wiki.phoenixpoint.com - User contributions [en]

Combat

2020-12-23T13:05:38Z

Ementrude: /* Cover */

{|
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[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
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|[[Geoscape]]
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|[[Combat]]
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|[[Character Development]]
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|[[Classes and Skills]]
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|[[Mission Types]]
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|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
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=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of the real ballistics modelling in ''Phoenix Point'', cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part of a character (even if very small), is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

When coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point!''</code> Getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough away and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are safe even if out in the open. If an enemy has a [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T13:01:10Z

Ementrude: /* Cover */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of the real ballistics modelling in ''Phoenix Point'', cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part of a character (even if very small), is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

When coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point!''</code> Getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough away and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are safe even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T12:55:49Z

Ementrude: /* Cover */

{|
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[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
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|[[Geoscape]]
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|[[Combat]]
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|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
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|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of the real ballistics modelling in ''Phoenix Point'', cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part of a character (even if very small), is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do much good.

When coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T12:51:13Z

Ementrude: /* Cover */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of the real ballistics modelling in ''Phoenix Point'', cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part of a character (even if very small), is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T12:46:02Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T12:29:29Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], if it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T12:27:57Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:28:59Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:28:12Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]] by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:26:59Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]]. So disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:25:23Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a character should lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|Strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, and anything that reduces the maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|Strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:19:32Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it is a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] a should character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to the remaining [[#aps|APs]], as it does not result in a whole number. It seems like a Paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:15:42Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery exactly how the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|APs]] does not result in a whole number. It seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T11:10:15Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, and the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|APs]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|APs]] does not result in a whole number. It seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|APs]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|APs]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:57:03Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strength|Strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:26:52Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#strengthStrength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|APs]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:14:54Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested that they would like to have [[#recover|Recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|Panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:12:35Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]].''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:11:16Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise the [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out again by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] at the start of the next turn. This will until the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]]''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:06:10Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise its [[#wps|WPs]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out by the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral Damage]] at the start of the next turn. until [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]]''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T10:04:07Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns. Unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]], it will keep panicking because [[#recover|Recover]] will raise its [[#wps|WP]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out by the [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] at the start of the next turn, until [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]]''

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T09:55:54Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns (unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|psychic ward]]), and will keep panicking because [[#recover|recover]] will raise its [[#wps|WP]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out by the [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] at the start of the next turn, until [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]]''

[[equipment#virophage kit|Virophage Kit]]

# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].

Combat

2020-12-23T09:51:34Z

Ementrude: /* Special Damage */

{|
|rowspan = "7";|
[[file:Mentaculus.png|100px|center|link=]]
|[[Getting Started]]
|-
|[[Geoscape]]
|-
|[[Combat]]
|-
|[[Character Development]]
|-
|[[Classes and Skills]]
|-
|[[Mission Types]]
|-
|[[Final Mission|Final Mission (Spoiler!)]]
|}
----

=Overview=

The biggest difference in gameplay between ''Phoenix Point'' and similar games is that '' Phoenix Point'' is quick.

1) By the end of the first turn of each mission you should usually know where most of the enemies are, and perhaps kill a couple of them. Sometimes you can also do a "First Turn Strike" (FTS), i.e. put out of action (kill, or cripple) most of the enemies on the first turn.

2) Maintaining an enemy engagement for more than one turn is usually a bad idea. Once you are shooting at the enemy and the enemy is shooting at you, one of you is going to die very soon. You must either kill, disable or disengage. The most common mistake is putting your soldier behind [[#Cover|what looks like a solid cover]], taking a couple of shots at an enemy within range, and ending the turn while your soldier remains within the range of an uncrippled enemy.

3) Missions are usually over in a few turns (with First Turn Striking, sometimes in 1 or 2. But even without FTS it usually doesn't take more than 5 turns). However, in the rare longer missions, that can last 10 or more turns, it's important to understand that strategic decisions are made on each turn. For example, [[Mission Types#lair|assaults on lairs]] (a type of Pandoran base) take place on larger maps, with infinite enemy spawning and architecture that can create choke points. On these missions you may be tempted to take a wait and see approach, because enemies take a while to reach your troops, but you shouldn't Very simply - don't waste turns. Overwhelm the enemy or disengage. A stalemate will mean that you lose!

=Action Points (APs)=

<code>In ''Phoenix Point'' all characters have, under normal circumstances, 4 action points each turn</code>

(see the following exceptions: [[File:Tired.png|30px|link=Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]] [[Status_effects#TIRED|Tired]], [[File:Exhausted.png|30px|link=Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]] [[Status_effects#EXHAUSTED|Exhausted]], [[File:Paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]], [[File:Dazed.png|30px|link=Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[Status_effects#DAZED|Dazed]],[[File:Panicked.png|30px|link=Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] [[Status_effects#PANICKED|Panicked]] and [[File:Warcrystatus.png|30px|link=Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] [[Status_effects#WAR_CRY|War Cry]] as situations in which available APs are reduced, and [[File:Rally_the_troops.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] [[Classes and Skills#onslaught|Onslaught]] and [[File:RapidC.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] [[Classes and Skills#rapid clearance|Rapid Clearance]] where they are increased).

<code> Action Points can be used to move, attack, or use [[#abilities|abilities]] or [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]].</code>

''A distinction is made between [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], which are acquired with [[character Development#Skill Points|skill points]] as the character [[character Development#Leveling up|levels up]] such as, for example, [[file:dash.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#dash|Dash]] [[Classes and Skills#dash|dash]], and '''Abilities''' that are granted by equipping gear or through [[mutations]] or [[bionics]], like [[file:jet_jump.png|30px|link=Classes and Skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[Classes and Skills#jet jump|jet jump]].''

Different weapons, [[#abilities|abilities]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] have different [[#aps|AP]] costs. For example, it costs 3 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot [[sniper weapons#sniper rifles|sniper rifles]] but only 1 [[#aps|AP]] to shoot most [[sniper weapons#handguns|pistols]]. There is no prescribed order in which actions have to be taken, allowing you to move and shoot, or shoot and move, and shoot or move again afterwards (if you have the [[#aps|APs]]). Movement is continuous, meaning you can spend part of your [[#aps|APs]] to move, then use the remainder to move some more, or instead take a shot, or use a [[classes and Skills#skill|skill]], and then spend the remaining [[#aps|APs]] to move again. There are no restrictions on which order [[#aps|APs]] are used.

=Will Points (WPs)=

[[file:wp_power_up.jpg|200px|thumb|right|link=|One of the WP 'Power Ups' scattered across most maps]] <code>All characters start missions with will points (WPs) equal to their [[character Development#wps|willpower attribute]].</code> WPs are used to power [[classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[#abilities|abilities]]. They also decrease when a teammate (or an ally) dies, certain body parts are disabled (normally head), or due to receiving [[File:1virus.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Virus_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Virus_Damage|viral damage]], or a [[File:Psychic_scream.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Psychic_Damage]] [[Damage_types#Psychic_Damage|psychic]] attack.

They can be recovered by:

# Giving up one whole turn ( <code>'''Recover''': spend 4[[#aps|APs]] to receive WPs equal to half of current max WPs)</code>.
# Killing enemies (depending on the enemy, from 2 to 10 WPs), opening crates found on the battlefield (5WPs).
# One of your Phoenix Point operatives, or other characters under your control, reaching specially designated locations on the map (these are marked in white and will give a certain number of WPs to each operative and character under your control, regardless of where they are).
# Through certain [[character Development#skill|skills]] of other operatives ([[File:Inspire.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Inspire]] and [[File:Radiant_hope.png|30px|link=Mutations]] [[Mutations|Radiant Hope]]).

<code>When the [[#wps|WPs]] of characters are reduced below 0, they '''Panic''', which causes them to make a random movement, lose their remaining [[#aps|APs]] and, if applicable, [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] and the ability to [[Character Development#Return Fire|return fire]]. The next turn after the panic they will automatically [[#recover|recover]]. </code> ''Therefore panic makes a character lose 2 full turns.''

=Shooting in Phoenix Point=

[[file:shooting through cover.gif|thumb|left|link=|Here, the projectile from the [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] encounters a pole on its way to the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#arthron brute]], and it stop 45 points of damage. ''The [[File:1firebird.png|20px|link=Sniper weapons#firebird]] does 110 damage. The pole stops 45 points of damage and the torso armor stops another 10. Thus the target receives 55 net damage from the attack.'']]

