the Ray'Ther at the grate to the north and takes a step west. Lee shoots any stray Ray'Ther and starts opening equipment boxes (+1 Technical Skills, 50pts, 50pts).

Turn 4: Bratt moves north and defends. West shoots a barrel and goes to stand next to an Ammo box. Maxon pops a cluster that came out of a door in the northwest, then takes a step west. Bakee run-jumps as far northeast as he can get (note he's covered by Bratt, but you should make sure his Attack Armor is facing toward the Ray'Ther). Lee run-jumps south and east if there aren't too many bad guys; otherwise he shifts and defends.

Turn 5: Lee jumps over to the door north of Bratt, intending to close it next turn. (He may need to clear out a Ray'Ther first.) Bakee moves up and uses Flame Thrower mode B to block the northern passage completely. West reloads and runs west. Maxon shoots anything threatening. Bratt moves onto the eastern exit square.

From here, just stay close to the squares and use defense mode, with occasional Flame Thrower and Mine Thrower activity. With the doors closed you're in pretty good shape. Around turn 7 an Ee'Ther will come at you from the southwest, so have West in position with defensive fire (or, if you don't need the experience point, have Maxon drop a mine in the doorway).

Victory on turn 7, 37 kills, +210 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 18b / Prep 19b: Assembly Area, Hidden Location

In the Hidden Location you can pick up an Explosion Pack and a Multi-target Destroyer. In my game, Bakee was one point shy of being able to use the MTD, and Maxon was two; in either case, one commendation was required (3 were available). Bakee and Lee were both able to use the Explosion Pack.

I picked up Explosion Packs for Lee and Bakee, but left the MTD behind for now (mostly so that this walkthrough wouldn't depend too much on taking path B).

At the Assembly Area, Bakee picked up an RFMG.

Mission 19a: Footbridge Path A

mission19a.png (366051 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 7), Pyr'Coo (4), Ee'Ther (2)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 3 (20pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: front row, West, Bratt, empty; back row, Lee, Bakee, Maxon.

Turn 1: West shoots the nearby Pyr'Coo and defends. Bratt moves onto the first part of the ramp and defends. Maxon shoots the Pyr'Coo to the north (possibly not fatal). Lee takes one step west and finishes the Pyr'Coo that Maxon hit. Bakee takes a step west and defends.

Turn 2: the two Ee'Ther should be fairly hurt by the defensive fire. Finish them with Bakee. Bratt runs up the ramp to the first landing. Lee run-jumps to the western platform. West runs up after Bratt. Maxon should now have a position on the two Pyr'Coo in the northeast, and drops a mine on them.

Turn 3: attack the approaching enemies with Maxon. Finish them off with Bratt, who should have a shot, possibly using West or Lee to help out.

After that, just move across the platforms, picking up the equipment boxes (20pts, 50pts, 50pts). Some Ray'Ther will come at you from the north on turn 5 or 6. With Jet Packs you'll be in position so quickly you can just ignore them; otherwise use your snipers and mines to keep them down.

Victory on turn 7, 13 kills, +120 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 19a / Prep 20: Assembly Area

Nothing new.

Mission 19b: Footbridge Path B

mission19b.png (311543 bytes)
Goal: Reach the exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (12), Pyr'Coo (about 22), Ee'Ther (2)
Ammo boxes: 4
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

Positioning: top row is West, Bratt, Bakee; bottom row is Lee, Maxon, empty.

The two vents will spawn Pyr'Coo continuously. To close them off we're going to use the Detonation Packs we just picked up. (The other approach would be to bring in a pair of flame throwers and soak them both, then rush north while the flames subside.)

Turn 1: West shoots the Pyr'Coo to the northwest, and moves north with any remaining movement. Bakee run-jumps north and a little east, staying on the near side of the wall. Bratt moves northeast two diagonal steps to spot the Pyr'Coo. Maxon shoots them with a mine, and moves north. Lee moves near Bratt.

Turn 2: Bakee hops the wall, facing east -- he has heavy armor and can take a hit or two. Bratt and Lee storm in, shooting, and getting into position for next turn. West moves north far enough to avoid being hit by the Pyr'Coo boiling out of the area to the southeast, and defends (there's an Ee'Ther coming). Maxon also moves north to take cover after shooting the Pyr'Coo threatening Bakee.

Turn 3: Bakee blows the grate shoots the nearest Ray'Ther, and uses his last AP to jump south (but face north). West unloads on the Ee'Ther. Bratt and Lee help Bakee and West, then start moving back west (ideally, Lee run-jumps southward to a covered position). Maxon chips in, aiming for clusters near the grate.

