The Chosen

“	The Chosen are the most cunning enemies XCOM has ever faced, each with unique strengths and weaknesses that will be introduced with each new campaign. The Chosen are on the hunt for the Commander and will kidnap, interrogate, and kill XCOM's soldiers to complete their objective. The Chosen can also invade the strategy layer and ravage XCOM's global operations. Find and raid the Chosen's strongholds to defeat the enemy for good."	”
–Store Page Description

The Chosen are three new unique alien enemies introduced in XCOM 2: War of the Chosen as the titular main antagonists, consisting of the Assassin, Warlock, and Hunter. They are boss-type enemies similar to the Alien Rulers, but with some key differences. Known similarities between the Chosen include:

• The Chosen are able to appear on missions and harass XCOM soldiers.
  • When a Chosen is killed on a mission, it is resurrected at their Citadel and can appear again in future missions. This will continue occurring until the Citadel Assault Mission is successfully completed.
• The Chosen can all daze (an effect similar to Stunned) soldiers, and from there can kidnap and interrogate them for information. Given enough information, said Chosen can then assault the Avenger.
• Each Chosen has random strengths and weaknesses that will always be unique to each member.
  • At least one of their weaknesses will be from one of the Resistance Faction soldiers (Reaper, Templar or Skirmisher).
  • Their power develops as the game progress, gaining new strengths and increasing health, damage, and armor.
• All Chosen are immune to all mental impairment status (Disoriented, Panicked, Stunned, Mind Controlled, etc).
• The Chosen control different regions. The opponent that appears will almost always be the Chosen in control of that mission's region.
• The Chosen on the strategy layer will attempt to cripple XCOM by using different tactics, such as reducing XCOM's income.
• Each Chosen will grant XCOM their unique weapons when they are defeated in the Citadel. These can then be equipped on soldiers after a research project on that Chosen's equipment is completed.

Appearance in Missions

• The chance for a Chosen to appear on a mission is based on territory and their own separate timer.
• With 'Lost and Abandoned', the first chosen will appear during that story mission and it will always be an Assassin. Without 'Lost and Abandoned', you will encounter the first chosen during the first retaliation mission. Which chosen it will be is random.
• Once a Chosen is encountered, it has 0% chance to appear on the next two missions, 50% chance to appear on the 3rd, and a 100% chance to appear on the fourth. Missions outside of guerilla missions may contain divergences. If you for example encounter and kill a chosen during a VIP extraction mission, then immediately afterward attack a non-story mission alien facility, the same chosen may be encountered at both locations.
• Each chosen have their own separate timer, so it is possible to encounter Chosen in two or even three consecutive missions, if those missions were done in different Chosen territories. However, you cannot encounter the same chosen twice within a 3 mission window, unless one of these missions is the ADVENT Blacksite Assault.
• Currently, the timers and chance for appearance are the same across all difficulties.
• The Chosen are included in the Shadow Chamber's prediction numbers, but they will not be listed directly. For example, if it states there are 9 enemies on a mission and you scout the map and count 8, a Chosen is likely to appear after the squad is revealed.
• If a Chosen appears during a timed mission (most guerilla ops and VIP extraction missions), the mission timer is paused until the Chosen is defeated or teleports away after interrogating/kidnapping a dazed soldier.

Hunting the Chosen

• A Citadel Assault mission can be unlocked for each Chosen by completing a 3-part series of Covert Ops for their Resistance Faction rivals.
  • Each part requires a soldier at Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Major rank respectively.
  • Completing these operations is integral to gaining influence with the factions.
• The assault mission consists of two stages:
  • The first stage involves fighting through various alien and ADVENT units towards the Ascension Chamber, a teleportation device used to send all present soldiers to the next stage.
  • The second stage is where the Chosen proper is encountered, as well as the Sarcophagus that fuels their rapid resurrection.
    • The Sarcophagus is protected by a barrier that remains active while the Chosen is alive. Once defeated, the barrier will fall and the artifact will be open to attacks.
    • After a number of turns (based on difficulty) the Chosen will revive at full health and the barrier will return.
    • During The Chosen's healing process multiple enemies will spawn.
    • Once the Sarcophagus is destroyed, the Chosen will revive one last time with partial health. Defeating it will end the mission and grant its weapons to XCOM for research and use.