In ''Phoenix Point'', the trajectory of each projectile (bullet, pellet, etc.) is individually calculated independently of other projectiles fired from the same weapon. If it hits something, be it the targeted enemy, another enemy, a friendly, or a piece of scenery it will do (or fail to do, depending on armor/strength of the scenery material) the damage per the projectile of the weapon. For example, the [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons|Assault Weapons]] [[Assault_weapons| Ares AR-1]] assault rifle fires 6 projectiles that do 30 damage each (shown as 6 x 30). If the 6 projectiles hit an unarmored target, it will receive 180 points of damage that will be subtracted from its [[character Development#hps|Hit Points]].

To understand fully what happens, we need to look at several different elements like accuracy, body parts, and armor. But for now, most important to realize is that there are real ballistics (although with not very realistic firearms buffs - beware!) and there is no random (RNG) element in the damage calculation itself. The only RNG element is if or where the attack will hit (whether with direct fire weapons, explosives or melee).

This means that with enough accuracy, a shot can be guaranteed to hit, cripple or kill an enemy without any random chance that it will miss. What's more, the game will tell you when a shot is certain to kill a target, displaying a flashing red skull & crossbones next to the enemy's [[character Development#hps|HPs]] bar.

==Accuracy==

Each weapon has an inherent Accuracy depending on its <code> [[#effective range|Effective Range]], defined as the range at which the weapon is likely to hit a human-sized target 50% of the time</code>. The range is calculated in tiles. So, a weapon with an effective range of 20, will hit a human at a distance of 20 tiles 50% of the time.

Still not clear? Where are the hit chances expressed as a percentage?

There aren't any. Usually you can manually aim the weapon using the 'free aim' mode. In the free aim mode you use an aiming reticle, which is a small circle inside a big circle. The small circle is one quarter of the size of the big circle. <code>Each projectile fired from the weapon will hit somewhere inside the big circle and there is a 50% chance that a projectile will land inside the small circle.</code>

The aiming reticle is static; it does not change when you move it around or zoom in/out. As your operative approaches the target, the chances to hit it increase, as she/he moves away, they decrease. The increase/decrease in Accuracy (i.e. the portion of the target covered by the aiming reticle) is linear.

In addition to the inherent Accuracy of the weapon, the soldier who wields it can buff it through [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]. For a complete list of things that can buff (and debuff) Accuracy (see [[Character Development#acc buffs|accuracy buffs and debuffs]]).

''Many types of armor reduce accuracy. Most notable are heavy armors, and so too does firing the weapon when [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] [[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] has been activated or without having the required weapon [[#proficiency|proficiency]].''

Increasing or reducing Accuracy means that the aiming reticle gets larger, or smaller by the % of the increase or decrease.

The game always operates in terms of size of the aiming reticle. [[#effective range|Effective Range]] is a value to illustrate it to the player for easy of reference, and this is why weapons have odd [[#effective range|Effective Range]] numbers such as "51" or similar.

As an example, an operative with [[File:Master_marksman2.png|30px|link=character_Development#Master marksman]] [[Classes_and_Skills#marksman|Master Marksman]] will see the Accuracy increased by 30% (provided there are no enemies within 10 tiles), which means that the aiming reticle will be reduced in size by 30%. Conversely, a soldier firing a weapon after activating [[File:Adrenaline_rush.png|30px|Link=character Development#adrenaline rush|Berserker]]
[[Classes_and_Skills#adrenaline rush|Adrenaline Rush]] will have Accuracy decreased by 50%, which means the aiming reticle will grow 50% in size.

Another way of looking at it is that each weapon comes with an aiming reticle of a certain size. For example, a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] has a smaller reticle, a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] a much bigger reticle, and an [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons]] [[Assault_weapons|ARES assault rifle]] is somewhere between the two. The size of the reticle will then vary depending on the [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]] of the soldier.

The important takeaways from this are that the closer you are to a target, the more likely you are to hit it, and that a [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] can be as accurate as a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons]] [[Sniper_weapons|Firebird SR]] with the right accuracy modifiers (derived from [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]], [[personal perks]], [[#armor|armor]] and [[#augmentations|augmentations]]).

<code>The biggest chance to hit a target when aiming, is around the border of the inner circle!</code>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/a-comprehensive-guide-for-playing-phoenix-point-or-an-attempt-at-one/10188/23 Full explanation here]

===What is proficiency?===

In ''Phoenix Point'' any operative can use any weapon, armor or other equipment regardless of its [[classes and Skills#class|class]], but not being proficient (not class related weapon) in its use carries a penalty:

# A 50% reduction in [[#effective range|effective range]] for ranged weapons when wielding them without the corresponding proficiency.
# In all other cases, such as when attacking with [[#Melee|melee]] weapons without being proficient in them, a 50% chance to Fumble; that is, to fail to take the action after spending the requisite [[#aps|APs]] and [[#wps|WPs]] on it.

==Line of Sight vs Line of Fire==

<code>The '''Line of Sight''' (or LoS) is the imaginary uninterrupted line connecting any part of a character to another.</code> It does not matter how small the parts are as long as there is nothing between them. LoS is different from <code> the '''Line of Fire''': the imaginary uninterrupted line going from the barrel of the weapon of one character when in firing position to any part of another character. </code>

What this means is that often your operatives will spot enemies that they can't shoot at, with which they have Line of Sight, but no Line of Fire. Also, they will often have Line of Fire (that blue, or orange line you see when selecting which tile to move on) but where only a tiny part of the enemy will be exposed. And if your operative carries different types of weapons, sometimes they will have Line of Fire with one weapon, but not with another, because their barrels are positioned differently when aimed.

===Free aim vs snapshot===

[[file:through the roof.gif|thumb|link=|The [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] is great at breaking through solid walls (or roofs) to hit what's behind them.]]

Though free aiming is very cool and often allows to make the better shot, the auto-target or snapshot mode has its advantages. In free aim you aim ''at the space'' where the target is, '''not''' at the ''target itself''.

Many enemies are still moving while you take the shot, particularly [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]], which tend to bob and weave. Consequently, it is possible for the enemy to move out of a bullet path. It’s often more noticeable with burst shots, because enemies can also flinch from being hit.

Explanation (from Snapshot Games):

<blockquote>"While it may not be an ideal solution, it’s an abstract representation of a moving target. While the game is played in a You Go, I Go format, in reality the enemy wouldn’t be moving all of their soldiers and firing and then standing still while the player moved all of theirs.''

In most games like these, it is presumed or implied that a “turn” (a full round for the player and AI) consists of a certain amount of time, and that all action is happening at approximately the same time.''

We did several experiments (particularly with the free aiming system), with freezing the animation (which just didn’t look right), slowing the animation down (which is what we do now) and having the animation run at full speed (which made the free aiming more like playing an FPS).''

We decided to settle on the slow motion as a compromise - but the fact that enemies do still move and flinch is taken as “you’re firing at a moving target”.''

This was also done mechanically to give the “snap shot” (as in, the shot without manual aiming) more utility.''

Manual aiming was originally a Sniper special ability back in the prototype, but backers liked the idea of the free aim so much, they wanted it as a mechanic available for use by all classes.''

This comes with some design decisions: Do you limit its use? If so, how? Do you make an aimed shot cost more AP? Do you make it cost WP? And if so, do you need to have the WP to even go into the free-aim mode.''

One thing we were very aware of is the potential for free-aiming to slow down the pace of the game. When the player takes every shot in free-aim mode, searching for the sweet spot, how do you make it so the snap shot still has value?''

In the case of Phoenix Point, the snap shot tracks the centre of the target. You can see this on enemies that move a lot, as the crosshair will stay on them.''

It becomes really obvious with something that has a long burst, like the NJ Heavy MG. In free-aim, the soldier will continue to fire at the same point in space, even if the enemy ragdolls out of the way (useful if you want to continue shooting at something behind it). But, with the snap shot, the soldier will track and continue to fire at the target even as it moves."</blockquote>

[https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/outer-circle-shots-missing/10301/9 Full discussion here]

==Damage==

<code>All characters in ''Phoenix Point'' have [[character Development#hps|hit points (HPs)]] (10 for each point in [[character Development#strength|strength]]). When their [[character Development#hps|HPs]] reach 0, they die.

Most characters have different body parts, and each body part has a certain number of hit points and may be protected by [[#armor|armor]]. The damage done to a body part also reduces the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.</code>

All humans have 60 hit points in the head and arms, 80 in legs and 100 in torso.