Turn 4: West likely has a second Ee'Ther nearby; kill it, using Bratt to help if necessary. (If Bratt got hit last turn, West can heal him.) Bakee, Maxon, and Lee shoot nearby Pyr'Coo.

Turn 5: Maxon moves east and north to make room for West, who starts moving back into the fight. Maxon pops clusters of Pyr'Coo near the second grate. Bratt and Bakee move west, while Lee provides cover fire.

Turn 6: West and Bratt keep killing things. If they get slammed, back them up after firing, and use Maxon and West to heal. Bakee run-jumps to where Lee is, and Lee jumps into the grate area after Maxon drops a mine on anybody inside.

Turn 7: Lee will probably get hit a couple of times, but he's tough. Blow the grate and jump out, then let Bakee heal him. (Alternatively, fight your way forward and clear the grate area for Lee. It takes longer, but your soldiers will get experience for killing Pyr'Coo, so it's not a bad way to go -- especially with ammo boxes nearby.)

From here, sweep up the last of the bad guys. Maxon, Bratt, and West move north, while Lee and Bakee move west and kill the survivors (with long-range help from Maxon). Lee grabs the equipment box near the grate (50pts) while Bakee grabs the box in the southeast corner (50pts).

Reload as required, and start moving north. Grab the two equipment boxes (50pts, 50pts) and clear out the gaggle of Ray'Ther to the east.

Victory on turn 17, 36 kills, +200 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 19b / Prep 20: Assembly Area

Maxon uses two skill points to pick up a High Energy Laser. Bakee switches to a Mine Thrower. West uses a skill point to pick up an Ammo Pack and Standard Armor.

Bratt has two skill points, and uses one to buy an Ammo Pack and Standard Armor. Lee has one available skill point and already has all of the good stuff, but the +1 Technical Skill implant he pulled out of a chest brought him within one point of using a Target System. So we pick up one of those.

Bratt has 1 skill point and needs 2 for a Servo System. West has no skill points and needs 1 for a Servo System, or alternatively 1 for a Mine Thrower. I decided to hold off on the commendations for now.

Mission 20: Statue Park

mission20.png (328336 bytes)
Goal: Reach the two red exit areas
Enemies: Ray'Coo (about 30), Pyr'Coo (7)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 4 (50pts, 50pts, 50pts, 50pts)
Commendations: 0

The grates are spawning Ray'Coo, which can jump, so closing the doors to the grate areas isn't going to help much. It helps a little, since it forces them to jump before they can fire. The real trouble here is that the Pyr'Coo up top can hit most of the map from their elevated position. Taking them out with the High Energy Laser and the Mine Thrower is a priority.

Positioning: left to right, top to bottom: empty, West (RFMG), Lee (Double Fire), Bakee (Mine Thrower), Bratt (Double Fire), Maxon (Laser).

Turn 1: Lee run-jumps for the northeast door, landing in the doorway. Maxon lasers the nearby Pyr'Coo (may take three shots). Bratt and West head east, Bakee fires a mine at the Pyr'Coo up top, then moves north.

Turn 2: Bakee hits the Ray'Coo at the northeast grate. Lee kills any that survive and then blows the grate. Keep him snug against the wall to the north to avoid getting hit by the Pyr'Coo. Maxon takes a shot if he has one and moves north.

After this, just work your way up the ramp to the west. Use defense mode heavily, as you are exposed on top and they like to jump at you. The top of the ramp is a VERY bad place to stand, as it is exposed to fire from spawning Ray'Coo.  Use Bratt's Banner and rest for a turn to allow your units to run farther in one turn.

If you didn't get the demolition packs, close the door to the eastern grate area and kill the jumpers with defense mode as they appear. Use your jumping units to get on top, and hit clusters with the Mine Thrower. Note the various walls and levels and make the Mine Thrower's indirect fire less useful -- you need to position it carefully.  Also remember that you don't need to have all of your units on top.

Grab the equipment boxes (50/50/50/50pts) and finish when you are ready.

Victory on turn 12, 37 kills, +200 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 20 / Prep 21: Assembly Area

Maxon switches to an RFMG. That gives us two RFMGs, two Double Fires, and a Mine Thrower -- perfect for dealing with the swarms of Dec'Ther that lie ahead.

