Achievement Guide and Roadmap

[DEG23]

DISCLAIMER:
Please note that while i have tried to keep them to a minimum, this guide may contain spoilers.

CREDIT:
asdfen, red_hammer, Lewd Llama 69, silentdante, Mea Onus, J4ckyb0y1, Mopey, Qonok, Snowed, Heraldofkaos, HeartbreakRidge, Creech

For the Slingshot DLC guide, refer to post #7

Overview:
+ Estimated difficulty: 6/10 for 810 --- (8/10 for 1000)
+ Offline: 49/50 - (975)
+ Online: 1/50 – (25)
+ Minimum time to 1000: 80+ Hrs
+ Minimum playthroughs needed: 5
+ Cheats affect achievements: Yes, disables achievements
+ Difficulty affects achievements: Yes
+ Missable achievements: Several (There is no chapter/mission select so many achievements can be missed. The main ones are 'Aint No Cavalry Comin,' 'Edison,' 'All Employees Must Wash Hands,' 'Hunter/Killer,' & 'Skunkworks'
+ Glitchy achievements: 0
+ Unobtainable achievements: 0

Roadmap

Introduction:
XCOM – Enemy Unknown is a turn based strategy reimagining of the classic game, XCOM UFO defense. After Earth is invaded by unknown alien hostiles, you are given command of the XCOM initiative to try and uncover the invasion plot and drive them out.

The game consists of story driven campaign missions with random events and alien invasions happening throughout, and multiplayer that allows you to take on a friend with teams comprising of both human and alien squad members. The campaign will take an average 20 hours to complete and will require a minimum of 5 playthroughs to earn all achievements.
While the game itself can be challenging and take several attempts before you find a strategy that works for you, the majority of the achievements are relatively simple and will unlock with little effort as you progress through the story.

The following playthrough strategy is designed to be the quickest way to unlock all achievements while minimising restart/reload times. (Please note, for the most part, the starting locations are interchangeable with playthroughs. It is entirely up to you where you start, as long as you start in a different location each time.)

NOTE: The endgame starts when you utilize the Gollop Chamber. If you are trying for certain achievements such as building all foundry items, don't enter the Gollop Chamber or it will prevent all future objectives.

Playthrough 1 –
Difficulty: Easy
Starting Location: North America

The purpose of this playthrough is to familiarise yourself with the game and discover what strategies work best for you. Most of the easier and story related achievements will unlock throughout this playthrough but don’t go out of your way to earn as many as you can until you have a solid understanding of the game and how it works.

With the bonus related to having a base in North America being reduced cost and maintenance of aircraft and aircraft weapons, it is a good idea to try and unlock ‘Shooting Stars’ and ‘Hunter/Killer’ on this play through.

Overall, this playthrough will net you roughly 20-25 of the achievements, most of which will be story related.

DLC: If you are planning on playing the DLC, keep a save from your first play through from immediately prior to entering the Gollop Chamber. When you are ready to play the DLC, download it and then load this pre-Gollop Chamber save. With your advanced end-game ready soldiers, you can stroll through the DLC in about an hour (presuming your first play through is on easy)

Playthrough 2 –
Difficulty: Easy or normal
Starting Location: South America

Although playing this playthrough on easy will make some achievements easier, playing on normal may serve as a nice easement to the later playthroughs on classic and impossible difficulty. The main focus of this playthrough will be to unlock the remaining achievements that don’t require classic or impossible difficulty.

Focus on the following achievements during this playthrough: ‘Ain’t No Cavalry Comin,’ ‘The Hardest Road,’ ‘As a Scalpel,’ ‘Edison,’ ‘Skunkworks’ & ‘Flight of the Valkyries’

With the bonus related to having a base in South America being reduced instant alien autopsies, it is a good idea to try and unlock ‘All employees must wash hands’ on this play through.

At the end of this playthrough you should have at least 40 achievements with a maximum of 43

Playthrough 3 –
Difficulty: Classic
Starting Location: Europe

This playthrough will allow you to focus on the achievements requiring you to be playing on at least classic difficulty. It also serves as an introduction to the harder difficulties but after 2 playthroughs already, you should have a decent understanding of how the game plays and already have the majority of achievements, leaving you to focus on the following during this playthrough: ‘Lone Wolf,’ ‘Wet Work’ & ‘Earth First’
Also use this playthrough to mop up any other achievements you may have missed from earlier playthroughs, while Classic difficulty can be tough, trying to unlock achievements on Impossible or Ironman mode can be even tougher.

By the end of this playthrough you should have 46 achievements

Playthrough 4 –
Difficulty: Impossible
Starting Location: Africa

The sole purpose of this playthrough will be to unlock ‘Our Finest Hour.’ By now you should have a fairly deep understanding of the game and how to overcome the alien invasion. Don’t be afraid to abuse the save game system, even if it means saving after every turn, as one wrong step or unlucky move can screw up everything.

By the end of this playthrough you should have 47 achievements

Playthrough 5 –
Difficulty: Classic/Ironman Mode
Starting Location: Asia

In terms of difficulty, playing on Classic should be easier than your Impossible playthrough but the limit of only one save game file will make this playthrough the hardest of them all. Again, try and focus only on getting through this playthrough and don’t try and also work on any achievements you may have missed (unless of course you strongly believe you can.)

Surviving this playthrough will unlock ‘No Looking Back’ and ‘A Continental Fellow’ and give you a total of 49 achievements.

Mulitplayer:
All that’s required in Multiplayer is to win a single match which will unlock ‘Meet New People. Then Kill Them’ and can be easily boosted if need be.

Mop Up:
If by chance you have missed any achievements, start a new game on easy and mop up the rest.

Conclusion:
XCOM: Enemy Unknown will take time and patience to earn the full 1000. While the majority of the individual achievements are relatively easy, it can be the overall game that can make the achievements quite difficult, but by finding what strategies work and don’t work, and by having multiple saves files within each game, there shouldn’t be any need to restart an entire play through.

Cheats: Either in the barracks or when deploying soldiers for a mission, you can change the name to one of the following for a soldier with enhanced skills and performance. NOTE doing so will disable all achievements
(Heavy) Joe Kelly
(Sniper) Ken Levine
(Assault) Otto Zander
(Support) Sid Meier

Achievement Guide

No Looking Back – 100
Beat the game in Ironman mode on Classic or Impossible difficulty.