<code>Once the hit points of the body part are reduced to 0, the body part is disabled and the character is crippled in some way, suffering some negative effects (losing strength, speed, willpower or abilities). Additionally, a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value may be applied.</code>

Humans receive a [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] value of 10 per disabled body part (losing 10 [[character Development#hps|HPs]] per turn per each disabled part), but some Pandorans ([[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]] and [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]]) have body parts with much higher [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleed]] values.

Three important things to bear in mind:

# The total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] are '''not''' distributed among the different body parts and the body part hit points do not scale with [[character Development#strength|strength]],</code> so it is as easy to cripple a character with high [[character Development#strength|strength]] as it is to cripple a character with low [[character Development#strength|strength]].
# Even once a body part is disabled (its hit points are reduced to 0), further damage to that body part will continue to reduce the total number of [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character.
# Projectiles will traverse disabled body parts to hit other body parts behind them, and if a projectile reduces the [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character to 0, it will hit whatever is behind him/her/it, be it another body part belonging to a different character, or a piece of scenery, and inflict damage on it with the remaining strength of the projectile.

===Standard Damage===

<code>Each attack or projectile does a fixed amount of damage minus the armor covering the body part diminished by the [[#piercing|piercing]] strength of the attack or projectile. Additionally, depending on the weapon, may [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] a fixed amount of that armor, the [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shredding]] being applied '''after''' the damage is calculated.</code>

'''Some examples:'''

An [[File:1ares.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] [[Assault_weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does 30 damage, has 0 [[#piercing|piercing]], [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shreds]] 1 armor per projectile and has a [[#burst|burst]] of 6. Bob shoots at Tom and 3 projectiles hit the target: two in the torso, and one in the head. The body armor Tom is wearing has 20 armor, and the helmet 18. Tom received 30 - (20) + 30 - (20 - 1) = 21 damage to the torso and lost 2 points of armor for that body part, and 30 - (18) =12 damage to the head, losing 1 point of armor for that body part.

Alice then shoots Tom with the [[File:1piranha.png|30px|link=Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] [[Assault_weapons#piranha|Piranha AR-51]] that does 40 damage per projectile, has 15 [[#piercing|piercing]] and a [[#burst|burst]] of 4 projectiles. Two of them hit Tom in one of his legs that have 30 armor. Tom receives 2 x (40 - (30 - 15)) = 50 damage to the leg, but he did not lose any armor points.

Finally, Clive shoots Tom with a [[File:1firebird.png|30px|link=Sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] [[sniper_weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] that does 110 damage per projectile, has no [[#piercing|piercing]] and doesn’t [[Damage types#Shred Damage|shred]] armor. It hits Tom on the left arm, that has 20 armor, doing 110 - 20 = 90 damage, which are subtracted from the total [[character Development#hps|HPs]] remaining. The arm has 60 hit points, so it is disabled. Disabling an arm also reduces a human character’s maximum [[character Development#hps|HPs]] by 10, which means that this health cannot be recovered by healing during the mission and that he loses one point of [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. Tom is now [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]] and can’t use any two-handed weapons, but he did not lose any armor points.

The damage per projectile can be increased through various [[Classes and Skills#skill|skills]] and [[personal perks]] so that armor becomes less relevant (e.g. an assault rifle with a 100% buff to damage will do 60 points of damage per projectile, easily overcoming all but the hardiest of armors).

===Special Damage===

There are many kinds of special damage in the game (for a complete list, see [[Damage types]]).

They can be grouped into the following overlapping categories:

# Damage over time (or '''DoT'''): [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that disables a character without reducing its [[character Development#hps|HPs]]: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]], [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that affect limbs: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]], [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast]], [[Damage types#Fire Damage|Fire]] and [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]].
# Damage that only works against certain characters: [[Damage types#EMP Damage|EMP]] (turrets, drones and characters with [[Bionics]]) and [[Damage types#Virophage Damage|Virophage]] (Pandorans and characters with [[Mutations]]).
# Damage that reduces armor: [[Damage types#Acid Damage|Acid]] and [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred]].
# Damage that ignores armor: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]], [[Damage types#Psychic Damage|Psychic]], [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Viral]].
# Damage that only applies if at least 1 point of [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]] is inflicted: [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralysis]], [[Damage types#Poison Damage|Poison]] and [[Damage types#Virus Damage|viral]].

''Piercing is not include in any of the above damage types, as it does not do any damage, but rather facilitates inflicting [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]].''

[[file:cannon vs wall alt.gif|right|frame|link=| Here the [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] [[heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] round, which does 180 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], 'spends' 75 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] points to smash through the [[#high cover|high cover]] and another 10 points to go through the armor on the arm to score 95 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[tritons|Triton]] behind it. Note how the attack inflicts the full [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]], which has no impact on the [[file:triton icon.png|20px|link=tritons|Triton]] [[character Development#hps|HPs]] but determines that the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|20px|link=status effects#DAZED|dazed]][[status effects#DAZED|dazed]], because its remaining global [[character Development#hps|HP]] plus the armor on the body part that received the hit are less than the [[file:1shock.png|20px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] 250 [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]] Note that after YOE/Polaris [[file:1hel.png|20px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]] was buffed and now does 200 [[#Standard Damage|damage]]]]Things to be mindful of:

# All [[#dot|DoT]] 'ticks' at the start of the afflicted character's turn. Therefore, any [[#dot|DoT]] inflicted during the enemies turn, will reduce your [[character Development#hps|HPs]] as soon as your turn starts, before you can remove it. This means that if your operative receives enough [[Damage types#Poison Damage|poison]] during the enemies turn, he is as good as dead.
# [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock]] or [[Damage types#Sonic Damage|Sonic Damage]] will either [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Daze]] the target or have no effect on it at all. You will see that weapons that do [[Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] have very high [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] values, but the only meaning of these numbers is to verify whether the attack passes the following check: <code>If the remaining [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the target + armor on body part that is hit by the [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] attack is less than [[file:1shock.png|30px|link=Damage types#Shock Damage|Shock Damage]] of the attack, then the target becomes [[file:dazed.png|30px|link=status effects#DAZED|Dazed]] [[status effects#DAZED|Dazed]]. </code>
# [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] inflicts the damage value of the weapon on every body part affected by the blast. This is any body part within the blast radius not obstructed by another body part, character or scenery element. In other words, there is no 'damage drop off' in ''Phoenix Point''. It does not matter how close the target is to the center of the explosion, everything within the radius of the explosion that is not sheltered by something else will receive the same amount of damage. However, the positioning does matter; when you have two or more targets, you want the explosion to happen in the middle of them so that one target does not act as cover for the other.
# Most weapons that do some special damage also do some [[#Standard Damage|Standard Damage]], and a few weapons (particularly [[Grenades]]) do several types of special damage at the same time. This is another benefit of explosives. They always do [[Damage types#Blast Damage|Blast Damage]] and some [[Damage types#Shred Damage|Shred Damage]], effectively stripping armor from multiple body parts and making the target more vulnerable to weapons with low damage per projectile (like [[assault weapons#assault rifles|Assault Rifles]] or [[assault weapons#shotguns|Shotguns]]).
# Do not underestimate [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]]! It can easily 'stun lock' your operatives, and it is also very effective against enemies, particularly when you want to [[#Capturing Pandorans|capture a Pandoran]]. The reason for this is because [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] reduces the character's [[#wps|WPs]] by its value each turn. Whereas the amount of the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] in the infected target is only reduced by 1 per turn, and [[#recover|Recover]] gives back only half of the character's max [[#wps|WPs]] when used. So a character that receives 20 [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] and has 20 [[character Development#wps|Willpower Points]] will [[#panic|Panic]] after no more than 2 turns (unless the [[Damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] is removed with a [[File:Virophage kit.png|30px|link=equipment|Virophage Kit]] [[equipment|virophage kit]], the character is [[File:Frenzied.png|30px|link=status effects#FRENZIED|Frenzied]] [[status effects#FRENZIED|frenzied]] or protected by [[File:Psychicward.png|30px|link=Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|Psychic Ward]] [[Status effects#PSYCHIC WARD|psychic ward]]), and will keep panicking because [[#recover|recover]] will raise its [[#wps|WP]] to 10 at the end of each turn, only to have them wiped out by the [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] at the start of the next turn, until [[Damage types#Viral Damage|viral damage]] is reduced to 10, 8 or 9 turns later. ''To prevent the 'panic stunlock' some players have suggested to have [[#recover|recover]] grant a 1 or 2 turn immunity to [[#panic|panic]]''
# [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] is checked against the character's [[character Development#attributes|strength]] to determine its effects, so that the [[#aps|AP]] of the character are reduced in proportion to the [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]. ''(However, it's a mystery to me how exactly the game decides how many [[#aps|AP]] should a character lose when the result of applying the proportion of strength lost to remaining [[#aps|AP]] does not result in a whole number: it seems like a paralysis value short of one to match the strength of the character will leave it with no [[#aps|AP]], but a paralysis value short of two will leave one [[#aps|AP]]''). Therefore, reducing the character's [[character Development#strength|strength]] makes paralyzing easier. <code> The [[character Development#strength|strength]] of the character can be found out by dividing its [[character Development#hps|HP]] by 10, and everything that reduces the max [[character Development#hps|HPs]] of the character also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength]], so disabling a character's limbs also reduces its [[character Development#strength|strength by the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10.</code>