Mission 21: The Aid Station

mission21.png (314154 bytes)
Goal: Kill the Al'Coo
Enemies: Al'Coo (1), Dec'Ther (about 106)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 8 (10/50pts, 10/20/50pts, 50/50/50pts)
Commendations: 0

Taking out the Al'Coo is easy -- just drop a few mines in its path. Dealing with the Dec'Ther hordes is a little more annoying. They will pop out of the three grates, and a few more will simply burst up out of the ground. There are 8 equipment boxes to recover, but with two Jet Pack units it goes pretty fast.  (For the walkthrough I didn't use demolition packs on the grates.)

Start with Bakee in the bottom Left, Lee in the bottom right, the rest can go anywhere. For fun, I decided to do this without blowing any grates.

Turn 1: Bakee run-jumps for the southwest equipment boxes, Lee run-jumps for the southeast boxes. Everybody else moves to the middle of the area and forms a vertical firing squad.

Turn 2: kill some Dec'Ther. Mode B on the RFMG can clear out an entire grate in one shot. Leave somebody in defense mode. Bakee opens the boxes (10/50pts) and jumps toward the boxes to the south. Lee moves along.

Turn 3: Bakee kills a visitor and jumps at the boxes. West and Maxon use mode B on their RFMGs to kill everything in sight. Bratt defends. Lee opens his boxes (50/50/50pts).

Turn 4: Bakee opens his boxes (10/20/50pts). (Depending on where the Dec'Ther spawn, he may have to shoot one.) The RFMGs do their thing (watch for a Dec'Ther to the north). Lee heads back to the main area.

At this point it's a simple matter of surviving while Bakee gets a few mines in front of the Al'Coo. He can lob a mine and jump to safety if things get hairy. Lee can now help with the defense as well.

Turn 9 has no new spawn from the side grates, though the southern grate will continue.

In my game the Al'Coo moved to the southwest corner and stayed there, so I had to kill him by lobbing mines and shooting at him.  I did get him to step on one mine before he got there though, softening him up.

Victory on turn 15, 107 kills, +290 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 21 / Prep 22: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Mission 22: Residential Area #1

mission22.png (368295 bytes)
Goal: Reach the exit area
Enemies: Squee'Coo (about 30), Dec'Ther (about 100)
Ammo boxes: 3
Equipment boxes: 7 (20/20/20/20/20/50/50)
Commendations: 1

Positioning: Maxon; Bakee, Bratt; empty, Lee; West.

Turn 1: you can't shoot the nearby Squee'Coo because they're behind plants. You can hit the one that's farther away. Everybody needs to shuffle around a bit and defend, with clear lines of fire north, south, and east. Lee moves one square east and uses his scoped Double Fire to knock down the Squee'Coo far to the east. Bakee drops a mine on the Squee'Coo to the south. Maxon moves two squares east and defends. West moves southeast and defends.

Turn 2: West uses mode B on his RFMG to kill the spiders (and continues to do so until the mission ends). Bakee hits the Squee'Coo to the south. Everybody pushes forward. Use defense mode to keep the spiders from the north off of you.

Turn 3: a new grate opens. Bakee hits it with a mine. Continue your "defensive advance", watching out for Squee'Coo spawning from the east.

There's no set strategy from here. At some point you need to have Lee or Bakee jump up on the ledge near the exit area; this will allow him to spot the horde of Dec'Ther and pair of Squee'Coo inside. From there Bakee can lob a mine and then leap over.

The Squee'Coo and Dec'Ther just keep coming. Try to get Maxon in position to clear the Dec'Ther grate with mode B so the mines can be used on the Squee'Coo.  Bakee and Lee can clear out the equipment boxes and jump on the exit before you run out of ammo and your weapons overheat.

Open the boxes (20/20/20/20/20/50/50) and step on the exit.

Victory on turn 13, 132 kills, +200 equipment, 1 commendation.

Note: for the walkthrough I didn't use demolition packs on the grates.  You can easily blow the two southern grates, making the level substantially easier.

Post 22 / Prep 23: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Mission 23: Residential Area #2

mission23.png (291959 bytes)
Goal: Kill all enemies
Enemies: Pyr'Coo (5), Ee'Ther (5)
Ammo boxes: 1
Equipment boxes: 4 (50/50, 50/20)
Commendations: 0

Set up with RFMG soldiers at the top and bottom. They'll be doing lots of defending while Lee jumps around and grabs boxes. You will want to kill the Pyr'Coo to the south right away though.

The southern crates will be accessible first (50pts, 50pts). If you time it right, the last Ee'Ther will chase Lee around, keeping the mission from ending, as you grab the northern crates (50pts, 20pts).

