Every Operator starts a turn with 3 Action Points (AP). The game then layers a shared squad resource—Advantage—on top. Good builds are less about maximizing one stat and more about creating turns where AP, Advantage, and positioning all line up.

Chance-to-Hit: check the breakdown before blaming RNG

Chance-to-Hit depends on:

• distance;
• the weapon’s effective range;
• line of sight;
• cover;
• positioning, including flanks and elevation.

The shot breakdown panel is part of the decision, not a post-miss autopsy.

Cover

There are two protection levels:

• Partial cover makes the Operator harder to hit.
• Full cover provides stronger protection.

Cover can be destroyed, so a strong first-turn position is not necessarily a safe second-turn position.

Advantage

Advantage is a shared squad resource that builds during battle and can be spent on powerful abilities instead of AP. It caps at 10.

This is why Scout becomes more valuable in enemy-dense fights: Combat Recon can generate Advantage by scanning multiple enemies, and Scout can convert pooled Advantage into Ambush later.

Spotted

Scout’s The Spotter passive applies Spotted when the Scout damages an enemy with a blaster. Against Spotted targets, range and smoke penalties to Chance-to-Hit are ignored. Cover still matters.

This distinction is important: Spotted is not “guaranteed hit.” It removes specific penalties.

Rally, Downed, and injuries

When an Operator is Downed, another squad member can Rally them. An injury is added when they are Downed. With Permadeath enabled, three injuries means Killed in Action and permanent removal.

Hawks is the exception. If Hawks is defeated, the mission fails and must be restarted rather than Hawks being permanently removed.

The practical turn checklist

Before committing AP:

1. Is the target in the weapon’s good range?
2. Can a move create a flank or elevation advantage?
3. Does the squad need to generate or preserve Advantage first?
4. Is there an Operator who can apply Vulnerable or Spotted before the finisher attacks?
5. If this Operator is injured, is the damage gain worth risking another Downed state?

That five-step check prevents a surprising amount of “bad luck.”