==Cover==

Because of real ballistics, in ''Phoenix Point'' cover only works if it’s actually in the way of the projectiles and doesn’t get destroyed by them. If some part, even if very small, of a character is exposed (e.g. because the attack comes at an angle) and the attacker is close enough to accurately target it, the cover will not do any good.

Coming from Firaxis XComs and its clones, one has the “must be in cover” syndrome. Staying out in the open means flanked (so very high 'chance to hit' and score a 'critical'), means death. Just find anything and get behind it. A flower pot, a rubbish bin… This largely dictates positioning priorities in these games: stay in cover, try to flank, avoid being flanked.

<code>There are no critical hits in ''Phoenix Point''</code>; getting shot in the foot behind cover and getting shot in the foot in the open is exactly the same thing. When it comes to positioning, what matters most in '' Phoenix Point'' is [[#los|Line of Sight (LoS)]]/[[#lof|Line of Fire (LoF)]] and distance. If you are far enough and the enemy doesn’t have long range weapons, you are good even if out in the open. If the enemy has [[sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] and [[#lof|LoF]] on you, any cover offers limited protection.

Because movement is continuous (you can spend part of an [[#aps|AP]] on movement, do an action, then spend the rest of the [[#aps|AP]] on moving some more) and you have 4 [[#aps|APs]], you can move to a point where you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemy, attack it, and then move to break [[#los|LoS]], '''and that's the defensive measure you want to take in Phoenix Point, rather than staying behind cover in [[#los|LoS]] or [[#lof|LoF]] and in range of an active enemy'''.

Put simply, ''Phoenix Point'' is much closer to the original X-Coms in this than to Firaxis take on the genre. In the latter you would shelter behind a corner safe in the knowledge that, unless completely flanked, you are well protected. In ''Phoenix Point'' any attack coming at a 45° angle renders such protection null.

However, rather confusingly the game uses the same shield icons as in the Firaxis games to describe cover - this [[file:high cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''seems to denote full, solid cover'', and this one [[file:low cover.png|50px|link=]] that ''looks like partial cover''.

'''And it's all wrong, because actually what these bizarrely chosen icons are meant to represent are the different behaviors that the characters adopt when positioned behind each type of cover. '''

In reality, there are two kinds of cover in ''Phoenix Point'':

'''High Cover'''⇒ [[file:high cover.png|100px|link=]] and '''Low Cover'''⇒ [[file:low cover.png|100px|link=]]

The difference between them is that, in addition to the character behind low cover being partially exposed by definition, a character in low cover will kneel(so that he/she/it is partially exposed, - normally head and shoulders in case of humans) and will fire without changing position, while a character in high cover will step to the side to fire, being completely exposed in the process.

Note that [[#high cover|high cover]] is not necesarily full, or solid cover: the cover might be of poor quality, e.g. not large enough to actually cover the whole body, or be of very weak material (glass, scrap metal, trees). All that this shield icon means is that the soldier will step to the side to fire at an enemy.

One reason why it matters is that if an enemy is on [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] covering that corner, stepping to the side to take a shot (whether at that enemy or another) can mean entering a world of pain. Similarly, if the enemy is an [[file:Arthron_icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] Arthron or a human with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|Return Fire]], the return fire from the enemy will activate (if the enemy is still capable of shooting) before the operative returns to cover.

Shooting from [[#low cover|low cover]] doesn’t activate overwatch and partially protects from [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]]. The disadvantage is that any [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire]] [[character_Development#return fire|return fire]] will probably hit the soldier in the head, which usually has less armor than the rest of the body. Still, the head makes for a smaller target and it’s more likely that the return fire will miss the partially covered soldier.

So one way to think of it is that [[#low cover|low cover]] is better for attacking (from it) and [[#high cover|high cover]] is better for defending.

However, in practice

1) an enemy won’t go on a [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] if there is an operative in [[#low cover|low cover]] within range - it will shoot at the soldier instead; and

2) if you are shooting at an enemy with the [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=character_Development#return fire|return fire skill]] better just make sure she/he/it can’t shoot you back (because after your shot it’s gonna be dead, its weapons disabled, or you are more than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] range away)

''But, as explained [[#Overwatch|here (Overwatch)]], [[#low cover|low cover]] has some advantages when setting up [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] from it: it is easier to set the cone on the area you want covered and because there is no step to the side animation there is a longer window of opportunity to hit a moving target across an [[#Overwatch|overwatch]] cone with a short base.''

''Note that heavy weapons, because they are held at waist length, cannot be shot from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] at high angles (this means you can't shoot a [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons]] [[heavy weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] over the railing on a rooftop while aiming down).''

Takeaways: don’t assume that a nice shield icon means good, full cover, and most importantly, don’t overestimate the importance of cover.

My advice: examine the map to find positions from which you have good [[#lof|LoF]] on the enemies and from which the enemies have bad [[#lof|LoF]] on you. Your best bet are multistory buildings with windows. Take cover behind walls next to windows allowing you to shoot at the enemies below while they can’t shoot at you. Bear in mind that this does not mean that your soldiers are now perfectly safe. Enemies have explosives, both long and short range, and psychic attack abilities (notably mindcontrol), some of which don't require [[#los|LoS]] .

''Also, on many missions you can’t just wait for the enemies to attack you, because they have to destroy some mcguffin (like civilians, or equipment) or because there is an infinite number of them and you need to destroy some mcguffin (notably in the [[Mission Types#Pandoran Bases|Pandoran Bases]]).''

===Aiming Angles===

To illustrate the importance of the angle of attack, [https://forums.snapshotgames.com/t/phoenix-point-some-helpful-hints-for-xcom-players/11963/2 courtesy of MadSkunky from the official forum]:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|+'''Cover and Angles'''
|-
| colspan="3"| [[file:coverSetting.jpg|999px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 1
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 2
! style="width:333px; border:solid 1px"| Aim 3
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim1.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim2.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px| [[file:coverAim3.jpg|333px|center|link=]]
|- style="border-collapse:collapse; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"|
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely protected from any shots coming from directly in front of him.
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The solder behind the cover is almost completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 45º)
| style="width:333px; vertical-align:top; text-align:left; border:solid 1px; padding:5px"| The soldier behind the cover is completely exposed to any shots from this angle (approximately 90º)
|}

==Overwatch==

Overwatch is an ability that any character wielding a direct fire weapon can use:

[[File:Overwatch cone size.gif|thumb|left|link=| You can adjust the size of the angle by holding ctrl as you move the mouse wheel up to increase it and down to decrease. If you are using a controller you can do it by pressing RB1 and LB1.]] <code>Character will attack once the first enemy that moves into the overwatch area (a cone with a maximum angle of 175° and a maximum height equal to the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of the character) provided that the enemy is within [[character Development#perception|perception]] range of the character modified by the [[character Development#stealth|stealth attribute]] of the target. Requires direct fire weapon, AP cost same as regular shot with weapon (unless character has [[character Development#extreme focus|extreme focus skill]]); ends turn and while active prevents the character from [[character Development#return fire|returning fire]]. </code>

''So, although the in-game description does not mention this, overwatch may not activate even if an enemy steps into the overwatch area due to a [[character Development#perception|perception]]/[[character Development#stealth|stealth]] check, e.g. a target with +50% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] will not trigger overwatch from a character unless it is within less than half its [[character Development#perception|perception]] - this is why some [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] with high [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] can avoid triggering overwatch from your operatives, and more so during night missions, when [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all characters is halved''

''Though [[character Development#return fire|return fire]] will not activate if the character is on overwatch, it will activate if the character is attacked '''after''' the overwatch is triggered''

Some things to bear in mind about how overwatch operates:

- The target continues to move as the character on overwatch initiates the shooting animation, and thus often the target will have moved into cover or behind an obstacle when the shot is made, particularly if the overwatch is set up from behind [[#high cover|high cover]] and the character needs to make a side step before shooting.

