Grenadier Class (XCOM 2)/Guides

Skill Comparisons

Blast Padding vs. Shredder

• Blast Padding
  • Blast Padding is the defensive counterpart to Shredder, giving the Grenadier armor instead of letting the Grenadier shred it.
  • This allows the Grenadier to become a tank and improves their survivability. The soldier's survivability could be further improved with armor and items that gives the soldier more armor (such as the E.X.O. Suit) effectively making them a good candidate for drawing fire.
    • However, the Ranger fills in the role of tank as well. If planning to use the Grenadier as a tank, consider using a more "Phantom" like approach with the Ranger.
  • Blast Padding becomes less useful the later in the game since enemies will be dealing a lot more damage and potentially shredding more armour. A single armor point will not be enough for the Grenadier to block a significant amount of damage. However, the explosive resistance is still extremely useful late-game against stronger explosive attacks from enemies.
  • Blast Padding can be highly useful for tanking when combined with a high dodge stat.
• Shredder
  • This is the offensive counterpart of Blast Padding, allowing the Grenadier to shred armor instead of getting it.
  • This is particularly effective for taking down armored targets quickly. Shoot with the Grenadier first to knock out armor before opening fire with other units is a great way to kill armored enemies.
  • This skill can pair with Holo-Targeting well. The Grenadier can knock out armor and provide an aim bonus for other soldiers to finish the enemy off.
  • Can be useful late-game with more advanced weapons as it will shred up to 3 armour.
• Comparison
  • Shredder is preferred regardless of the build.
  • Shredder is a proactive skill which allows you to dictate the terms by which you attack, while Blast Padding is a reactive skill, softening the damage when you are forced to take it. Given the possibility of panicking as well as the time it takes to recover from wounds, it is preferred that soldiers don't get hit in the first place.
  • Shredder becomes more and more useful as the game progresses, as most units start to acquire armour of some sort. By the end-game it can be a central strategy in taking down Andromedons, Sectopods and Gatekeepers. The usefulness of the extra armour in Blast Padding diminishes as the game progresses, as units become stronger and acquire armour shredding abilities of their own.
  • The resistance to explosives is of questionable usefulness. You can generally prevent enemies from using explosives simply with good spacing - enemies will rarely, if ever, use explosives against isolated targets.

Demolition vs. Suppression

• Demolition
  • This ability is a good alternative to grenades for destroying cover.
  • This ability is more risky than Suppression, since this ability is only useful if the enemy whose cover is destroyed can be killed in the same turn, otherwise the enemy will just move to different cover.
  • The player needs to be careful when using this ability, since some cover is indestructible or may only be damaged (instead of completely removed).
  • Ballistic weaponry generally does not do enough damage in a single use to destroy anything but the flimsiest of cover. Magnetic tier weapons and above deal enough environmental damage to destroy most cover in a single use.
  • The accuracy of this skill is calculated by Base accuracy(PCS inclusive)+10%, meaning that it ignores the scope.

• Suppression
  • Effective for stopping dangerous enemies from attacking the squad.
  • Unlike XCOM: Enemy Unknown, enemies in this game are more willing to take risks and move. If the reaction shot misses, Suppression is useless.
  • This ability does stack with itself. Multiple Grenadiers could effectively lock down an enemy with an aim penalty of -100.
  • This ability is best used at the end of the turn, as it doesn't have any offensive bonuses.
  • Suppression is a primarily defensive ability compared to Demolition. Unlike Demolition, this ability is focused on disabling rather than killing.
  • Supression pairs with Holo Targeting, giving an aim bonus on top of its basic effects.
  • Suppression will remove Overwatch guaranteed.
• Comparison
  • Neither is game-changing, but Suppression seems slightly more useful, just because the effect is guaranteed, whilst Demolition may fail.
  • Suppression provides a unique ability to the Grenadier. The effects of Demolition however are largely overshadowed by grenades: they destroy more cover, have 100% accuracy, deal damage, and a Grenadier can have several of them at their disposal.
  • Beyond the early-game, Demolition becomes significantly more useful as weapon technology improves, and reduces reliance on limited-use grenades making it useful on longer missions.
  • Demolition allows Grenadiers to equip specialised ammunition without sacrificing cover-busting potential - vital for the Heavy Gunner perk tree, and for those who wish to equip heavy armour.