Victory on turn 11, 10 kills, +170 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 23 / Prep 24: Fight Position

West picked up a Servo System. Bratt picked up a Servo System, Small Medic Kit, and Light Stimulants. No changes to weapon selection.

Mission 24: To the Flak Battery

mission24.png (287528 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 24), Gore'Ther (6), War'Coo (5)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 5 (50/50/50/50/50)
Commendations: 0

Put Lee in the top right, West in front of the door.

Lee run-jumps up the right side, Bakee run-jumps up the left side. West opens the door and sits tight, with Lee and Maxon next to him.

Turn 3, Lee opens boxes. Everybody continues to hang tight, unless you think they have a back shot on a Gore'Ther. You can kill them by shooting the barrels but you don't get experience. A Ray'Ther grate will open.

Turn 5, Lee and Bakee jump in the room and get the Gore'Ther to turn their backs on the others.

Turn 7, you have a choice. Slowly and painfully fight your way through various Ray'Ther, deftly avoiding the War'Coo, or just jump Lee or Bakee to the exit point while the rest of the group defends.

Victory on turn 11, 30 kills, +250 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 24 / Prep 25: Fight Position

Maxon trades his RFMG for a Plasma Gun. The next few levels have a bunch of implant crates, so it's worth looking at who needs what.

Mission 25: Halls #1

mission25.png (295585 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (about 58), Pyr'Coo (9)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 13 (20pts, impl, 50/50/impl, impl/impl, 50/50pts, 50pts, 50/50/50pts)
Commendations: 0

We pick up a new soldier (Mendel) who is weak but fast, and can open damaged doors. Once open, damaged doors cannot be closed.

We want Maxon to open a Battle Fitness implant box, Lee to open a weapons skill upgrade, and West to open weapons and technical skill.

Positioning: Bakee (Mine Thrower), Mendel (LCG), Bratt (Double Fire); Maxon (Plasma Gun), West (RFMG), Lee (Double Fire).

Turn 1: Lee run-jumps southeast, landing in front of the equipment box. Make sure he's facing west, as one of the Ray'Ther will get a swipe at him. (His attack armor should take the full force.) Bratt shoots the two Ray'Ther to the south and moves south twice. West runs all the way south, followed by Maxon, Mendel, and Bakee.

Turn 2: West kills the Pyr'Coo and moves south. Everybody slides down except Bakee, who run-jumps southwest to the doorway. Lee opens the equipment box (20pts) and jumps east toward the next box, ending up near a tunnel opening.

At the end of turn 2, the hallway walls collapse, leaving you in a wide open room with some Ray'Ther.

Turn 3: hit the Ray'Ther with the plasma gun, then move everybody toward the door to the west. Use the Mine Thrower on any Pyr'Coo you get a look at. Lee grabs the equipment box (+1 Light Weapons, +1 Heavy Weapons) and jumps back behind the first equipment box he opened. (The Ray'Ther can't reach him and, depending on where Maxon is standing, the Plasma Gun won't hit him.)

Turn 4: use the Plasma Gun on the Ray'Ther, then jump Lee out. Bratt opens the door, West defends. Bakee throws a mine to keep the Ray'Ther population down.

Turn 5: West charges all the way west. Bratt follows through the door and turns north, defending. Bakee drops another mine on the Ray'Ther, then jumps in. Mendel moves in next to Bratt. Lee run-jumps next to Mendel. Maxon hits any Ray'Ther and moves next to Lee.

Turn 6: Bakee hits the grate with a mine. West moves north to the equipment boxes. Bratt and Mendel move west to the wall. Lee runs in and defends. Maxon runs in and closes the door behind him.

(If you have demolition packs you can blow the grate, but I chose not to.)

Turn 7: West opens the nearby boxes (50pts, 50pts, +1 Technical Skill) and heads south. Bratt and Lee take up position to prepare to hit the Pyr'Coo to the south (Bratt defending, Lee jumping into place). Maxon sets up on the grate with his Plasma Gun. Bakee hits any visible Pyr'Coo with the Mine Thrower.

Turn 8: finish off any Pyr'Coo that survived your defensive fire and move quickly to the doors to the south. You want to put Mendel on the center pillar and have him open both doors.

Turn 10: West moves to the boxes and opens the eastern one (+1 Light Weapons, +1 Heavy Weapons). Bratt and Lee are defending the doors. Maxon takes one last shot at the Ray'Ther coming out of the grate and runs south.