Although you have the option of playing on either Classic or Impossible difficulty it will be much easier on Classic. Ironman mode means you have only one save file that autosaves after both you and the aliens have had your turn. Although the enemies will be challenging, the main difficulty you will face with this mode is the possibility of making a mistake or wrong decision and being decimated within a few turns, unable to reload a save allowing you to correct this.

You will need to have a solid understanding on how the game plays and what strategies work in each situation. It is highly recommended you attempt a play through on Classic difficulty prior to starting Ironman Mode, as trying to go from Easy or Normal to Classic/Ironman Mode can be overwhelming.

See 'Our Finest Hour' for more on how the difficulties differ.

For a detailed walkthrough/strategy guide on beating Classic/Ironman Mode refer to the Classic/Ironman Mode Walkthrough

You can also find additional gameplay and Ironman mode tips HERE

TIP: (Credit to asdfen) To avoid the ‘one save’ rule you can sign out of your profile before the enemy finishes their turn and rollback a single turn.

Humanity’s Savior – 30
Beat the game on any difficulty

-See ‘Our Finest Hour’

Earth First – 60
Beat the game on Classic difficulty

-See ‘Our Finest Hour’

Our Finest Hour – 90
Beat the game on Impossible difficulty

It is highly recommended you have a thorough understanding of how the strategy elements and mechanics of the game work before attempting the game on Impossible. The greatest challenges you will face on Impossible difficulty is the skill and tactics of the aliens and the reduced funding/rewards you earn each month.

[DEG23]

The following outlines the difference between each difficulty level:

Easy:

• Initial funding of 175 credits.
• Initial global panic level of 0
• Monthly income increased by 50%
• Begin with an Officer Training School already constructed.
• Begin with 1 satellite in reserve.
• Base begins with 35 power

Normal:

• Initial funding of 175 credits.
• Initial global panic of 0
• Begin with an Officer Training School already constructed.
• Begin with 1 satellite in reserve.
• Base begins with 35 power

Classic:

• Initial funding of 100 credits.
• Initial global panic of 1 per country.
• No Officer Training School at the beginning.
• No extra satellites in the beginning.
• Engineers & Scientists awarded per satellite launched is halved.
• Base begins with 30 power.
• Rise in panic from ignored abduction missions is 2
• Enemies have roughly 10% greater aim/chance to score a critical
• There are more aliens on each map compared to Normal

Impossible:

• Initial funding of 75 credits.
• Initial global panic of 2 per country.
• No Officer Training School at the beginning.
• No extra satellites in the beginning.
• Engineers & Scientists awarded per satellite launched is halved. (Compared to Normal)
• Base begins with 30 power.
• Rise in panic from ignored abduction missions is 3
• Enemies have roughly 10% greater aim/chance to score a critical (Compared to Classic)
• There are more aliens on each map compared to Classic

The key to beating Impossible difficulty is taking your time and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the aliens and how to counter them with your own soldiers and research projects. Overall there is no one way to beat the game and will depend on your own style and strategies.

Make use of the save system and be sure to have multiple save files going at once. You may find yourself saving after every 2 or 3 turns in case something goes horribly wrong or you just want to give a turn another try. It is also a good idea to make a save at the beginning of each mission (after you land on the ground, not before at the base as the missions will be random) so you can restart if you find yourself employing a strategy that is destined to fail.

NOTE: The percentage outcome of both yours and the alien's shots landing is decided at the start of each turn. So saving directly before taking a shot and reloading if the shot misses is pointless. You need to save at the end of the previous turn to alter the outcome of your shots.

Overall, as long as you take your time, abuse the save system and research/upgrade equipment and satellites regularly, this won’t be overly difficult. Completing the game on Impossible will also unlock 'Earth First'

For a general walkthrough and combat tips/build, refer to the Classic/Ironman Mode Walkthrough as many of these will also apply to Impossible difficulty.

Lone Wolf – 20
Clear a UFO crash site with one soldier on Classic or Impossible difficulty

This can only be done on a crash site mission and requires a single soldier to kill all aliens on the map. Although it can be completed on ether Classic or Impossible difficulty, it will be much easier on Classic.

The easiest mission to achieve this will be the Small Scout crash sites, as they only have anywhere between 5-8 enemies. Small Scout UFOs will appear early in the game, then randomly towards the end. If you choose to attempt this late in the game, then any or your upgraded soldiers with decent weapons and armor shouldn’t prove too difficult to clear the map on their own.

An alternate strategy is to do this on the very first crash site mission as this is guaranteed to have 4 Sectoids and an outsider. Start a new game, disable the tutorial as this gives you better odds of one soldier being chosen as an Assault. Play through the 2nd mission (abduction) focusing on ranking up your Assault soldier to corporal, (or Squaddie if you missed out on the first mission) and at the end choose the ‘Tactical Sense’ perk. An alternate to the assault class is the sniper utilising the Snap Shot and Headshot ability.

Make sure to save before you deploy to the crash site. (This will mean that every time you reload you receive a different map but this shouldn’t make a big difference to the strategy.) Once on the ground, move up one side of the map slowly. Ideally you want to engage the Sectoids two at a time. With a little luck, 1 of the 2 Sectoids you uncover will mind merge with the other. If this is the case use Run and Gun to move into a position to take out the one doing the mind merging, so that by killing it, you also take out the 2nd Sectoid. If using a sniper, be sure to use headshot on the mind merging Sectoid or take out the Sectoid posing the greatest threat first.

Be sure to reload, and hunker down for 2 turns to recharge your Run and Gun, then repeat for the other 2 Sectoids. Sometimes you won’t be able to get close enough to make use of Run and Gun, so fall back on moving once and using a grenade. Also sometime the Sectoids won’t mind merge, so it is best to fall back and engage them one by one.

Once you have cleared the Sectoids, move up to the UFO and take up position at the front near the door. Do not approach from the side as this can often mean the Outsider will spawn on your second move. Once you are near the door, end your turn, then open the door to make the Outsider spawn. Chances are it will run directly for you. Move inside the UFO giving yourself a clear shot and take out the Outsider. The achievement will unlock on the mission results screen.