Heavy Ordnance vs. Holo Targeting

• Heavy Ordnance
  • Useful if you use your Grenadier primarily for grenades.
  • Works well against enemies who like to fight from cover, and allows the player to worry less about rationing explosives.
  • Useful against targets with high Dodge, against whom guaranteed damage is often more important than raw hit probabilities.
  • Arguably more useful in the late game, where removing cover or dealing guaranteed area damage is more viable than a simple Aim increase against a single target, especially when stacking other aim bonuses such as PCSes, height advantages or distance modifiers.

• Holo Targeting
  • The aim bonus is applied regardless of whether the attack hits or misses.
  • Very useful as an opening attack against high-defence targets like Archons.
  • Can be combined with Shredder and either Hail of Bullets or Rupture for an absolutely devastating opening attack which gives the squad a much better chance of killing dangerous targets like Sectopods or Gatekeepers on the turn which they are encountered.
  • Triggers on every shot, making it as viable at the end of a mission as it is at the start.
  • Much less useful for Grenadiers who prefer to focus on cover-busting over softening up targets. Does not trigger from Saturation Fire.

Volatile Mix vs. Chain Shot

• Volatile Mix
  • Volatile Mix applies to Flashbangs, dealing 2 damage.
  • This skill can be extremely effective in the mid to late-game due to saving resources/research time on the primary weapon by simply completing the Muton Autopsy, then the Plasma Grenade project in the Proving Ground. This is in addition to the extremely high AoE/damage and shredding capabilities.

• Chain Shot
  • Chain Shot has a fairly low usefulness unless heavy Aim buffs are in effect due to the low aim of grenadiers and the fact the first shot must hit.
  • [Needs confirmation on Holo Targeting applying between shots.]
  • If the first shot misses, only one point of ammo is consumed.
• Comparison
  • Volatile Mix should be preferred in most cases. The bonus to each grenade is substantial, and when combined with the Advanced Grenade Launcher often allows you to hit multiple packs of enemies with a single grenade. Chain Shot has potential synergy with Shredder, but would require substantial investments to accuracy to become dependable.
  • Chain Shot deals massive damage against Sectopods if you have Bluescreen Rounds.
  • Both are great skills. In War of the Chosen, you should consider going back to buy the skill you missed out on in the Training Center.

Salvo vs. Hail of Bullets

• Salvo
  • Salvo is extremely useful for grenadiers who use grenades primarily as they can fire two grenades, or a grenade and then act. Heavy Gunners will find this ability less useful as they will have limited access and usefulness of grenades.
  • A slightly more defensive power, as the Grenadier will need to remain stationary in order to have any use of the ability. Synergises very well with ambushes, allowing players to all but guarantee enemies will be in the open for manual shots rather than needing to take risks with Overwatch.
  • Salvo works extremely well in conjunction with the Proximity Mine, as this allows the heavy to place a mine, and then enter overwatch or fire a second grenade/heavy weapon before the enemy can act.
  • Salvo is also great if you use heavy weapons, theoretically you could use a blaster bomb then a grenade or just two grenades with volatile mix and kill or severely wound the enemies.
• Hail of Bullets
  • Hail of Bullets can be useful for a grenadier as they have naturally low aim.
  • This skill goes well with Shredder as a guaranteed armour shred is normally only available to grenades.
  • Offers a counter to enemies with high innate Defence such as Gatekeepers, who can be very difficult to hit conventionally.
  • Extremely useful when dealing with entrenched enemies, who would otherwise need an item to be consumed in order to guarantee a hit.
  • Consumes three shots instead of one, so effectiveness is usually dependent on expanded magazine or speed reload weapon mods.

Saturation Fire vs. Rupture

• Saturation Fire
  • Saturation Fire can be useful for when grenades run out, need to be conserved or if the user is a Heavy Gunner with less effective grenade usage.
  • The cone of effect is extremely narrow, limiting use against multiple targets unless they are almost in a straight line from the Grenadier: users should consider equipping a Speed PCS to maximise chances of lining up an effective shot.
  • Saturation fire is not guaranteed to hit enemies or destroy cover in the cone of fire. Enemies behind high cover will likely have their cover destroyed but not take damage. If a target must be hit, or a piece of cover must be removed, consider using a grenade instead.
  • Does not trigger Holo-Targeting.
• Rupture
  • Rupture is a crucial skill for Grenadiers who want to be able to take down single targets. Late game this skill is very beneficial for defeating high health enemies.
  • When combined with Shredder and/or Holo Targeting, this skill becomes a powerful initial action. As it does not gain aim bonuses and is likely to be your first move, consider equipping users with Tracer Rounds and Scopes to maximise the chances of a successful attack
  • Rupture guarantees a critical hit: this is not represented as potential damage when previewing targets, meaning its actual damage will be higher than suggested if it hits
  • Rupture consumes three ammunition per use. Prepare accordingly with expanded magazines and auto-loaders, or be diligent about reloading before and after firefights

Builds and AWC Synergies

Internal Synergies: Demolition Side

• Andromedon/Muton autopsies are crucial to Demolitions as the plasma grenades and proximity mines are two of the best sources of AoE damage in the game, and the Advanced Grenade Launcher is also extremely useful.
• A mobility PCS can be useful to Demolitions as grenades require very specific locations to be fired at some targets.