Turn 11: Bakee attacks Pyr'Coo with the mine thrower. Clean up the rest with guns, or defend if they're not in your line of fire.

From here out it's straightforward. Get everybody through the doors, covering Maxon's retreat with Lee and Bakee, and open the equipment boxes. Use the plasma gun to cover the doors. Make sure Maxon opens the box as he runs south (+1 Battle Fitness).

The remaining boxes hold equipment (50/50pts, 50pts, 50/50/50pts). When you have them all, step on the red exit square.

Victory on turn 15, 67 kills, +420 equipment, 0 commendations.

Prep 25 / Post 26: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Mission 26: Halls #2

mission26.png (207772 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area
Enemies: Dec'Ther (9), Ee'Ther (11), Pyr'Coo (8)
Ammo boxes: 3
Equipment boxes: 11 (impl, 20pts, 50/50/50/50, 20/10/20pts, impl/impl)
Commendations: 1

Lee needs another point of Heavy Weapons skill. West needs Battle Fitness and Technical Skill.

Positioning: Mendel, Bakee, Bratt; Maxon, West, Lee.

Turn 1: Maxon takes two steps south and fires two rounds at the Pyr'Coo. That should be all it takes. Everybody else moves south and defends. Lee can jump to a slightly more forward position, but don't get too close to the Ee'Ther.

Next turn, finish off the Ee'Ther. Move toward the door.

The nearby equipment box has +1 Technical Skill, so use West to open it. The box farther south has equipment (20pts), so use Lee or Bakee.

Get Maxon on the door, Bratt near him. Open it up. Take two shots with the plasma gun (all heat allows), then let Bakee drop a mine on survivors and have Bratt do some shooting. You probably won't kill all the Ee'Ther. Have Bratt close the door.

Turn 5: some Dec'Ther have dropped in. That'll make things interesting. West and Lee should be nearby, so have Maxon open the door, fire one shot, and move clear. Everybody else defends, except Bakee (who throws mines at the Ee'Ther) and perhaps West (who tries to finish off the Ee'Ther).

Dec'Ther will continue to fall for the next couple of turns. Push into the room. Kill the spiders and open the boxes (50/50/50/50pts). Get Maxon and West lined up on the next door. Bakee throws mines at bad guys.

Turn 9: Maxon opens the door, steps in, shoots the barrel, runs back. West finishes the Ee'Ther and defends. Bakee tries to kill the Pyr'Coo with a mine. Lee defends the doorway.

Kill the remaining Pyr'Coo and Ee'Ther. Note the Ee'Ther over the wall to your north -- don't just jump over. Lee can jump to the northwest corner to draw the Ee'Ther over; bring units from the south and throw mines to augment his firepower.

Turn 12: another Ee'Ther is approaching from the south, and a Pyr'Coo popped out of the tunnel. Defend against the former and shoot the latter. Lee opens the boxes in the northwest (20/10/20pts), and will open the boxes to the east as well (+1 Battle Fitness, +1 Light Weapons, +1 Heavy Weapons).

Turn 16: two more Ee'Ther charging at us, and a stray Ee'Ther coming down from up north.

Turn 19: kill the last Ee'ther. Step on the exit.

Victory on turn 19, 28 kills, +270 equipment, 1 commendation.

Post 26 / Prep 27: Urelis' Final Stand

Maxon spends one skill point and buys a Jet Pack. He buys freebie Attack Armor and Explosion Pack, and switches to a Multi-target Destroyer.

Lee switches to an RFMG, and buys a freebie Explosion Pack.

West switches to the Plasma Gun.

West still needs two BF points to wear a Jet Pack. Bakee needs two more TS points to get a Target System, but has one available skill point. We may want to use that point for a Multi-target Destroyer though.

Mendel has little experience but comes with 12 skill points. We give him a Jet Pack, Rapid-Fire Machine Gun, Banner, and all of the stuff that we get "for free" (Attack Armor, Light Stimulants, Small Medic Kit, Explosion Pack, Ammo Pack). He already had a Servo System.

This gives us four jumpers (Lee, Bakee, Maxon, Mendel). All soldiers have Servo Systems. Five out of six carry heavy weapons.

Mission 27: Rutherford Rescue

mission27.png (345151 bytes)
Goal: Open all chests; each the red exit area
Enemies: Ray'Ther (6), Ray'Coo (14)
Ammo boxes: 2
Equipment boxes: 12 (50pts each)
Commendations: 0

You only get one unit -- Captain Rutherford. She's tricked out reasonably well, but with only a Sniper Rifle you have to pick your battles.