This achievement relies heavily on luck so it may take several times to get the right alien placement/strategies before it works in your favor.

NOTE: Some people have reported this achievement to be glitched and will not unlock if you reload a save at any point during the mission. A good strategy is to make a save before leaving the base and reload from that point if you die during the mission.

Bada Boom – 10
Kill 50 aliens with explosive weapons

This requires you to make a kill using either a grenade or rocket launcher. All classes can carry grenades but only the heavy can use a rocket launcher. This should come naturally as you progress through the game but a good strategy, is to use grenades and rockets on weaker enemies like Sectoids and Thin Men, as these tend to group up, or to finish off enemies who have low health. Once the 50th alien is killed the achievement will unlock. This carries across all playthroughs and does not have to be done in a single game.

TIP: Although you can only carry a limited number per mission, grenades are infinite, so it’s a good idea to use up each soldier’s grenade supply each mission.

Welcoming Committee – 20
Kill 150 aliens

-See ‘Pale Horse’

Pale Horse – 50
Kill 500 aliens

This will unlock naturally as you progress through the game as the main purpose of most missions is to kill all aliens. Depending on how many side missions you choose to complete, this may take more than one play through.

Shooting Stars – 35
Shoot down 40 UFOs

To shoot down a UFO you will need a satellite and at least one interceptor. Once a satellite has detected a UFO via scanning the geoscope in mission control, you need to launch an interceptor in the hope of bringing it down. In the beginning of the game this will be fairly easy but as the game progresses, you will need to upgrade not only your interceptors themselves but also their payload to be able to take out the alien’s larger UFOs.

A good strategy is to hanger at least one interceptor per continent with a satellite in orbit. On average you will encounter 1 or 2 UFOs per month so unless you hold off progressing the story, this will take you several playthroughs.

TIP: (Credit to Elctrchead for the following tip)

Originally Posted by Elctrchead

I saved at the Geoscape then just ignored everything & only shot down UFOs. At game over just reloaded save & did it again. Achv. popped on maybe the 5th one I shot down after reloading.

[DEG23]

Ain’t No Calvary Comin’ – 50
Have a soldier survive every mission in a full game

This requires a single soldier to not only participate, but also survive every mission in a full game. It is highly recommended this be attempted on easy difficulty but can be achieved on any difficulty.

Unless you are lucky, you will need to make good use of the save game system, reloading if your chosen soldier dies or sustains massive damage. While it may be tempting to keep them towards the back of the map, it is a good idea to use them as the main soldier in your squad, as participating in every mission will allow them to rank up quickly, making them a powerhouse in the later stages of the game.

It is also worth mentioning that your soldier can sustain some damage, as often they will heal in time for the next mission, but this is risky as a mission can pop up at anytime.

Once you complete the final mission and ‘win’ the game, the achievement will unlock.

TIP: (Credit to asdfen) When selecting a new game, disable the tutorial as this will give you four soldiers to start with, so you will have a better chance of at least one making it through every mission.

As A Scalpel – 25
Earn the ‘Excellent’ rating in every performance category on a terror mission

This can be done on any ‘Terror’ mission. The following are the 3 categories and requirements for an ‘excellent’ rating:

- Aliens killed: Kill all aliens on the map
- Operative lost: No squad members can be killed
- Civilians rescued: At least 75% rescued.

The hardest part of this achievement will be rescuing civilians, as the aliens will not waste any time killing them. Unlike some other missions, you will need to play offensively, taking the fight to the aliens quickly. Try and focus most of your attention on killing aliens, instead of rescuing civilians as you can always double back or use a weaker squad member to rescue them later. When engaging aliens, particularly Chryssalids, make sure you focus all your fire on one and kill it, before moving on to the next. In Terror missions, having three wounded aliens is much more dangerous than one enemy at full health.

As long as you have received a rating of ‘excellent’ in all 3 categories, the achievement will unlock during the mission results screen.

TIP: Outfit your squad with ‘assault’ and ‘heavy’ classes as these are better suited to close quarter combat, and (your assault soldiers) can utilise the ‘Run and Gun’ perk. Also to make this achievement easier, outfit a squad using your most experienced soldiers.

Edison – 25
In a single game, complete every Research Project.

Research projects become available after killing aliens, capturing aliens, completing Crash Site/Base missions or by completing prerequisite research. The number of scientists and laboratories constructed will determine the research time of each project. You can increase the overall research speed of projects by adding additional scientists to your staff, by successfully completing missions that offer scientists as rewards, receiving scientists from the council for having satellites in Europe, North America, South America and Africa, and by building additional laboratories. Keep in mind that some research projects will require additional materials, like alien materials or alloys, so try and keep a small supply on hand at all times.

There are a total of 53 projects and all will need to be completed in a single game. You can always check what projects have been researched by selecting the Research Archive in the laboratory menu. The following are the different research projects and how they can be obtained.

Dead Aliens:

• Weapon Fragments (recovered from all alien types)
• Xeno-Biology (recovered from all alien types)
• Alien Materials (recovered from all alien types)
• Berserker Autopsy
• Chryssalid Autopsy
• Cyberdisc Autopsy
• Drone Autopsy
• Ethereal Autopsy
• Floater Autopsy
• Heavy Floater Autopsy
• Muton Autopsy
• Muton Elite Autopsy
• Sectoid Autopsy
• Sectoid Commander Autopsy
• Sectopod Autopsy
• Thin Man Autopsy

Live Aliens:

• Berserker Interrogation
• Ethereal Interrogation
• Floater Interrogation
• Heavy Floater Interrogation
• Muton Interrogation
• Muton Elite Interrogation
• Sectoid Interrogation
• Sectoid Commander Interrogation
• Thin Man Interrogation

UFO/Crash Site/Base missions:

• Alien Nav Computer
• UFO Power Source
• Hyperwave Communication
• Outsider Shard
• Elerium
• Fusion Lance - (Available after shooting down a Large Battleship UFO and completing the crash site mission)
• Guided Fusion Launcher - (Available after shooting down a Large Battleship UFO and completing the crash site mission)

Requires previous research to unlock: (the majority of these will come from interrogation and autopsies)

• Arc Thrower
• New Fighter Craft
• Ethereal Device
• Experimental Warfare
• Carapace Armor
• Titan Armor
• Beam Weapons
• Precision Lasers
• Heavy Lasers
• Light Plasma Rifle
• Plasma Rifle
• Heavy Plasma
• Plasma Sniper
• Alloy Cannon
• Plasma Cannon
• EMP Cannon
• Skeleton Suit
• Plasma Pistol
• Psi Armor
• Ghost Armor
• Archangel Armor

TIP: When going for this achievement, it is a good idea to select your base location as South America, as this will mean all interrogations and autopsies are completed instantly.