- [[#low cover|Low cover]] intersecting the overwatch cone will often interfere with the overwatch shooting, sometimes in unpredictable ways: some [[#low cover|low cover]] elements are very resilient or invulnerable though they don't appear so, and characters on overwatch shoot at the center mass of the target - even if it's hidden behind [[#low cover|low cover]] - instead of aiming at an exposed body part.
''(However, at other times the results are all too predictable: for example, [[File:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons]] [[Tritons]] move on all fours and therefore have a very low profile, making it very hard to hit them in overwatch when they are among [[#low cover|low cover]] items)''

- When several characters are overwatching the same area and the overwatch is triggered by an enemy, they will take turns shooting at it. As the enemy continues to move during the shooting animations, subsequent overwatch shots may be suboptimal, or the enemy move away from the overwatch area and avoid triggering all of the overwatches.

In short, overwatch comes with all the blessings and curses of Phoenix Point ballistics: projectiles only do damage to what they hit, but assets don't always behave as expected because they have too many hit points or their hitboxes marginally exceed their size.

''Some players also take issue at how the target continues moving as the shooting animation plays and how their operatives "take turns" at shooting a target that triggers several overwatches''

One way of looking at overwatch (okay, '' my'' way of looking at it) is that it gives a low quality opportunity shot that can catch some enemies at their most vulnerable (for example, [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons]] [[Arthrons]] with shields) and, most importantly, it's a shot where the enemy spends [[#APs|APs]] to improve ''your'' [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]. When set up right, overwatch can be very effective, but that might require putting some thought into it:

[[File:3 overwatches.gif|frame|link=|You want to avoid [[#low cover|low cover]] elements intersecting your overwatch cone (first overwatch shot). Set the height of the cone below any obstacles that an enemy might get behind (second and third shot)]]

- Avoid [[#high cover|high]] or [[#low cover|low cover]] intersecting your cone.

- Remember that it takes time to shoot and the target will continue moving: if the base of your cone is narrowly set up between two elements of cover and the target will be moving from one to the other, rather then moving towards your operative, you have a very short window of opportunity to make a good shot.

- In connection with the point above, making an overwatch shot from [[#high cover|high cover]] requires stepping to the side, which takes more time than shooting from behind [[#low cover|low cover]] or in the open. '' Setting up the overwarch cone from [[#high cover|high cover]] also take a little getting used to, because you have to take into account that the operative will step to the side if necessary, although it might look like your [[#high cover|high cover]] is intersecting the overwatch cone''.

- Don't forget about [[#Accuracy|accuracy]]: you can set the height and the angle of the overwatch cone way beyond the [[#er|effective range]] of your operative's weapon, all but guaranteeing a miss. For weapons with short [[#er|effective range]], go for a small overwatch cone.

=Detection=

When do you spot enemies and when do they spot you?

<code>Detection is determined by the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the observer and the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] and the size of the observed. [[character Development#perception|Perception]] is expressed in tiles and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] as a percentage (which can also be negative, meaning the observed is easier to detect), the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] reducing the [[character Development#perception|perception]] range vis a vis the observed.</code>

So, if Bob has a [[character Development#perception|perception]] of 35 ''(base [[character Development#perception|perception]] of all human characters)'', he will detect all enemies with =<0% [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] within his [[#los|Line of Sight (LOS)]] within 35 tiles. He will also detect enemies further away if they have a negative [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] (which is usually derived from wearing heavy armor, see [[character Development#stealth buffs|here]] all the things that increase or decrease the [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of a character). For example, Bob will detect enemies 49 tiles away within [[#los|LOS]] whose [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] is - 40%. Similarly, Bob will be detected by enemies depending on his [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] and the [[character Development#perception|perception]] of his enemies. Bob will also alert enemies to his presence by shooting a non-silenced weapon.

You can calculate the range at which any enemy will detect one of your operatives: just check the [[character Development#perception|perception]] [[character Development#attributes|attribute]] of the enemy, adjust it with your operative's [[character Development#stealth|stealth]], and count the tiles. ''Not that I suggest doing it before making every move…''

The size of the character is also relevant for detection purposes: large Pandorans like [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons]] [[Chirons]], [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas]] [[Scyllas]], [[file:Mist sentinel icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] [[other Pandorans#Sentinels|Sentinels]] and the [[file:Spawnery icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] [[other Pandorans#Spawnery|Spawnery]] are easier to detect, while it's harder to spot [[file:worm icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] [[other Pandorans#Worms|Worms]] and [[file:Mindfragger icon.png|30px|link=other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]] [[other Pandorans#Mindfragger|Mindfraggers]].

A character with [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] 100% or higher will be detected by an enemy if it gets to within 5 tiles of it, unless he/she/it casts [[file:Vanish.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#vanish|Vanish]] [[classes and Skills#vanish|vanish]], which allows the character to stay hidden until the end of the turn, or it is a [[file:Triton icon.png|30px|link=Tritons|Triton]] [[Tritons|Triton]] that activated [[file:pain chamaleon.png|30px|link=tritons#pain|Pain Chameleon]][[Tritons#pain|pain chameleon]], which can make it completely undetectable inside the [[geoscape#mist|Pandoran mist]], even if standing right next to it. If not in the [[geoscape#mist|mist]] you will usually spot it a couple of tiles away, and always if on a tile next to your operative

Detected characters will stay detected during the rest of the turn (so you will see where the enemies finish their turn even if you lose [[#LoS|LoS]] on them) and their last known position will be marked with a red ping ('''missing pic'''). The red ping also indicates the location of any character that generated any kind of noise (usually by using a non silenced weapon: that is, any weapon that is not a crossbow or a melee weapon).

A peculiarity about AI and detection: unlike the player who controls the whole squad and is aware of what every operative perceives, the AI controlled characters are only aware of those enemies that they detect, so if one [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] sees your operative, it doesn't mean that other Pandorans will be aware of him as well.

However, <code>characters controlled by AI will also detect those enemies detected by a friendly within the [[character Development#perception|perception range]]</code>. For example, if your operative is detected by an [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] [[Arthrons|Arthron]] and that [[file:Arthron icon.png|30px|link=Arthrons|Arthron]] is within the perception range of a [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]], the [[file:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=
Chirons|Chiron]] will also know where your operative is (and probably attack him or her with its indirect fire attack).

In practice, because maps are small and characters' [[character Development#perception|perception]] is high, during [[Mission Types#light level|daylight missions]] more often than not being detected by one enemy means being detected by all enemies.

Characters controlled by AI that have not detected any enemy, will either stand put or wander about, often neglecting cover

A key idea to keep in mind about stealth in ''Phoenix Point'' is that it requires 'dedicating' or 'committing' the character to it. Because characters typically have high [[character Development#perception|perception]], unless the mission takes place at night, they usually have no trouble spotting each other very fast. In other words, anything below a [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] of 50% or more usually does not provide a tangible advantage.

=Melee=

There are two kinds of melee attacks in '' Phoenix Point'', a 'bash' with any item and 'strike' with a dedicated melee weapon.

''Neither attack triggers [[file:return_fire.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#return fire]] [[character Development#return fire|Return Fire]]''

''Both attacks benefit from [[file:Brawler.png|30px|link=character Development#brawler]] [[character Development#brawler|Brawler]] and [[file:close_quarters_specialist.png|30px|link=personal perks]][[personal perks|Close Quarters Specialist]] third-row skill (Proficiency and 20% damage buff with shotguns and melee weapons)''

Striking with a dedicated melee weapon requires to be on an adjacent tile to the target and to be [[#proficiency|proficient]] in melee weapons (otherwise there is a 50% to 'fumble', i.e. fail to do the attack after spending the APs on it). All melee weapons cost 2APs to strike with (though in the Blood and Titanium DLC there is a bionic augmentation, [[File:Vengeance_torso.png|40px|link=Bionics]] [[Bionics|Vengeance Torso]] that grants the [[File:Combat_matrix.png|30px]] combat matrix ability, which reduces the cost of using melee weapons by 1AP, to a minimum of 1AP).