We're going to work through the level in a clockwise manner. Start by moving east to the wall. We want to draw out the units by the ammo boxes so we can reload later. End your turn by shooting the Ray'Ther.

Turn 2: shoot the Ray'Ther, and end the turn.

Turn 3: hop over the wall to the right. Stay close to the small piece of wall; it provides cover from the units to the south.

Turn 4: move up, open both boxes, and jump out. The Ray'Coo will follow.

Turn 5: shoot both Ray'Coo -- two shots each should do it. If not, your weapon will overheat, so you need to jump away. You'll need to rest for a few turns to let your weapon heat settle.

Turn 8: jump in to the south, same drill as before.

Turn 9: grab the boxes, jump out to the south so you're right in front of the door.

Turn 10: kill the Ray'Coo. You'll have about 3 rounds of ammo after. Again, let your weapon cool.

Turn 13: open the door, shoot the Ray'Coo, close the door. Jump to the ammo box. The Ray'Coo will jump after you. Shoot until you're out of ammo, then reload and jump away. Jump around, watching your weapon heat, shooting Ray'Coo as you go. If you jump south you can grab some equipment while you dodge. When done, head for the south side.

Turn 17: move one square right of the bottom edge of the wall, so you can step around it next turn and shoot.

Turn 19: if the Scay'Coo lived it'll be coming after you. Shoot it then move into the alcove to the north.

Turn 20: jump into the exact center of the 'H' area.

Turn 21: step west, shoot the Ray'Ther, jump out to the west. (If you jump south there might not be enough room for both Ray'Coo to follow.)

Turn 22: shoot the Ray'Coo, jump back in. Grab equipment and reload from the ammo crate while your weapon cools.

Turn 26: as before, take a step east and shoot the Ray'Ther. Jump out to the east.

Turn 27: shoot until your weapon overheats. Jump back in. Grab eqiupment.

Turn 30: jump out north. Next turn, step out and shoot the last Ray'Coo. From there, head for the exit square.

Victory on turn 34, 20 kills, +600 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 27 / Prep 28: Urelis' Final Stand

Nothing new. This is your last opportunity to change equipment before the final battle.

Mission 28: Spaceport #1

mission28.png (260342 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area
Enemies: Dec'Ther (29), Pyr'Coo (10)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 0
Commendations: 0

Positioning, top to bottom, left to right: West (Plasma Gun), Mendel (RFMG); Rutherford (Sniper Rifle), Bakee (Mine Thrower), Lee (RFMG); Bratt (Double Fire), Maxon (Multi-target Destroyer).

You're surrounded. West takes a step west and kills the Dec'Ther with the Plasma Gun. Rutherford shoots the Pyr'Coo to the west with the sniper rifle, and shoots the one to the south if she has anything left. Bratt hits the Pyr'Coo to the south. Lee and Mendel hit the ones to the east and southeast. Bakee throws a mine at any that survive. Maxon fires the MTD at the two on the exit platform. That should take care of anything that can do you damage.

From here it's just run-and-gun. Move north and around toward the platform. Use defense mode to keep the Dec'Ther off of you. Remember to throw a mine at the ones to the southwest.

Victory on turn 10, 39 kills, +0 equipment, 0 commendations.

Post 28 / Prep 29: (none)

You have no access to weapons or equipment.

Mission 29: Spaceport #2

mission29.png (264593 bytes)
Goal: Reach the red exit area with all surviving units
Enemies: Tr'Yn (1), Dec'Ther (about 47)
Ammo boxes: 0
Equipment boxes: 0
Commendations: 0

Positioning, top to bottom and left to right: Rutherford; Lee, West, Bratt; Mendel, Maxon, Bakee.

Turn 1: shoot the nearby Dec'Ther and move everybody north. Get the jumpers up on top of the boxes.

When you're in the northern section, a very large Tr'Yn will drop in. Drop mines in front of it to wear it down and slow its advance. Use defense mode to keep the three hatched Dec'Ther off of your walkers. When it gets close, send a jump-runner out to draw it south, exposing its weaker rear armor.

You'll also be dealing with Dec'Ther falling from the ceiling, but those will stop after a few turns.

After enough hits the Tr'Yn will die. Move to the exit area.

Victory on turn 14, 48 kills, +0 equipment, 0 commendations.

Final tally: 1435 kills, 0 losses, 7205 points. 2350 equipment and 5 commendations still available.