Also try and capture each alien as soon as they start to appear on missions, as waiting until later levels can be difficult when attempting to capture several at once. Aliens like Sectoids and Thin Men become less frequent on later missions. When capturing tougher enemies, rely on your veteran soldiers, as you will most likely take a few hits and this will mean instant death for rookies. Also be sure to upgrade your Arc Thrower in the foundry when the upgrade becomes available later in the game. This will mean you can stun an enemy without having to wear down its health first.

All Employees Must Wash Hands – 10
In a single game, complete every Autopsy

Each autopsy is conducted via the laboratory and will require an alien corpse to do so. Each time an alien is killed, its corpse will be automatically collected at the end of the mission. There are a total of 13 alien autopsies required and all will need to be completed in a single game.

• Berserker Autopsy
• Chryssalid Autopsy
• Cyberdisc Autopsy
• Drone Autopsy
• Ethereal Autopsy
• Floater Autopsy
• Heavy Floater Autopsy
• Muton Autopsy
• Muton Elite Autopsy
• Sectoid Autopsy
• Sectoid Commander Autopsy
• Sectopod Autopsy
• Thin Man Autopsy

TIP: Having a starting base in South America will allow for autopsies to be completed instantly.

Eye in the Sky – 5
Launch a Satellite

This will unlock as you progress through the story. After the 3rd mission you will be instructed to launch a satellite over a country. Select any country and you will be given a time frame for when the satellite will be active. Once the number of days have passed you will receive a notification the satellite is in orbit and the achievement will unlock.

All Together Now – 10
Get satellite coverage over every country on one continent

To launch a satellite you first need to ensure you have the correct facilities built in your base. Doing this will require you to clear additional space and build access lifts to reach lower levels. You will need to construct additional workshops to allow additional engineers to work in your base. Next you need to build power generators which in turn allows you to build a satellite uplink.

Once this is done select the build satellite option from engineering. Once the satellite has been built visit the situation room to launch it. Repeat the process until there is one satellite over every country in a single continent. Once the last satellite is launched and has moved into position in space, the achievement will unlock.

TIP: Wait until you start in South America (only has 2 countires) before attempting this achievement as you will automatically have a satellite over one country when you choose your starting base, then follow the method above and launch the second satellite over the remaining country.

[DEG23]

Hunter/Killer – 15
In a single game, shoot down one of each alien craft

To increase the chances of detecting a UFO, be sure to constantly produce and launch satellites around the globe. Also be sure to have at least one interceptor based at each country with a satellite, (preferably 2 with different armaments). As new armaments become available to research and build, give them priority as they will be the key to bringing down the different types of UFOs. When available, prioritize the Firestorm as these are essential to shooting down the largest UFOs.

The following are the 6 UFO types that need to be shot down in a single game:

• Small Scout (Can be shot down with basic Interceptor)
• Medium Scout (Can be shot down with basic Interceptor but is best to use phoenix cannons)
• Large Scout(Can be shot down with Interceptor but will require laser weapons and Targeting/Agility mods)
• Supply Barge (Will require Firestorm upgrade with Laser or Plasma weapons)
• Abductor (Will require Firestorm upgrade with Plasma, EMP or Fusion Lance weapons)
• Battleship (Will require Firestorm upgrade with Plasma, EMP or Fusion Lance weapons)

NOTE: Be sure to shoot down the smaller UFO's when they first appear, otherwise they will become less frequent the further you progress in the game.

After you have shot the UFO down, the next screen will show you what type of UFO it is. (Bottom left corner)

Man No More – 10
Build a suit of powered armor

There are 3 types of powered armor, Archangel, Ghost and Titan armor. All 3 are researched via the laboratory and built via engineering. You will most likely research these as you progress through the game but they will not be available until later in the game. Once the armor is built, the achievement will unlock.

We Happy Few – 10
Complete a mission without losing a soldier

This requires all members of your team to survive the mission. They can take damage but cannot die. This is best done on an easier difficulty and towards the beginning of the game as most of the aliens you face will be Sectoids. This can be unlocked as early as the 2nd mission.

TIP: Take it slow and don’t rush. Try and focus on 1 or 2 aliens at a time and don’t spread your team too far apart. If one team member sustains damage, move them towards the back and bring your full health members up.

The Hardest Road – 10
Advance one of your soldiers to Colonel Rank

Colonel rank is the highest a soldier can achieve and will require them to be present in most missions. Soldiers rank up by damaging/killing/capturing aliens, performing actions like firing while on overwatch/suppressing, and surviving missions unharmed. Reaching the rank of Colonel will take time and require a single soldier to be present on most missions throughout the game. It’s a good idea to use higher ranked soldiers as the driving force when attacking, as performing more of the actions mentioned above will result in faster promotions. Also remember, when ranking up and choosing perks, choose perks that suit your play style allowing you to utlilise the soldier more effectively.

TIP: It is a good idea to work on this achievement while going for ‘Ain’t no cavalry comin’ because if you use the same soldier on every mission, they will reach colonel easily. You can also buy the 'Wet Work' perk from the Officer Training School for 125 credits that grants soldiers additional experience per kill.

Worth Every Penny – 20
Acquire 1000 credits in one month

You will receive credits on a monthly basis from the council and your monthly income is dependent on how many satellites you have in orbit and how many countries are currently still part of the council. You can earn additional money throughout the month as rewards from completing certain missions, fulfilling council requests, and by selling materials and alien corpses on the grey market.

1000 a month may come naturally, however if you find you are struggling, save your game then start selling most of your equipment/recovered tech on the grey market. Once the achievement unlocks, reload the save.

TIP: Playing on Easy or Normal difficulty will make this achievement easier to unlock, as it will be easier to manage the panic levels and allow for continued full support from the council each month.

Also having a starting base in Africa will increase your monthly council funding by 30%.