Melee weapons can also be used to bash (which costs only 1AP) but for much less damage ''(because they only weight 2 units, see below why that matters)''

There is no free aim, or body part targeting with melee attacks, which means that some RNG is involved because any body part can receive the hit and different body parts have different armor.

The big advantages of melee weapons are the high damage per strike, which guarantees easily overcoming the toughest armors, that they have some secondary useful property (like [[#piercing|piercing]], or inflicting [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage]] [[Damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]], [[Status effects#BLEEDING|bleeding]], or [[Damage types#Shock Damage|shock damage]]) and that they are all one-handed weapons ''(except the [[File:1scyther.png|30px|link=Berserker weapons|Scyther]] [[Berserker weapons|Scyther]] in the [[Legacy of the Ancients]] DLC)''.

Note that the [[File:Neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[Equipment|Neurazer]] doesn’t require melee [[#proficiency|proficiency]] and costs 1[[#aps|AP]] to use, but for all other intents and purposes acts like a dedicated melee weapon. Most importantly, to inflict [[File:1paralysis.png|30px|link=Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[Damage_types#Paralyze_Damage|paralyze damage]] it has to be used to 'strike' an enemy, not 'bash' it. 

Bashing with an item an adjacent enemy is always available, provided that the soldier’s arms have not been disabled (for items requiring 2 arms to operate, both arms are needed to bash with the item) and always costs 1 [[#aps|AP]].

<code>The damage of the bash attack is calculated by multiplying the weight of the item used for bashing by the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the character doing it</code>. So a soldier with 15 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] wielding an [[File:1ares.png|30px|assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] [[assault weapons|Ares AR-1]] that weighs 3 units will do 3*15=45 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] with the bash.

<code>The item that is used for bashing will also suffer 25% of the damage inflicted with the bash </code> However, all human weapons have 20 armor and the damage to the weapon will be reduced by its armor. Even so, brittle weapons like [[Sniper weapons|sniper rifles]] make for poor candidates despite having considerable weight.

''(Weapons that get damaged in combat will be automatically repaired after the battle, but not so the weapons that are destroyed)''

Because bash scales with [[character Development#attributes|strength]], it can actually do as much as damage as a melee weapon (for example, [[File:1marduk.png|30px|link=Berserker_weapons#marduk|Marduk's Fist]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]]) but for half the [[#aps|AP]]. A character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] (that can be achieved with max 30 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] and the [[File:Resourceful.png|30px|link=Personal_perks]] [[Personal_perks|resourceful third-row skill]] wielding a heavy weapon (e.g. [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], [[File:1goliath.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath GL2]] - all of which weigh 5 units ''... and an additional +3 [[character Development#attributes|strength]] can be obtained by completing Project Vulture'') will do 32 * 5 = 160. This is a 100% increase in damage per AP, but really anything above 80 damage (that is, with [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of 17 or more) would seem to make bash preferable to melee.

There are a few caveats, however:

Melee weapons are one-handed while bashing with a heavy weapon requires both hands. This doesn’t seem very important… Until your heavy has one arm disabled.

Bashing can damage the weapon, and at very high [[character Development#attributes|strength]] the damage can be quite high higher; you might get no more than 3-4 bashes in before the weapon breaks (for example, [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] and [[File:1hel.png|30px|link=Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] each have 150 HPs, a character with 32 [[character Development#attributes|strength]], [[character Development#brawler|brawler]] and [[personal perks#close quarters specialist|close quarters specialist]] will do 288 damage with each bash, so 52 damage to weapon).

Even though the damage per AP is important, when it comes to melee weapons remember that their big advantage over other weapons is the high damage per strike. A basic ARES does more damage than a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] (180 vs 160) for the same 2 APs (and over distance, too!). However, ARES fires in a burst and each shot does only 30 damage, which means that whereas against a target with 50 armor, the ARES will do 0 damage, a [[File:1marduk.png|30px]] [[Berserker_weapons|Marduk's Fist]] will do 110 damage. Similarly, even though 2 bashes of 90 damage each add to 180 pts of damage, against a target with 50 armor they would only do 80 in total.

For bash to compete with melee in damage, a serious investment in [[character Development#attributes|strength]] is required. ''(This is not too big of an issue currently, as you will have more than enough SPs to completely max out the stats of your veterans by late game, especially on the easier difficulty levels)''

If you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, you can augment your soldiers with the melee bionic torso, which reduces the cost of melee attacks by 1AP.

Conclusion: The big advantage of bash is that it costs 1 AP and that with high enough [[character Development#attributes|strength]] it can do as much as damage as a dedicated melee attack that costs 2 AP. This makes it ideal for heavies (who have the [[File:Brawler.png|30px|link=Heavy]] [[Heavy|Brawler skill]], LVL2 Passive Heavy Skill, adds 50% damage to bash and melee attacks), that can jetpack to an enemy and club it (which is the best thing they can usually do after jetpacking anyway). It is also very useful for other builds, to take care of worms and mindfraggers. However, a dedicated melee fighter can be devastating, especially when considering all the buffs available to melee and that they don’t need to care about accuracy.

=About weapons=

Weapons have the following stats:

<code>
'''Damage:''' the damage to [[character Development#hps|HPs]] dealt with each attack</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

<code>'''Piercing:''' how many points of armor each attack ignores</code> (see [[#Damage|Damage]] for examples)

'''<code>Effective Range:''' the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time </code>(see [[#Accuracy|Accuracy]] for detailed explanation). Note that for melee weapons this is always 1

'''<code>Burst:''' how many projectiles the weapon shoots with each attack </code>

<code>'''Action Points:''' cost in APs of using the weapon </code>

<code>'''Special:''' some weapons do special damage </code>(see [[Damage_types|here]] for a complete list of all the different kinds)

<code>'''Ammo capacity:''' how many attacks can be made with the weapon before it needs reloading </code>

<code>'''Weight:''' how much the weapon weights (in unspecified units) </code>- this is relevant for the [[character Development#carrying capacity|carrying capacity]] of the operative and for bash damage (see [[#Melee|Melee]])

'''<code>HPs:''' how many HPs the weapon has; a weapon can receive damage from attacks by enemies, or bashing, and if reaches 0 it is destroyed (weapons are automatically repaired after each battle).</code> Note that all human weapons also have 20 points of '''Armor''' that act exactly like [[#armor|armor on a body part]].

<code>'''Hands to use:''' if a weapon requires both hands, the character won't be able to use if one of his/her/its arms is disabled, and if it requires only one hand, if boths arms are disabled. </code>

Some important concepts to bear in mind when discussing weapons in ''Phoenix Point'':

#Damage per second(DPS)/Damage per AP: this is damage per attack multiplied by burst divided by AP cost. This tells how efficient the weapon can be: the higher the DPS of a weapon, the more you are getting out of the APs spent on using it.
#Weapons with high damage per attack are those that can go through armor of any strength and inflict respectable amount of damage (generally, anything of 80 damage or more), and the opposite are considered weapons with low damage per attack/projectile (most notably shotguns - 35, and assault rifles, between 30 and 40).
#Long burst weapons are weapons that have a burst of at least 6 or more.

Weapons in ''Phoenix Point'' tend to follow some rules (though there are exceptions and the rules themselves can be subverted by skills and perks):

- Weapons with high damage per attack/projectile are single shot (sniper rifles, [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]], or have short bursts ([[File:1destiny3.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Destiny III]], weapons with low damage have long bursts (most assault rifles, all shotguns and all heavy machine guns).

- Weapons with high ER have lower DPS: sniper rifles have the highest ER and the lowest DPS, assault rifles have medium ER and medium DPS, shotguns have lowest ER and highest DPS.

So the first conclusion seems simple enough: short range weapons do more damage. However, that is only really so when considering unarmored or lightly armored targets... When dealing with armored targets weapons with low damage projectiles seem to become ineffective and the sniper rifles reign supreme. But that's also only part of the story, because it doesn't take into account:

1) Synergies from different [[character Development#skill|skills]] (more on that in the [[Character Development]] section, but the main principle is that the damage per projectile of long burst/low damage per projectile weapons can be increased with [[personal perks]] and [[character Development#skill|skills]] to the point where they easily punch through any armor)

2) Benefits from combined tactics (using one operative to strip armor from enemies and another one to attack them)

3) The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]].