Members

The Assassin

Main article: The Assassin

The Assassin uses stealth and trickery to confuse her enemies, preferring close range combat and will actively close the distance with XCOM after appearing. She can enter concealment, use a blinding grenade that reduces soldiers' range of vision, and launch an energy wave that can daze multiple soldiers. She favors hit and run tactics, striking a soldier with her sword and then escaping back into concealment.

The Hunter

Main article: The Hunter

The Hunter is a long-range specialist, wielding a high-powered sniper rifle to dispatch unaware foes. He prefers to stay far from XCOM, attempting to fire a two-turn Tracking Shot at random soldiers. When in range, he will summon ADVENT forces to distract the squad while employing a variety of ranged attacks that can daze or bleed soldiers. His Grappling Hook gives him an extraordinary range of movement for flanking your squad

The Warlock

Main article: The Warlock

The Warlock is a powerful psionic specialist that employs debilitating mind effects and summoning to control the battlefield. The Warlock wields a diversity of powers that include a chain daze, teleporting allies at will, and mind controlling multiple enemies. When not engaged and at a distance, he will summon Spectral Zombies periodically to complicate battles. When engaged, he will begin using his other abilities, which will then include summoning a Spectral Army when at low health that must be defeated before he can be attacked again. When unable to use psionics, he will resort to firing his assault rifle.

Knowledge and Sabotage

Each of the Chosen gradually gains knowledge about XCOM over the duration of the campaign. They can also capture or interrogate soldiers on the battlefield to boost their progress. As their knowledge increases, their sabotage efforts will escalate, inflicting random negative events :

• Decreasing XCOM income in a region
• Inflicting the "Fear of the Chosen" trait on several soldiers
• Injuring Engineers and Scientists, or extending the recovery time for wounded troops
• Destruction of inventory items, either on the Avenger or the Black Market
• Delaying the current Research project or Covert Op

When a Chosen reaches maximum knowledge level, they will launch an attack on the Avenger. If the player does not fight off this attack, the Commander is captured and the game is over. If the player does fight off the attack, the Chosen will drop down to the previous knowledge level and need to gather more information to attack again.

Chosen do not ordinarily share knowledge with each other. However, this can be temporarily changed by a Dark Event.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Chosen have strengths and weaknesses that they will develop over time. These strengths and weaknesses are wide in nature, but typically are useful or fitting for the Chosen in question. Each of the Chosen will start with two Strengths and gain more over time, up to 5 Strengths, but they always start with 2 Weaknesses which do not change throughout the course of the game. Strengths And Weaknesses are unique: two Chosen will not have any same strength and weakness.

Known Chosen weaknesses include one of:

• Adversary: Reapers - Takes additional damage from Reapers.
• Adversary: Skirmishers - Takes additional damage from Skirmishers.
• Adversary: Templars - Takes additional damage from Templars.

...and any of the following:

• Shell-shocked - Takes additional damage from explosives.
• Groundling - Easier to target from elevated positions.
• Brittle - Takes additional damage from close range attacks.
• Bewildered - The Chosen takes additional damage when attacked 3+ times in a single turn.

The Adversary weaknesses are mutually exclusive; each Chosen always gains an adversary as one of their weaknesses, and a Chosen cannot gain a second or have an adversary the same as another Chosen's.