Oppenheimer – 20
Staff the Research Labs with 80 scientists

Additional scientists can be obtained as rewards for completing certain missions, (mainly abduction missions,) monthly rewards for having satellites in Europe, North America, South America and Africa (the more satellites, the more scientists you will receive each month,) and from the occasional council request. Once you have a total of 80 scientists, the achievement will unlock. This will most likely come naturally towards the later stages of the game

TIP: If the achievement does not unlock naturally over the course of the game, start a new game on easy and focus on completing tasks/launching satellites that will net you the most scientists. If given the option between adding scientists or engineers, always choose scientists.

One Gun at a Time – 20
Staff the Engineering Department with 80 engineers

Additional engineers can be obtained as rewards for completing certain missions, (mainly abduction missions,) monthly rewards for having satellites in Asia, North America, South America and Africa (the more satellites, the more scientists you will receive each month,) and from the occasional council request. You can also add additional engineers by building additional workshops. Once you have a total of 80 engineers, the achievement will unlock. This will most likely come naturally towards the later stages of the game.

TIP: If the achievement does not unlock naturally over the course of the game, start a new game on easy and focus on completing tasks/launching satellites that will net you the most engineers. If given the option between adding scientists or engineers, always choose engineers.

Skunkworks – 20
In a single game, complete every Foundry project

Each foundry project will require either money, alien materials, previous research, engineers or a combination of all. There are a total of 18 projects and all will need to be completed in a single game.

• Heavy Weapons Platform
• Alien Grenades
• Improved Medikit
• Improved Arc Thrower
• Advanced Repair
• SHIV Laser
• SHIV Plasma
• SHIV Repair
• SHIV Suppression
• Drone Capture
• Ammo Conservation
• Advanced Flight
• Advanced Construction
• Improved Pistol I
• Improved Pistol II
• Improved Pistol III
• Stealth Satellites
• SCOPE Upgrade

You Have 5 Seconds to Comply – 10
Build a S.H.I.V.

Before you can build a SHIV, you first need to build a foundry. From here you can research heavy weapons platform. Once this is done, proceed to engineering and build the S.H.I.V. Once construction is complete, the achievement will unlock.

Theory… - 10
Build a Laboratory

Once you have 6 or more scientists, the option to build a laboratory becomes available from the 'Construct Facility' menu. A laboratory will require 3 power, 6 scientists and 125 credits to build. Select an excavated section of your base and after the required number of construction days have passed, the achievement will unlock.

TIP: Having a base or full satellite coverage in Europe will reduce the required credits to 62.

…and Practice – 10
Build a Workshop

Once you have 6 or more engineers, the option to build a workshop becomes available from the 'Construct Facility' menu. A workshop will require 3 power, 6 engineers and 130 credits to build. Select an excavated section of your base and after the required number of construction days have passed, the achievement will unlock.

TIP: Having a base or full satellite coverage in Europe will reduce the required credits to 65.

[DEG23]

Wet Work – 10
Complete a Very hard abduction mission in five turns or less on Classic or Impossible difficulty

This can be a difficult achievement as finding a 'very hard' abduction mission can take time. To increase your chances, try and raise the panic level in one continent. The higher the panic level, the harder the mission will be.

As there is a limited number of maps and the rotation is random, it may also help if you wait until you receive a map you know well and are confident you can get through quickly. Just be sure to save your game at the base before launching the mission.

Your soldier load out is entirely up to you but it is highly recommended you have a minimum of 5 soldiers and trying to clear a very hard mission with only 4 is near impossible.

The easiest way to beat the mission in five turns or less, is to start off by proceeding through the map learning what enemies are present and where they are located. Then reload the save you made at the start of the level and run through with that knowledge. Their positions and strategies may vary slightly but overall you should know what to expect.

TIP: Despite the option of Classic or Impossible, this will be much simpler on Classic

A Continental Fellow – 50
Win the game from each of the 5 starting locations

Each time you start the game you are given the option of what continent you wish to establish your base on. Each location has its own bonuses that can affect certain aspects of the game, but overall there is no great difference with each location.

This will take 5 playthroughs to unlock as long as you choose a different starting location with each new game. How you play and progress through the game is entirely up to you but be aware that you need to win the game. Having more than 8 countries pull out of the council will result in a loss and void that particular playthrough for this achievement.

What Wonders Await – 5
Complete a Research Project

This is story related and cannot be missed. After the 2nd mission you will be instructed to visit the lab where you will need to authorise a research project using alien materials. Either select the S.C.O.P.E or medkits. It will take several days to complete the project but you will receive a notification when it is ready and the achievement will unlock.

Up and Running – 5
Build a base facility

This is story related and cannot be missed. After the 3rd mission you will be instructed to build an alien containment facility. Once you give the go ahead and wait the required number of days, the achievement will unlock.

Combat Ready – 5
Build an item

This is story related and cannot be missed. Once you complete ‘What wonders Await’ you will be directed to the engineering department and instructed to build the item you just researched. Select the number of items you want made and the achievement will unlock.


Drums in the Deep – 10
Gain access to the lowest level in your base

To expand your base to the next level below, you need to build an access lift. Each access lift requires money (the cost increases with each additional lift) and will take several days to finish construction. There are only four levels, so once the fourth access lift has been constructed, the achievement will unlock. This will most likely come naturally as you progress through the game and expand your base.

Happy to Oblige – 15
Fulfill a Council request

Council requests will appear at random times via the situation room. These will involve a council nation requesting either alien technology/artifacts, items you can/have engineered, or satellites to be launched in exchange for rewards. Each request will carry a certain time limit allowing you to build/obtain the required items. Once you meet the requirements, the request will be completed and the achievement will unlock.

TIP: While most items will be fairly easy to build/obtain within the time limits, satellites will take longer to build then the allowed time, so it’s a good idea to always have a satellite in reserve so it can be launched quickly.

Also, the council requests are random, so if you receive a request that you don’t believe you can fulfill, don’t go out of your way, instead wait until an easier request comes along.

Tables Turned – 10
Shoot down a UFO

This is story related and cannot be missed. After the 3rd mission you will be called to mission command where you need to launch an interceptor to shoot down a UFO. Once you have confirmed the launch, it will engage the UFO and shoot it down, unlocking the achievement.