Internal Synergies: Heavy Gunner Side

• Due to the high ammo consumption and low clip capacity of Heavy Gunners, an Expanded Magazine and Auto-Loader are crucial to their effectiveness.
• At least some aim bonuses are recommended as the Grenadier has naturally low aim.

Internal Synergies: Mixed Side

NOTE: This article or section is a stub. You can help the XCOM Wiki by expanding it.

[To Be Made...]

Advanced Warfare Synergies: Sharpshooter Skills

• Death From Above
  • Killing an enemy at a lower elevation with your cannon grants a single extra action after your turn would have ended (in contrast to the skill's description).
  • Death From Above functions similarly to Serial, but only activates on Kills made from higher elevation with your main weapon, meaning it is best used with Hail Of Bullets and Rupture.
• Steady Hands [Needs Confirmation]
• Aim [Needs Confirmation]
• Killzone
  • This requires both actions, so it can't be used after moving.
  • At least some aim bonuses are recommended as the Grenadier has naturally low aim.
  • Synergizes well with Holo-Targeting, Shredder etc., especially when used on a visible, un-activated pod on the turn you attack them. Still useful during the enemy turn, as it can help squadmates make their overwatch shots.
• Serial
  • Despite the description, only refunds the action(s) used to attack, i.e. one action for non-Sharpshooters.

Advanced Warfare Synergies: Ranger Skills

• Phantom
• Shadowstrike
  • Makes aim-stacked Chain Shot even more potent, allowing you to take 100% shots against units at higher elevation or behind heavy cover. Particularly useful against Andromedons, who can use cover, and Gatekeepers with their high defense and armor.
• Shadowstep
  • This soldier does not trigger overwatch or reaction fire.
  • Being allowed to go up to enemies without triggering overwatch makes Shadowstep best used on the front lines, meaning mobile grenadiers can use this very well. Best matched with Salvo, as that allows for both movement and attacking in the same turn.
• Run And Gun
  • All the Grenadier skills are single-action attacks, and thus usable in Run And Gun maneuvers.
  • Works well with Saturation Fire to allow the Grenadier to line up a shot on several enemies at once, perhaps even flanking at the same time.
• Implacable
  • If you score one or more kills on your turn, you are granted a single bonus move.
  • Implacable works very well with grenadiers that have Salvo, as it grants a bonus move to be made between two shots.
  • It can also be useful for Demolitionists who have great need of good positioning.
• Deep Cover
  • Proximity Mines are the only grenade launcher munition that isn't considered an attack for the purposes of this perk.
• Untouchable
  • Coupled with an aim-stacked Chain Shot, allows for tanking a return shot if that one remaining alien doesn't fall back.
• Rapid Fire
  • Rapid Fire is basically Chain Shot without a cooldown and not dependent on the first shot hitting, making this skill better off paired with Volatile Mix. Adding Salvo allows a mixed grenadier to make the most of both their cannon and their grenades.

Advanced Warfare Synergies: Specialist Skills

• Field Medic
  • Equipped medikits have 2 extra charges.
  • While the medical role is generally for a specialist, a grenadier with Blast Padding can take more hits than average, making them an acceptable field medic. Additionally, Grenadiers with Field Medic have more use for team-supporting grenades like smoke or flashbangs, making Heavy Ordnance and Volatile Mix very useful. Salvo allows both a grenade and a Medikit to be used in one turn.
• Covering Fire
  • Aside from Grenadiers having a generally stronger weapon fire, this also means that Holo-Targeting will be active even if the enemy decides not to brave the gauntlet.
• Ever Vigilant
  • Launched grenades are considered an attack, with the sole exception of Proximity Mines.

Other Skills

• Lightning Reflexes
  • Each turn, the first reaction shot against you misses
  • Despite not being a class skill, Lightning Reflexes can be gained from the AWC. Like Shadowstep, it is best used by mobile Grenadiers