XCOM 2: War of the Chosen showcases The Skirmisher faction
"They're former Advent soldiers who, with a little bit of convincing, might join our cause."
Following its reveal at the PC Gaming Show at this year's E3, XCOM 2's War of the Chosen expansion has teased its stealth based melee unit, The Assassin, and its human Reaper faction. Now, its the turn of The Skirmisher to command the spotlight.
Billed as a group of former Advent devotees who, as noted in the in strap above, can be recruited during the DLC's campaign, The Skirmisher have figured out how to remove the chip that otherwise keeps them under our most formidable enemy's control. They're now ready to roll, and look pretty good for it.
Here's a wee look at the soldiers in action:
As the aptly gruff-voiced man notes in the trailer above The Skirmisher make use of a Grapple Gauntlet that allows them "extreme mobility" on the battlefield, while granting them stronger attacking power. Unlike previous iterations of XCOM grappling, though, these guys can pull enemies from cover, launch themselves towards unsuspecting targets, and deliver shock attacks at will.
Most interestingly, The Skirmisher can employ multiple actions during turns and can even react to their enemies' moves. "In other words," says the narrator above, "The Skirmisher is an army of its own." Quite.
XCOM: War of the Chosen is due August 28. Till then, have a read of Tom's conversation with Firaxis' Jake Solomon about the incoming expansion.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.