[[file:effective range.gif|frame|right|link=|The ambiguity of [[#er|effective range]]: Here you can see first a [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] and then an [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] targeting and shooting 2 different [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]]. The [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] is wielding a [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] which has an [[#er|effective range (ER)]] of 51; the banshee armor adds +16% to [[#Accuracy|accuracy]], raising the total [[#er|ER]] to 59. However, the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] at this angle of attack makes for a much smaller target than a human, and even at a distance of only 12 tiles the [[file:sniper training.png|20px|link=Sniper]] has a slight chance to miss. The [[file:assault training.png|20px|link=Assault]] with an [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]], that has an [[#er|ER]] of 25, and at 6 tiles distance is almost certain, but no guaranteed to hit the [[file:arthron icon.png|20px|link=arthrons#Arthron|Arthron]] with every single bullet. This illustrates an important point about [[#er|ER]]: on its own it is not very useful: an [[#er|ER]] of 51 (or 59) does not tell us much about the chances to hit the target. However, it is useful for comparison purposes: that the [[file:1firebird.png|20px|sniper weapons#firebird|Firebird SR]] is approximately twice as accurate as the [[file:1ares.png|20px|link=assault weapons#ares|Ares AR-1]] does seem to hold true, as the former has a similar chance to hit a similar target at 12 tiles as the latter does at 6]] Here I will talk about the last one, because it's the most complex and it's directly related to ''Phoenix Point'' opting for realistic ballistics vs die rolls.

So, as you already know, the only measure of [[#Accuracy|accuracy]] in ''Phoenix Point'' is the [[#er|effective range]] which is the range in tiles at which the weapon is likely to hit a human sized target 50% of the time.

But, what is a human sized target when you are dealing with enemies that are sometimes much smaller than humans and other times much, much bigger? And do you actually want to hit the target itself?

In reality, no. Or, at least, ''not usually'' past the early game. What you want is to hit specific body parts because they have the lowest armor (even the most well armored Arthrons and Tritons have body parts with 20 armor) or give some nasty ability to the enemy. These body parts can be huge (like a Scylla's abdomen) or very small (the thin Arthron's arm holding the shield or the Triton's weapon hands, mostly hidden behind his ''other'' pair of arms). Moreover, you are not only limited by the size of the target, but by the angle of attack and the obstacles between you.

So what happens in practice is that often to reliably land the shot you want, you have to engage the target at perhaps 20 tiles with a sniper rifle, and at that point you can also dash at it with a shotgun, and just kill it point blank, or engage it at a slightly longer range but different angle with an assault rifle.

What this comes down to is that comparing weapon classes among each other is as interesting as it is inconclusive. This is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the game - that practically all weapons are useful depending on the play style, ''kind of like what happen with From Software games, and for similar reasons.''

A few tips:

- When dealing with armored targets, assault rifles are intented to to be used to disable less armored limbs (20 or less) at some distance (5-12 tiles) and to chip away at armor, while shotguns are best at very close range (2 tiles or less).

- [[File:1hel.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Hel 2 Cannon]] has a short ER (17) but it packs such a punch that it doesn't matter that much where it hits.

- [[File:1deceptor.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Deceptor]] is mostly effective against large targets, like Chirons and Scyllas. Against medium sized-targets it has to be used at short range (8 tiles or less).

- [[File:1goliath.png|30px|Heavy_weapons]] [[Heavy_weapons|Goliath 2 GL]] is excellent for stripping of armor from multiple targets simultaneously (when not disabling them outright) allowing a an effective use of high DPS weapons against them.

=Armor - what is it good for?=

<code>Each piece of armor comes with an armor value and some bonus/malus to [[character Development#attributes|attributes]] ([[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]], [[character Development#movement|speed]], [[character Development#stealth|stealth]]).
The different armor pieces for [[helmets|head]], [[body Armor|body]] and [[leg Armor|legs]] can be combined in any way, and there is no penalty for using armors outside the [[classes and Skills#class|class]].</code>

''The one exception is the heavy body armors, as only [[file:Heavy_training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavies]] can use the [[file:jet jump.png|30px|link=classes and skills#jet jump|Jet Jump]] [[#abilities|ability]] without a 50% chance to [[#fumble|fumble]]''

Armor is very important in determining the role that the operative will have within the squad, because <code>all humans, regardless of [[classes and Skills #class|class]] and [[character Development#level|experience]], have the same [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] (+0%), [[character Development#perception|perception]] (35) and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] (+0%)</code>.

[[character Development#accuracy|Accuracy]], [[character Development#perception|perception]] and [[character Development#stealth|stealth]] mostly depend on armor or [[#Augmentations|augmentations]] ([[mutations]] and [[bionics]], the latter if you have the Blood and Titanium DLC, which work as permanent pieces of armor).

This means that if you want to turn your [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=cclasses and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] into a dedicated mid-range shooter you can replace his heavy armor with the sniper armor, or if you are willing to exchange the extra armor and jetpack for mobility, you can give him the assault armor.

One key thing to understand about '' Phoenix Point'' character system is that [[classes and Skills#class|classes]] do not dictate the role: the way you build and kit out your operatives determines who they are going to be. This is discussed in far more detail in the [[Character Development]] and [[Classes and Skills]] sections.

However, there are synergies to be found in kitting out the operatives with the armor corresponding to their [[classes and Skills#class|class]]. For example, sniper armor is very weak; you want to keep [[File:sniper training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Sniper|Sniper]] [[classes and Skills#Sniper|snipers]] as far away from the action as possible, so although you could give it to a [[File:heavy training.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#Heavy|Heavy]] [[classes and Skills#Heavy|heavy]] to improve their [[character Development#accuracy|accuracy]] with the [[file:1hel.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#hel|Hel 2 Cannon]], they would have to use it at mid-range, where they would be very exposed.

Combat in ''Phoenix Point'' is very lethal and armor offers limited protection, but it's far from useless. Often your operatives will die after receiving 2-3 attacks, and what armor gives you is that chance to survive 2 attacks instead of 1, or 3 instead of 2. And besides outright death, you have to worry about limbs. A soldier with a disabled arm is often out for good from the mission at hand, and the difference between an attack disabling the arm or not might be a few points of armor.

To give a few examples:

- A starting recruit on Legend (with 14 [[character Development#strength|strength]]) not wearing any armor will die from a single shot of [[file:1cyclops.png|30px|link=sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] [[sniper weapons|Cyclops SR7]] (it does 130 damage, so it will reduce global [[character Development#hps|HP]] to 10, and as it will also disable a body part it will cause bleeding of 10, which will apply at the start of the turn).

Wearing armor will not stop the operative from getting a body part disabled (in fact, even wearing the strongest armor can't prevent that) and get seriously injured, but it will prevent outright one-shot death.

- A blast [[File:Chiron icon.png|30px|link=Chirons|Chiron]] [[Chirons|Chiron]] projectile does 50 damage and 3 [[damage types#Shred Damage|shred]], so if two of these land on the same operative, he needs to be wearing armor with armor value 22 or more to avoid getting one or both arms disabled, because hit points on each arm is 60, so with 22 armor the damage will be 50 - 22 + 50 - 19 = 59. This is where the extra 4 pts of armor of the [[File:1wardog body armor.png|30px|link=body Armor#wardog|Wardog body armor]] pay off (it has 24 armor vs 20 of the other assault armors).

- An armor of 30 or more (only heavy armors) will prevent an operative from receiving any damage from the [[file:1redeemer.png|30px|link=priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] [[priest weapons#redeemer|Redeemer]] (the viral assault rifle, which has 10 piercing and does 20 [[#Standard Damage|damage]] and 5 [devastating] viral damage per projectile with a burst of 3), and the an armor of 40 (only New Jericho heavy body armor) will prevent any damage from a Hera pistol (which has 30 piercing, 10 damage and 7 paralysis damage).

When you look at the different armors in Phoenix Point you may notice that armor strength is traded for accuracy and speed at a fixed rate of 1 Speed = 2% accuracy = 2 pts in armor (at least for the assault armors of the Factions).

One common approach is to combine different armor pieces to achieve a particular set of stats (for example, to offset the penalties from one armor piece, like the heavy body armor). When doing this it's important to bear in mind that enemies tend to target the body part with the least armor: it doesn't make a lot of sense to look at the average armor the operative is wearing.