The strengths that they may obtain include the following;

• General - The Chosen may summon ADVENT Troopers.
• Mechlord - Chosen may summon mechanical units (Such as ADVENT MEC, Codex, Sectopod).
• Beastmaster - The Chosen may summon savage enemies (Melee units, such as Chryssalids, Berserkers, and Faceless).
• Shogun - The Chosen may summon ADVENT Stun Lancers.
• Prelate - The Chosen can summon ADVENT Priests.
• Blast Shield - The Chosen takes no damage from explosives. (Note: The Chosen can still be harmed by non-explosive heavy weapons, like the Plasma Blaster.)
• Immunity: Melee - Melee attacks deal no damage to the Chosen.
• All Seeing - The Chosen will reveal Concealed units within their line of sight.
• Kinetic Plating - Missed shots against the Chosen give them shields.
  • Effects that trigger the "Immune" message will also trigger this.
• Regeneration - The Chosen will regenerate lost health after every Chosen action.
• Low Profile - The Chosen's Defense is increased after the first attack of every player turn against them.
• Planewalker - The Chosen will teleport after taking HP damage. Removing energy shield or shredding armor doesn't trigger this ability.
• Shadowstep - The Chosen does not trigger overwatch or reaction shots.
• Watchful - The Chosen can enter overwatch upon ending their turn.
• Brutal - The Chosen's attacks decrease the Will of any soldiers in sight.
• Soulstealer - The Chosen gains health when any nearby enemies take damage.
• Revenge - The Chosen has a chance to fire back after missed shots.

There are certain rules in the strength randomization.

• General, Mechlord, Beastmaster, Shogun, and Prelate are mutually exclusive; each Chosen can have only one.
• Chosen cannot start with certain strengths, such as Planewalker.
• Chosen cannot gain strengths that completely counter certain weaknesses. They can't have Blast Shield and Shell-Shocked. However, they can gain Immune to Melee and still be Brittle since it still works on short-range shots.

Weaponry

After a Chosen has been permanently defeated, they will drop their weapons for XCOM's use after being researched. The following is a description of each Chosen weapon; they are Tier 3 weapon equivalents but typically with a special ability. All primary weapons have an extra weapon upgrade slot and all slots are filled with Superior weapon upgrades.

The Chosen weapons are unique and cannot be replicated and will be permanently lost if the soldier equipped with them is killed and not evacuated. Soldiers cannot equip these weapons until you unlock them with a research project.

Assassin

• Arashi - A Shotgun with a Laser Sight, Hair Trigger, Expanded Magazine and Stock. Has much lower range penalties compared to normal shotguns. Deals identical damage to the Storm Gun.
• Katana - A sword that is guaranteed to hit its target and cannot be dodged. Ignores up to 5 armor on the target. Has a higher damage output compared to the Fusion Blade or the Fusion Axe.

Warlock

• Disruptor Rifle - An Assault Rifle with a Scope, Expanded Magazine, Hair Trigger and Stock. Shots at Psionic enemies are guaranteed to critically hit. Deals identical damage to the Plasma Rifle.

Hunter

• Darklance - A Sniper Rifle with a Scope, Hair Trigger, Autoloader and Stock. Shooting the Darklance only costs a single action, allowing for shooting after moving or other single-action abilities. Deals identical damage to the Plasma Lance.
• Darkclaw - A powerful pistol that will ignore up to 5 armor on targets. Deals much higher damage compared to the Beam Pistol.

Notes

• If the Chosen survive to the end of the game, all three may appear during the Alien Fortress Assault.

Trivia

• It is hinted at by their voice lines and confirmed in the archives within the Commander's Quarters that the Chosen were once human, changed into what they are now by the Elders.
  • However, other lines imply they have been involved in other campaigns entirely.
• According to Pratal Mox, the Chosen Assassin actively hunts deserting ADVENT troops.
• The Chosen are exceptionally tall, taller than SPARKs and roughly double the height of a human.
• Besides appearing as the "Assassin", "Warlock" or "Hunter", each Chosen encountered will have a randomly generated name and nickname. These will change from campaign to campaign. For example, the Assassin may have the name "Kon-Il Masha" and the nickname "Nightqueen".
• It is possible that when finally facing a Chosen at their stronghold or the Alien Fortress assault you see their name as “Wholename Mixedcase” with the words “REALLY LONG NICKNAME” underneath. This is likely a bug.