So my last “Let’s Play X-Com” was an unmitigated disaster. Many gave their lives in an ultimately doom attempt to stem the vile invasion. As a commander, I’ve learned something. And that is “Classic” difficulty isn’t messing around. So we’re going to try it again, this time on Normal difficulty. Still Ironman mode, because if I was going to Save-scum, I might as well just start the game on Impossible difficulty.
First Contact, Operation Crimson Engine. March 1, 2015
Aliens are attacking the planet. An elite organization, composed entirely of my friends, has been tasked by the shadow council to fight this menace and save the planet. As yet with little funding, and only half a dozen recruits, four men and women have been sent in to investigate an alien incursion in Leeds.
The Skyranger sets down on top of an old office building that is in the midst of being renovated. A half dozen construction workers’ corpses litter the roof, their bodies covered in a disturbing green goo or slime of some kind. The squad doesn’t have time to investigate before a pair of gray aliens with big eyes are seen scurrying into cover. The squad takes cover, and Naeem trades fire with one of them; both are wounded in the exchange and return to cover. Another pair are spotted taking cover on a raised platform to the north.
Wendy fires a clean burst into the closer of the two on the platform, putting it out of commission. Sadly any hope we have of using their weapons against them are dashed. When the x-ray goes down it’s weapon explodes. Maybe we can capture some alive, or acquire a weapons cache some how.
Caitlin takes cover behind a giant spool of cabeling and finishes off the alien Naeem had wounded earlier. Joanna moves to closer cover, but can’t get a bead on the remaining alien. Naeem takes a shot, again glancing the alien but not putting it out of action. It hunkers down and one of the ones we saw earlier moves up and fires on Naeem. Fortunately, whatever is under the tarps he is hiding behind is sturdy enough to hold up to the plasma fire.
Naeem tries to finish off the x-ray on the platform, but between fire from the other one, and the first one taking cover his shots are ineffective. Caitlin moves closer, taking two solid hits before she can get to cover, but she manages to ignore her wounds and put down the alien on the platform.
Wendy runs forwards, grabs cover behind a shipping container and unloads into the last alien. Caitlin and Naeem are both hurt bad, and after quickly searching the roof-top the squad heads back to base This mission was a pretty resounding success all told.
Wendy and Caitlin have both been promoted, though it’ll be a week or so before Caitlin or Naeem are well enough to return to duty. All 4 alien corpse were recovered as well as most of the fragments of the alien weaponry. Maybe we can reverse engineer their guns.