Better armor?

As with all research in Phoenix Point, technological progress when it comes to armors is *mostly* horizontal. PX starting armors can be considered as Tier 1 - they are outright worse then any of their faction counterparts, which can be considered as Tier 2.

Tier 3 armors would be the specialist Infiltrator, Technician and Priest sets.

The Priest armor set (body and legs) <s>is simply not very good and is easily outperformed by any Tier 2 armor set, perhaps with the exception of the Berserker set, which is also unjustifiably bad.</s> This has been changed in the YEO/Polaris update, with Priest armor now granting a bonus to accuracy; I'm still testing it atmo

The Technician helmet is the one straight upgrade I can think of when comparing it to Assault Armors - it has the highest armor rating (25) and grants +5 to Accuracy, with only a minor penalty to Stealth (-5%), easily making it the best helmet for the Assault class. It does cost a little bit more. Before YEO/Polaris update the bonus to accuracy was 10%

The Infiltrator set is all about... Infiltrators, as it prioritizes stealth over everything else, granting +50% in total, which with the basic class training amounts to +75% while undetected.

Finally, there are also plenty of Tier 0 armors, that raiders and other neutrals wear, and which may end up in your stores as you recruit them. These armors are outright worse than their PX counterparts, but sometimes you have no other choice and when it comes to armors something is better than nothing.

==Augmentations==

Augmentations refers to [[Mutations]] and [[Bionics]]. Both work as armor pieces that cannot be removed.

An operative cannot have more than 2 augmentations.

=Vehicles=

In the early game [[vehicles]] are extremely useful, and they continue to be so for [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]] throughout the game, as well as special missions requiring evacuating VIPs.

You can access the inventory of a [[vehicles|vehicle]] by opening the inventory of an operative inside it. This is very useful on [[Mission Types#Scavenging|scavenging ops]] and [[Mission Types#Raids|raids]], as [[vehicles]] have unlimited inventory and carrying capacity.

It doesn't cost any [[#aps|AP]] to enter a
[[vehicles|vehicle]], but it costs 2 [[#aps|AP]] to exit it. This is enough for the operative to get out, attack and enemy, and get back into the [[vehicles|vehicle]].

=Capturing Pandorans=

==Prerequisites==

Once you research [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]] and build a [[facilities#containment|Containment Facility]] you will be able to capture Pandorans in order to [[geoscape#Research|research]] them and harvest them for [[file:mutagen.png|30px|link=]] mutagens (if you have [[Phoenix Project research#Mutagen Harvesting (500)|mutagen harvesting technology]]) or [[file:food.png|30px|link=]] food (with [[Phoenix Project research#Food Harvesting Technology (400)|food harvesting technology]]).

Capturing some Pandorans is necessary to win the game.

You can only capture Pandorans, not other humans or humanoid enemies.

You can only capture them by [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzing]] ([[file:mind control.png|30px|link=character Development#mind control|Mind Control]] [[character Development#mind control|mind control]] does not work for these purposes; if only mind controlled enemies remain in a mission that only requires killing all enemies, the mission will end successfully but these enemies will not be captured).

You will automatically capture any paralyzed Pandorans once the mission ends. Also, remember that if any of your soldiers are [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] on a mission requiring evac, as soon as you evac the other operatives, the mission will end and your [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] operative will be fine.

==Weapons that inflict [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]]==

# [[file:neurazer.png|30px|link=equipment|Neurazer]] [[equipment|Neurazer]] ([[file:1pp.png|30px|link=Phoenix Project]] [[Phoenix Project]] item, available after [[Phoenix Project research#Pandoran Capture and Containment (400)|Pandoran Capture and Containment]])
# [[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|hand gun]], available a few days into the game after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Neurotoxin Weapons technology (600)|Neurotoxin Weapons technology]] research, used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher]])
# [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] [[File:Aspidagun.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida's tech arm]] [[vehicles|tech arm]] ([[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] land vehicle's melee weapon, available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Synedrion Aspida development (1200)|Aspida development]])
# [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] (advanced [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[Synedrion]] [[sniper weapons|sniper rifle]], available after [[Synedrion]] completes the [[Synedrion Research#Advanced Paralyzing weapons (1200)|Advanced Paralyzing weapons]], used by [[file:Synedrion.png|30px|link=Synedrion]] [[file:sniper training.png|30px|link=Sniper]] [[Sniper|snipers]] and [[file:triton icon.png|30px|link=tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]] [[tritons#Poacher|Triton Poacher Alpha]])
# [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] ([[file:anu.png|30px|link=Disciples of Anu]] [[Disciples of Anu]] [[mutations|mutation]], available with [[Disciples of Anu Research#Advanced Mutation Technology (1000)|Advanced Mutation technology]])

It is perfectly possible to use any of the weapons above to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyze]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyzed]] Pandorans for capture, but the [[file:Tentacle torso.jpg|55px|link=mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso]] [[mutations#tentacle|Tentacle torso mutation]] is probably the least reliable - it costs 2 [[#aps|APs]] and 2 [[#wps|WPs]] to use. [[File:Aspida.png|30px|link=vehicles|Aspida]] [[vehicles|Aspida]] is generally the most recommended method, as it applies the most paralyze damage per [[#aps|AP]] (20), it is sturdy enough to take a lot of damage, and even if it gets destroyed you can just [[geoscape#Manufacturing|build]] a new one - you are not losing a veteran operative.

[[file:1hera.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] [[sniper weapons#hera|Hera NP-1]] and [[File:1athenans.png|30px|link=sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] [[sniper weapons#athena|Athena NS-2]] are also very favored by many players because they can be used at range.

==How to==

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzing]] small and medium sized enemies is easy enough.

<code>To [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] a target you need to apply [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] equal to its [[character Development#attributes|strength]]. The [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the target is its max [[character Development#hps|HP]] divided by 10. Disabling body parts reduces [[character Development#strength|strength]] in the amount of max [[character Development#hps|HP]] lost divided by 10. </code> Therefore, disabling body parts makes an enemy easier to [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] and for best results disable those body parts that reduce [[character Development#hps|HP]] by the biggest amount.

''However, you should also beware that disabling body parts causes bleeding and your target might bleed out before you can [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] it or before you can complete the mission.''

[[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze damage]] reduces the [[#aps|AP]] available to the enemy ''roughly'' in proportion to the [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] vs [[character Development#strength|strength]]. This means that the more [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] you inflict on the enemy, the less likely it is to retaliate; you want to apply as much [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] as soon as possible.

==Capturing large Pandorans==

With targets that have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HP]] (especially [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] ) you can't expect to inflict around 400 [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=damage types#Paralyze Damage|Paralyze Damage]] [[damage types#Paralyze Damage|paralyze damage]] quick enough to prevent her from retaliating, unless you make a very dedicated effort. One option is to panic the enemy first, by attacking it with viral weapons. A favorite (and some may say exploitive) technique is [[file:rage burst.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#rage burst|Rage Burst]] [[classes and Skills#rage burst|rage bursting]] a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] with a [[file:1deceptor.png|30px|link=heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] [[heavy weapons#deceptor|Deceptor MG]] and the [[file:biochemist.png|30px|link=personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist]] [[personal perks#biochemist|Biochemist personal perk]] , as this can stunlock a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] for the rest of the mission for 3[[#aps|AP]]. In any case, it is easier to cause a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] to [[#panic|panic]] rather than [[file:paralyzed.png|30px|link=status effects#PARALYZED|Paralyzed]] [[status effects#PARALYZED|paralyze]] her straight away because of how [[file:virused.png|30px|link=damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] [[damage types#Virus Damage|Virus Damage]] works (see detailed explanation [[#dot|here]]; in short because it does damage over time and it only reduces by 1 each turn). Another option is to use [[file:war cry.png|30px|link=classes and Skills#war cry|War Cry]] [[classes and Skills#warcry|war cry]] to prevent (or, at worst, minimize) retaliation. It is, however, inadvisable to reduce the [[character Development#attributes|strength]] of the [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]] by disabling her body parts, first because they have a lot of [[character Development#hps|HPs]], and second because disabling them causes a lot of bleeding: in fact, disabling body parts is better for '''killing''', rather than ''capturing'' a [[file:Scylla icon.png|30px|link=Scyllas|Scylla]] [[Scyllas|Scylla]].