NOTE: This article or section is in need of cleanup or verification. You can help the XCOM Wiki by improving it. Reason: Clear up the naming of the Shock Lance and Stun Lance and their positioning in the infobox (the weapon / attack ability is called "Stun Lance" in-game -- @to-do: check where and how the "Shock Lance" name is used in the data files, and determine whether it is legit to call this ability/weapon/skill that way on the wiki).
The ADVENT Stun Lancer is an ADVENT enemy encountered in XCOM 2.
| “ | At first, ADVENT deployed nonlethal stun units for crowd control and the occasional protest. We don't see a whole lot of that anymore though. | ” |
–Central Officer Bradford | ||
Description[]
In combat, ADVENT Stun Lancers can serve as the alien's version of XCOM's Ranger units. However, instead of being equipped with a Shard Gun, Stun Lancer's primary weapon is the Magnetic Rifle, which about as powerful as a Frag Grenade. Initially, its Stun Lance has the potential to deal more damage than the aforementioned firearm, but as the unit evolves to the Advanced and Elite Lancer, its melee attacks are more powerful outright, dealing more damage than a Plasma Rifle. The Stun Lancer is the most maneuverable ADVENT unit, which further encourages melee combat. However, as Stun Lancers are focused for close quarters engagements, they are slightly less accurate than Troopers, even when upgraded. However, despite being more mobile, Stun Lancers do not sacrifice stability, being slightly more resilient than Troopers, as well as gaining defense, a fair amount of evasion, and sporting light armor as they evolve to Advanced and Elite Lancers. Overall, Stun Lancers are dangerously versatile, and are one of ADVENT's most effective organic units.
Deployment[]
Stun Lancers are first deployed in late March as support troops for both ADVENT and aliens. As time goes on, they receive two upgrades: ADVENT Heavy Lancers are deployed in June (mid-July on Legend), ADVENT Elite Lancers in August (mid-October on Legend).
Abilities[]
- Stun Lance: Stun Lancers almost always use their Shock Lance rather than their Magnetic Rifle. Just like XCOM's Rangers, the ADVENT Lancer can move twice and finish its move with a jab from their Lance. This attack can leave your soldier disoriented, stunned, or even unconscious. The tool-tip states when used on a soldier who is already wounded, it has the potential to render them unconscious. However, under AI control it can even render an otherwise healthy soldier unconscious.
Behavior[]
They are capable of closing distances quickly to use their sword-like shock baton/lance. Their shock lances are capable of stunning, disorienting or even rendering soldiers unconscious if the attack does not simply kill. Like all ADVENT soldiers, they are also armed with a Magnetic Rifle, though due to their deadly blade they seem to use the rifle only when they're impaired by status effects or simply unable to reach targets with their lance, which is rare thanks to their exceptional movement. They are susceptible to poison (including Viper poison).
They can be deployed as reinforcements from ADVENT dropships and appear in a savage SITREP.
The Stun Lancer was originally deployed as a non-lethal civilian peacekeeper to prevent unrest during ADVENT's establishment, and shows a slight increase in muscle fibre density over the standard ADVENT Trooper. In addition, Stun Lancers are given large quantities of stimulants prior to combat, potentially contributing towards their reckless behaviour when engaged.
Tips[]
- They will happily give up their lives and will often end their turn surrounded only to strike an XCOM soldier. If this attack misses, quite a humorous situation will be created, and your soldier will get a free flank next turn at the Lancer's expense.
- However, during ADVENT Retaliation missions this behavior will become disastrous. Stun Lancers will single-mindedly hunt civilians even after XCOM has discovered them and even shot them, which given their enormous movement and ability to attack after double-moving makes even one of them capable of devastating entire settlements if left alone. As such, they should be heavily prioritized whenever spotted during Retaliations (unless Chryssalids are around).
- Due to the Lancers' reckless behavior, they are almost guaranteed to charge at your soldiers and use their baton as soon as they can: either kill them immediately, throw a flashbang or attempt to move out of their range to avoid taking annoying damage and status effects.
- Suppression and Overwatch are not particularly reliable against Lancers as the former is usually ignored (with the Lancer's health allowing him to survive the reaction fire) and the latter has a tendency to miss.
- Rangers with Bladestorm stand a chance of counter-attacking an incoming Stun Lancer before they can strike first. However, a Stun Lancer at full health may be able to survive and continue their attack, especially on higher difficulties.
- Stun Lancers cannot target a friendly mind controlled/hacked target with their melee attack.
Trivia[]
Stun Lancers serve as fanatical melee-focused soldiers dedicated to the ADVENT Administration, and a counterpart to the range-focused ADVENT Troopers. They take the appearance of futuristic riot police officers wearing grey angular armor decorated with small red lights, similar to Shieldbearers. The top of their breastplate and their small pauldrons are stamped with a red ADVENT logo, and they wear a grey bodysuit with red knuckles on their gloves. Instead of the black ammo packs worn by their more ranged Trooper counterparts, Stun Lancers also wear plates of armor over their stomach secured by a belt, allowing them to survive a hit from a conventional assault rifle if they're lucky. Compared to other soldiers, Stun Lancer boots are thinner than those of a Trooper, and decorated with the same red lights as their breastplate. Unlike other ADVENT helmets, the Stun Lancer helmet has a crimson-red polarized visor that conceals their alien upper face. Like all ADVENT infantry, the only part of their body that is visible is their lips, which are slightly fuller and a more apparent shade of red than other troops.
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ From File
DefaultGameData_WeaponData.iniconfig file (in both Vanilla and WotC):Generic_Melee_Accuracy=10; this only applies to secondary attacks of units whose main attacks are not melee - e.g. Stunlancer, Archon, etc.
| 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 |