And So It Begins… - 15
Complete the tutorial mission

This requires you to complete the first mission. It is heavily scripted so as long as you follow the hints there shouldn’t be any problem. Once the mission is over the achievement will unlock.

NOTE: This cannot be done on Impossible, as selecting this difficulty skips the tutorial.

Secret Achievements

Meet New People Kill Them – 25
Win a multiplayer match

This requires you to win a multiplayer match and has to be done online. (no split screen/system link) The multiplayer consists of an allocated number of points which can be spent on creating a team of both human and aliens soldiers. The game will play out the same as the single player and will be over when one player eliminates all members of their opponent’s team.

This will require skill and strategy when going up against randoms but can be easily boosted by having one player skip their turn until all their soldiers have been killed.

To find players to boost this with click HERE

Xavier – 10
Mind Control an Ethereal. Single player only

(Credit to red_hammer for this strategy) Most important for this achievement is, that your Psi-Soldier has Psi-Inspiration as well as Mind Control and the Psi-Armor. You want your Psi-Soldier to have around 100 Will (more is better) with the Psi-Armor.

When you engage an Ethereal:
-Leave your Psi-Soldier out of sight of the Ethereal (even your Psi-Soldier can be mind-controlled and then you have to kill the Ethereal instead of mind controlling it yourself.)

-In the turn before you attempt the Mind Control, use your Psi-Inspiration so you get a +30 Will Buff.

-Then attempt the mind control.

TIP: You can also have a Support skill perk, "Combat Drugs". The smoke grenades of this Support add another 20 Will.

Alternate TIP: (Credit to J4ckyb0y1)

Originally Posted by J4ckyb0y1

Buff your Will with the Combat Drugs smoke grenade and Psi Inspiration ability. De-buff the Ethereal with Mindfray (it stacks).

Try to get a Support soldier with PSI abilities. Take Mindfray, Psi Inspiration, Mind Control, Smoke Grenade and Combat Drugs. Wear Psi Armor and equipping a Mind Shield would not hurt.

NOTE: Even with all those steps, the chance of successfully mind controlling the Ethereal will only be around 30-70%, so make sure to save before attempting this.

Angel of Death – 10
Kill an alien while flying. Single player only

This can only be achieved while wearing the Archangel armor, which is unlocked later in the game. The easiest class to use for this is the sniper with the headshot ability, as this will give you the greatest chance to kill an enemy without getting too close.

TIP: You may want to make a save at the start of the previous round before attempting this achievement in case the shot misses.

Beyond the Veil – 10
Find a soldier with the gift

This is story related and cannot be missed. To do this you need to send one of your soldiers to the Psi-Labs. The soldier with the highest 'Will' is chosen to have the gift. This will mean that the soldier you choose will be out of action for 10 days, so be sure it isn't your main soldier if you are also attempting 'Ain't no Cavalry Comin.'

[DEG23]

Prisoner of War – 10
Capture a live alien

This is story related and cannot be missed. Before attempting this you need to research the ‘Arc Thrower’ via the lab. (Researching the arc thrower is story related and will be available after researching Xeno-Biology) One the research is complete, construct it in engineering and outfit it on a soldier for the next mission.

Once you are in a mission you need to be close to an alien, (3 or 4 spaces from them and have a clear LOS.) Unless an alien approaches you, you will need to move close on your first turn, then use the arc thrower on your second turn. Press to select the arc thrower and fire. You only get one shot and there is still a chance you will miss so either reload a save, or have a second soldier standing by to try again if the shot misses. Otherwise the alien will go down and the achievement will unlock.

The Gatekeeper – 10
Stun an Outsider

This is a story related mission and cannot be missed. Outsiders are only found on crash-site missions and will reveal themselves when you move within range of one. Use the same method as ‘Prisoner of War’ but be sure to stun an outsider.

X Marks the Spot – 10
Uncover the alien base’s location

This is story related and cannot be missed

See All, Know All – 10
Build the Hyperwave Relay

This is story related and cannot be missed

On the Shoulders of Giants – 10
Build the Gollop Chamber

This is story related and cannot be missed

Ride the Lightning – 10
Build a Firestorm

In order to build a Firestorm, you will first need a power core from a UFO or Alien Base. (It needs to be a working power core. A damaged one recovered from a downed UFO will not work.) This will allow you to research 'New Fighter Craft.' Once the research has been completed, construct a Firestorm from the Hanger menu. Once the required days have passed, the achievement will unlock.

Poison Control – 10
Cure poison on five soldiers in a single mission. Single player only

Before attempting this, you will need to research/build medikits and equip at least five when on the load out screen. It is highly recommended you use a Support soldier with the 'Field Medic' perk as this will alow a single medikit to be used three times instead of once

The easiest way a soldier can become poisoned is by a Thin Man so it is a good idea to attempt this in an early objective based mission. (The Thin Men seem to be the main enemy in these missions.) There are two ways to be poisoned, either have a Thin Man spit poison at you or after you have killed one, move your soldier into the poison cloud it leaves behind.

Once a soldier becomes poisoned it must be treated by a soldier carrying a medikit. Just be sure that the soldier running into the cloud can't be carrying a medikit as this will make them immune. When five soldiers have been cured of poison, the achievement will unlock.

TIP: An easier method to achieve this is to try and isolate a Thin Man and have at least five of your soldiers close by. Have your first soldier move in close and make the kill. Once the Thin Man is dead and has left behind a cloud of poison, move each member within the cloud. On your next turn, set about curing everyone. Be sure to make a save before attempting this as it may take several tries.

Alternate Strategy: (Credit to J4ckyb0y1)

Originally Posted by J4ckyb0y1

Does not have to be 5 soldiers, can be done with 1 soldier 5 times. Just did a Bomb Disposal mission with all Thinmen. Had 1 soldier run in to the poison and out, cured then back in to get poisoned again. Done this way, each cloud is good for 2 poisonings.

