Reason: 1. Add proper images to the infoboxes.
Reason: specify the blast radius of Micro Missiles; is the radius the same for MEC and Heavy MEC?.
- For the Shen's Last Gift DLC enemy unit - Derelict MEC, see Derelict MEC.
ADVENT MECs are enemies encountered in XCOM 2. They are large autonomous mechanical units that provide heavy support for other ADVENT units.
ADVENT MECs are the first robotic enemies in the game, and can rival ADVENT Officers in terms of combat effectiveness. MECs are the first enemies to wear armor, allowing them to take reduced damage to all attacks, sufficing for explosives or shredding rounds. However, This is where their defenses end, as they lack the ability to dodge, take cover, and can be shut down or even commandeered by an experienced XCOM Specialist. This is not aided by the fact that their health is nearly equal to that of an ADVENT Officer's. Two shots from a Magnetic or Plasma Rifle could eliminate it easily. However, what they lack in defense, they make up for in offense; Their weapons and abilities succeed that of an XCOM Grenadier. An ADVENT MEC is equipped with a Mag Cannon, which surpasses the damage output of XCOM's Assault Rifles, and the Heavy MEC has a much higher powered Cannon, which can rival a Plasma Rifle's damage. These weapons also shred armor, and have the possibility to critically damage a target. Unlike the grenades used by other ADVENT Infantry, the MEC utilizes Micro Missiles, which can destroy armor and surfaces from extreme range. Despite it's cumbersome appearance and weaponry, MECs are also more mobile than other organic ADVENT Units, saving for the ADVENT Stun Lancer. The Heavy MEC enhances all of these stats, solving their lack of defense with greater health, and can dispose of multiple XCOM units lacking in armor.
ADVENT MEC[]
“ | This is an extremely well-equipped mechanized combat unit. We'll need to look for vulnerabilities if we're going to take that thing out. | ” |
–Shen upon encountering the first MEC. |
Deployment[]
ADVENT MECs are first deployed in mid-April (late April on Legend) as squad leaders for ADVENT pods, followed by ADVENT Trooper, Stun Lancers and later by Shieldbearers. At the very end of the game (September/October, November on Legend), normal MECs are totally phased out and Heavy MECs take their place as support troops.
Tactical Information[]
ADVENT MECs carry a variant of the Magnetic Rifle that is monstrously large in both size and damage output. Additionally, ADVENT MECs have an automatic grenade launcher on their back, allowing them to fire a fusillade of micro-missiles in an AoE attack. ADVENT MECs are heavily armored, and have superior health to ADVENT troopers, as well as damage reduction in the form of armor points.
Abilities[]
- Micro Missiles have 20 range, 1 use; blast radius is 4 (equivalent to Grenade Launcher).
- Suppression reduces Aim of the affected unit by 50 and triggers an Overwatch shot if the unit moves. The suppression can be broken if the unit dies and sometimes when it receives damage.
- Vault allows jumping to higher elevations.
Behavior[]
- MECs, like other enemies with AOE abilities, will strongly favor their Micro Missiles ability if they can damage more than one unit with it. If you end your turn with two or more soldiers grouped behind the same cover near a MEC, Micro Missiles can destroy your cover: consider hacking, disabling or simply killing a MEC before it gets a chance to expose your squad to enemy fire.
ADVENT Heavy MEC[]
Much like their less-armored counterpart, Heavy MECs are large autonomous robotic units that provide support for other ADVENT units. Heavy MECs are a uniformly red color on their interior and exterior and have far more health than a MEC.
Deployment[]
ADVENT Heavy MECs begin their deployment in June (August on Legend) as pod leaders, with normal MECs being relegated to support. Later in the game (late June or mid-August on Legend) the Heavy MECs take their place while the normal MECs become support troops for ADVENT pods (but not for Aliens).
Tactical Information[]
ADVENT Heavy MEC guns do far more damage than the standard MEC cannon.
Abilities[]
- Micro Missiles have 20 range, 2 uses; blast radius is 4 (equivalent to Grenade Launcher) [explanation needed].
- Suppression reduces Aim of the affected unit by 50 and triggers an Overwatch shot if the unit moves. The suppression can be broken if the unit dies and sometimes when it receives damage.
- Vault allows jumping to higher elevations.
Behavior[]
- Besides favoring using their Micro Missiles ability, the advanced version of the ADVENT MEC tends to immediately enter Overwatch when revealed, instead of moving when found.
Notes[]
- As robotic units, they are vulnerable to the Haywire Protocol: it is possible for a Specialist to hack ADVENT MECs to shutdown or take control of a unit for 2-3 'turns' (action points). But if the hack fails, either the MEC's Aim and Dodge stats will be increased, or there is a chance of summoning reinforcements.
- Also, being robotic units MECs are vulnerable to EMP weaponry such as EMP Grenades and Bluescreen Rounds.
- A Psi Operative can also make use of the Fuse ability to detonate its grenades remotely.
Tips[]
- A successfully hacked MEC that has been turned against its ADVENT masters is a potent tool in the hands of an XCOM commander; its combination of high health, tough armor, powerful weaponry and a missile barrage can have a dramatic effect on the course of a mission.
Trivia[]
- MECs have a higher amount of hitpoints than ADVENT Troopers, but seemingly not much compared to late-game Enemy Within MECs, suggesting their equivalency to the MEC-1 and MEC-2 in strength.
- They are similar to XCOM's MEC Troopers from Enemy Within when the latter are equipped with their signature battlesuits, but ADVENT MECs are a glistening white (basic models only) and completely robotic in their exterior, with the breakdown of their wrecks confirming the lack of any biological components in their construction.
See Also[]
XCOM 2 Enemies | |
---|---|
ADVENT | ADVENT Officer • ADVENT General • ADVENT MECs • ADVENT Purifier • ADVENT Priest • ADVENT Shieldbearer • ADVENT Stun Lancer • ADVENT Trooper • ADVENT Turret |
Aliens | Andromedon • Archon • Avatar • Berserker • Chryssalid • Codex • Faceless • Gatekeeper • Muton • Sectoid • Sectopod • Spectre • Viper |
Bosses | Archon King • Berserker Queen • Viper King • Julian • The Assassin • The Hunter • The Warlock |
Other | Psi Zombie • The Lost |