And Hell’s Coming With Me – 10
Successfully assault an Overseer UFO

This is story related and cannot be missed

Off My Planet – 25
Recover the Hyperwave Beacon

This story related and cannot be missed

The Volunteer – 10
Make contact with the Ethereal hive mind

This is story related and cannot be missed

Flight of the Valkyries – 10
Win a mission with an all-female squad. Single player only

Before setting out on a mission, make sure all team members are female. If you lack enough female soldiers to fill a squad, hire more from the barracks. (You can’t actually select male or female when hiring.) As long as you have an all female squad and win the mission, the achievement will unlock.
TIP: (Credit to Lewd Llama 69)

Originally Posted by Lewd Llama 69

For Flight of the Valkyries, easiest way to get female recruits would be to hire a new soldier from the barracks, then save when you have 1 day left before they arrive. Fast forward time and see if you get a female soldier. If not, just reload and try again as you will eventually get a female to appear.

Alternate method by Creech

Originally Posted by Creech

The Flight of the Valkyries can be obtained with just one squaddie. I used a female sniper to get the Lone Wolf achievement and unlocked Flight at the same time.

NOTE: All members don’t have to survive the mission, as long as you win, the achievement will still unlock.

[Mopey]

Originally Posted by DEG23

Secret Achievements
Angel of Death – 10
Kill an alien while flying. Single player only

This can only be achieved while wearing the Archangel armor, which is unlocked later in the game. The easiest class to use for this is the sniper with the headshot ability, as this will give you the greatest chance to kill an enemy without getting too close.

TIP: You may want to make a save before attempting this achievement in case the shot misses.

Thanks for this awesome guide, first! You explained it very well.
One thing though: When you create a save before shooting and miss your shot, simply reloading the save won't give you another chance. In fact, Firaxis told in an interview that once your % chance has been calculated, or diced, it will stay that way. No matter how often you reaload.

I did not try it out, but it might be better to save before the whole round, instead of the shot. So you try it from a different position. That should 'recalculate' the whole system, again.

[Heraldofkaos]

You are missing 1 thing for Edison "Interrogate Ethereal" You have correctly put that there are 53 research projects but only list 52 of them. Great guide keep up the good work.

[silentdante]

Originally Posted by DEG23

Edison – 25
In a single game, complete every Research Project.

Each laboratory project will require either money, alien materials, previous research or a combination of all. You will also need to capture one of each alien to research interrogation. The number of scientists you have, the difficulty of the project and the adjacent laboratories will all affect the speed the project is researched. There are a total of 43 projects and all will need to be completed in a single game:

Xeno-Biology
Arc Thrower
Outsider Shard
New Fighter Craft
Hyperwave Communication
Ethereal Device
Weapon Fragments
Alien Materials
Experimental Warfare
Elerium
Carapace Armor
Titan Armor
Beam Weapons
Precision Lasers
Heavy Lasers
Light Plasma Rifle
Plasma Rifle
Heavy Plasma
Plasma Sniper
Alloy Cannon
Plasma Cannon
Berserker Interrogation
Chryssalid Interrogation
Cyberdisc Interrogation
Drone Interrogation
Ethereal Interrogation
Floater Interrogation
Heavy Floater Interrogation
Muton Interrogation
Muton Elite Interrogation
Sectoid Interrogation
Sectoid Commander Interrogation
Sectopod Interrogation
Thin Man Interrogation
Alien Nav Computer
UFO Power Source
Interrogate Sectoid
EMP Cannon
Skeleton Suit
Plasma Pistol
Psi Armor
Ghost Armor
Archangel Armor

TIP: When going for this achievement, it is a good idea to select your base location as Europe, as this will provide bonuses to your laboratories.

ok this achievement is listed wrong, i just got it and will copy down all the research needed below:

Xeno-Biology
Arc Thrower
Outsider Shard
New Fighter Craft
Hyperwave Communication
Ethereal Device
Weapon Fragments
Alien Materials
Experimental Warfare
Elerium
Carapace Armor
Titan Armor
Beam Weapons
Precision Lasers
Heavy Lasers
Light Plasma Rifle
Plasma Rifle
Heavy Plasma
Plasma Sniper
Alloy Cannon
Plasma Cannon
Berserker Interrogation
Ethereal Interrogation
Floater Interrogation
Heavy Floater Interrogation
Muton Interrogation
Muton Elite Interrogation
Sectoid Interrogation
Sectoid Commander Interrogation
Thin Man Interrogation
Alien Nav Computer
UFO Power Source
Interrogate Sectoid
EMP Cannon
Skeleton Suit
Plasma Pistol
Psi Armor
Ghost Armor
Archangel Armor
Sectoid Autopsy
Sectoid Commander Autopsy
Floater Autopsy
Thin Man Autopsy
Muton Autopsy
Chryssalid Autopsy
Cyberdisc Autopsy
Berserker Autopsy
Heavy Floater Autopsy
Muton Elite Autopsy
Drone Autopsy
Sectopod Autopsy
Ethereal Autopsy
FUSION LANCE
GUIDED FUSION LAUNCHER

the last two in caps were the only ones i was missing for the achievement, they are found once you shoot down a UFO very large battleship and go to the crash site and beat the mission. you get the two research ideas from the crashed ship.

you DO NOT need to capture the 3 robotic units for interogation because you cannot capture them (drone, cyberdic, and sectopod)

thanks!

[Elctrchead]

Originally Posted by DEG23

Shooting Stars – 35
Shoot down 40 UFOs

To shoot down a UFO you will need a satellite and at least one interceptor. Once a satellite has detected a UFO via scanning the geoscope in mission control, you need to launch an interceptor in the hope of bringing it down. In the beginning of the game this will be fairly easy but as the game progresses, you will need to upgrade not only your interceptors themselves but also their payload to be able to take out the alien’s larger UFOs.

A good strategy is to hanger at least one interceptor per continent with a satellite in orbit. Also the more satellites you have, the greater your chances are of discovering a UFO. If you focus on progressing the story as quickly as possible then you should average about 8-12 UFOs per playthrough, so it will take several playthroughs to reach a total of 40.

I saved at the Geoscape then just ignored everything & only shot down UFOs. At game over just reloaded save & did it again. Achv. popped on maybe the 5th one I shot down after reloading.

[Colmarr]

Originally Posted by DEG23

Playthrough 2 –
Difficulty: Easy or normal
Starting Location: South America

... With the bonus related to having a base in South America being reduced instant alien autopsies, it is a good idea to try and unlock ‘All employees must wash hands’ on this play through...

The base bonus for South America is instant interrogations, not instant autopsies, so there's no reason to link All Employees Must Wash Hands to this playthrough.

[Huxy87]

Originally Posted by Colmarr

The base bonus for South America is instant interrogations, not instant autopsies, so there's no reason to link All Employees Must Wash Hands to this playthrough.

Although it doesnt say it in the description but autopsies also benefit from the bonus.

[OneEyedJack83]

Hi, sorry if this has been covered but I'm a little confused.

The guide states that saving in the previous turn and reloading will re-roll hit chance for your soldiers, I have a couple of questions about this.

Firstly, I've rinse/repeated about thirty times on a 60% shot, the save was before my last action of the previous turn, the aliens then moved into my view during alien activity (with the little action cutscene you get when first spotting a group) and then took up positions as they usually do, so it went straight back to me. I assume this constitutes a 'turn' i.e a new full turn begins when you start your soldiers' actions after the alien activity? As opposed to a turn being a 'player' turn like turn 1 is you, turn 2 is alien activity, turn 3 back to you etc. So why is my hit not rerolling?

I've noticed a few places on the forums it mentions moving your soldiers' position seems to trigger recalculating a shot, in the instance I'm describing above I didn't relocate at all, so is repositioning the actual factor which causes your shot to be rerolled? Does the turn sequence have any impact at all on shot calculation? For example if a sniper remained stationary without shooting for three turns would he be storing up the same rolled shot? And conversely if you reload a save from within the same turn just prior to a shot, and then reposition your soldier, will this mean a recalulated shot?

My second question is about what exactly is being recalculated. You have a given %chance of hitting based on range, cover and so on, so does your soldier get a flat roll which is compared to his %chance when taking the shot, or does the game calculate a flat hit or miss for that soldier for his next shot?

For example, does it work by Soldier rolling %45 (either when repositioning or at the start of the turn, whenever it happens) so if he attempted any shot with a chance of hitting of 45% or greater he would hit, but any shot with a chance of hitting of 44% or less he would miss. Or alternatively does the game just determine a hit or miss for his next shot based on accuracy and weapon loadout etc?

I have to echo sentiments I've seen elsewhere that the numbers given do not reflect the actual chance of making a shot, it seems a 45% chance of hitting in easy mode is far more likely to score a hit than in Impossible, if anyone could clarify these points and update the guide that'd be much appreciated, I think I may have just wasted three hours unsuccessfuly trying to abuse the save system to get the Finest Hour cheevo!

Thanks for the guide generally.

J

[DEG23]

Originally Posted by OneEyedJack83

Hi, sorry if this has been covered but I'm a little confused.

The guide states that saving in the previous turn and reloading will re-roll hit chance for your soldiers, I have a couple of questions about this.

Firstly, I've rinse/repeated about thirty times on a 60% shot, the save was before my last action of the previous turn, the aliens then moved into my view during alien activity (with the little action cutscene you get when first spotting a group) and then took up positions as they usually do, so it went straight back to me. I assume this constitutes a 'turn' i.e a new full turn begins when you start your soldiers' actions after the alien activity? As opposed to a turn being a 'player' turn like turn 1 is you, turn 2 is alien activity, turn 3 back to you etc. So why is my hit not rerolling?

You're right, a turn consists of both you and the aliens moving. However, when it comes to the hit chances I think this is already decided when the aliens move, that's why I suggest reloading a save on your previous move, before the aliens have moved.

Originally Posted by OneEyedJack83

I've noticed a few places on the forums it mentions moving your soldiers' position seems to trigger recalculating a shot, in the instance I'm describing above I didn't relocate at all, so is repositioning the actual factor which causes your shot to be rerolled? Does the turn sequence have any impact at all on shot calculation? For example if a sniper remained stationary without shooting for three turns would he be storing up the same rolled shot? And conversely if you reload a save from within the same turn just prior to a shot, and then reposition your soldier, will this mean a recalulated shot?

I don't know if repositioning re-rolls the hit chance, but it does give you a chance to try a different outcome. In other words, if your original position was a miss, but then you reload a previous save and try a different position, this position was already calculated from the end of your previous turn. There was one occasion where I tried moving to a different position from my original turn, missed, reloaded several times and still missed every shot. So moving only gives you a second chance to land a shot, but doesn't re-roll the hit chance.

As for the sniper, their hit chance changes on each turn, even if you didn't move them. There have been plenty of times where on my first turn I had a 75% chance, missed, didn't move, then on my next turn had a 75% chance and hit.

Originally Posted by OneEyedJack83

My second question is about what exactly is being recalculated. You have a given %chance of hitting based on range, cover and so on, so does your soldier get a flat roll which is compared to his %chance when taking the shot, or does the game calculate a flat hit or miss for that soldier for his next shot?

For example, does it work by Soldier rolling %45 (either when repositioning or at the start of the turn, whenever it happens) so if he attempted any shot with a chance of hitting of 45% or greater he would hit, but any shot with a chance of hitting of 44% or less he would miss. Or alternatively does the game just determine a hit or miss for his next shot based on accuracy and weapon loadout etc?

From what i've seen I think it depends on the variables and position. Taking a shot with 45% chance and missing, then reloading, moving to a new position with 45% chance and hitting can happen, so again, I don't think it's a complete re-roll because you will always miss from that first position.

Originally Posted by OneEyedJack83

I have to echo sentiments I've seen elsewhere that the numbers given do not reflect the actual chance of making a shot, it seems a 45% chance of hitting in easy mode is far more likely to score a hit than in Impossible, if anyone could clarify these points and update the guide that'd be much appreciated, I think I may have just wasted three hours unsuccessfuly trying to abuse the save system to get the Finest Hour cheevo!

Thanks for the guide generally.

J

I can't remember where I read it (I think it was the 2K forums) but the devs said that the chances of landing shots on easy and normal where stacked in the player's favor. That's why you will land 45% shots a lot more on easy than you will on impossible. I have only done the one playthrough on Impossible (well 4 actually but I never made it past the 1st month in good shape) and I think the re-rolling on chances is still stacked heavily in the alien's favor. There were several times where I reloaded a save because most of my soldiers missed and were subsequently missing. Only on a few occasions did I land a successful shot, in the end I tried a different approach.

If you have any more question feel free to ask, and welcome to the site