XCOM 2 Tips: Andromedon Tactics Guide (How to Kill Andromedon)

Welcome to my series of tips for XCOM 2. Today we'll talk about how to kill Andromedon, what their abilities and strengths are, their weaknesses, and how battlefield tactics for handling them more easily.

I'll continue uploading these tutorial videos with XCOM 2 tips assuming there is viewer interest. If you're interested in seeing a particular topic covered, please let me know in the comments.

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XCOM 2: The Story So far - Earth has changed. Twenty years have passed since world leaders offered an unconditional surrender to alien forces. XCOM, the planet's last line of defense, was left decimated and scattered. Now, in XCOM 2, the aliens rule Earth, building shining cities that promise a brilliant future for humanity on the surface, while concealing a sinister agenda and eliminating all who dissent from their new order.

Only those who live at the edges of the world have a margin of freedom. Here, a force gathers once again to stand up for humanity. Always on the run, and facing impossible odds, the remnant XCOM forces must find a way to ignite a global resistance, and eliminate the alien threat once and for all.

Key Features:
• XCOM ON THE RUN: Take command of the Avenger, an alien supply craft converted to XCOM's mobile headquarters. New open-ended gameplay lets you decide where to guide your strike team, how to grow popular support, and when to combat enemy counter-operations.
• RECRUIT RESISTANCE FIGHTERS: Five soldier classes, each with its own skill tree, let you create specific soldiers for your tactical plan.
• TACTICAL GUERRILLA COMBAT: New gameplay systems offer more tactical flexibility in combat. Use concealment to ambush enemy patrols. Loot enemies for precious gear and artifacts. Rescue VIPs and save fallen comrades by carrying them to the extraction point.
• A NEW BREED OF ENEMY: A diverse cast of enemies from powerful new alien species to the ADVENT, enforcers of the alien regime, offer a distinct tactical challenge.
• RESEARCH, DEVELOP AND UPGRADE: Configure and build rooms on the Avenger to give XCOM new capabilities on the battlefield. Use your Scientists and Engineers to research, develop and upgrade weapons and armor to fit your preferred tactics.
• EACH MISSION IS A UNIQUE CHALLENGE: Go on missions around the world, from wildlands to the heart of the alien-controlled megacities, to the depths of alien installations. There are virtually infinite combinations of maps, missions and goals.
• CREATE CUSTOM MODS: Community-focused tools allow you to create your own campaign, tactical gameplay, aliens, classes, strategy game features, and share within the Steam Workshop.
• ENGAGE IN HEAD-TO-HEAD MULTIPLAYER: Mix-and-match squads of humans and aliens and battle head-to-head on randomly-generated maps.

According to Firaxis Statistics, Rangers have the most kills of any class. They are followed closely by sharpshooters while specialists were dead last.

[RobertSela]

One point not mentioned here: Andromedons in their first form have extreme weakness against psi attacks. Even a weak psi will mind control them with an at least fifty fifty chance and lesser powers like Insanity almost always work. Having a psi in your team basically neutralizes their threat level completely.

[evilemperorzurg]

Casting domination is by far the best option. They have a surprisingly high rate of success and I think are the strongest enemy unit you can dominate.

[tallblondeguy]

I'm surprised you didn't mention how awesome it is to have a dominated andro

[teds]

Don't kill the first phase on overwatch. The robot phase will have all its moves back and attack you in that same turn.

[Orion_Fritz]

How to kill an Andromedon:
step 1: don't, mind control them, they are almost unkillable in the player's hand. By far my favorite thing to take control of in battle, with the exception of gatekeepers

[Fufuneraire]

You can also use a spray paint can. He will be blind, open his suit to see something then die from the atmosphere. OP tactic :p

[circle]

My favorite tactic is to have a ranger have the untouchable perk and use it to kill off the first stage. The Ai will force I to attack the closest target so get the ranger as close as possible.

[jojoytb]

Hi XCom Buddy! I really like your video of XCom2 and share vast tactics opinion with you. But I just found on this one, a good tips that you didn't mention and that I think it is very helpfull. So, during his second "life", this alien can be hacked with a specialist that garantee you to get a very helpful "Tank" in your party at least during 2 turns (legendary difficulty). Thanks to this, you can use it as a new "mimic" because enemies usually target the hacked minions on their sight. Leave them kill the Andromedon and focus your turn 100% on others aliens ! ;)

[knightveg]

They are easily killed especially near the end of game,

What I find hard is when you're surrounded by 4/5 other enemies you have to take them down as well

[themaverick]

Good Video. Another thing I found useful was the sniper's Killzone ability. Basically you set down a killzone over the Andromedon and his squad, set a few more soldiers on overwatch and then trigger the pod (I like to use a grenade for the shred). If the Andromedon loses its first life in the killzone area which is likely with the killzone shot plus some other overwatch hits, the suit will trigger a second killzone shot from the sniper when it revives. Lets your sniper get 2 shots onto it during an ambush.

[jonzeyyy]

I don't know how I found your channel but it definitely helps.
Thanks, Topcat.

[KaoticReach]

Best XCom 2 guides/channel by far
Subbed and will be watching your other videos on other stuff!

[vHelixx-]

The second i met the Archon, is when i started reaching my limit as to how far into the campaign i can go. 2 or so missions later and there's a bloody codex, and then a mission after that, there's 2 codexes and an andromadon. Finished that mission with 2 wounded, and 1 kia soldier. I'ma run out of soldiers or the dooms clock is going to kick in because I don't have enough intel to get more contacts for the other facilities I've found

[pinkspider]

Love mind controlling these with the Psi soldiers.

[avocedo]

Step one : bring psi ops
Step two : you dont kill it

[Admiralkirk]

A little envious of the 60 fps since I'm a console player, as the campaign continues I find the game starts to get even more jumpy.

[acutefailure]

gonna just keep this video open for the foreseeable future.

[Laireso]

I find using Ranger with Rapid Fire and Talon rounds the best to one-shot the first phase, even with armor as long as both hit you need just 1 crit and with all the bonuses you are guaranteed to crit both shots, the finishing of 1st phase still counts as a kill so your Ranger gets his Implacable+Unstoppable, unlike when you take 1/2 HP from Sectopod/Gatekeeper so that split HP bar is actually beneficial for Rangers. Then the 2nd phase doesn't recognize cover so any psi ops and specialists in the back can 2 tap it with bluescreen rounds very accurately and from long range which are the best targets for more reserved classes that don't get huge accuracy bonuses or damage potential, alternatively Chain Shot or another Rapid Fire can expedite the kill by using only 1 soldier for it, but only with bluescreen rounds and usually I let the ones with rifles take the shots as they don't get as many opportunities as those closer to the frontline.

Sadly Deadeye even with bluescreen rounds lacks just a bit to guarantee kill the 2nd phase of Andromedon or even the Heavy MEC. It can only one-shot the Heavy turrets. That's the main reason why I stray from Sharpshooters in late-game, Deadeye is just too underpowered for Legendary, but I agree on Commander and below Serial is completely broken, it's just on Legendary there aren't any full HP targets you could one-shot and relying on Deadeye to continue Serial even to kill basic troopers, captains or shield-bearers feels awful. Even if you weaken the enemies with AoE from other classes you still get only 6 shots off (assuming the final mission not regular mission where the 3 free reloads hard carry Sharpshooters) and then are near useless until the 5-turn cooldown ticks down. I think Sharpshooters by far the weakest class in base game and you're going to benefit greatly from taking another Grenadier, Ranger or a Specialist. If you need the crowd control Sharpshooter provided, the Grenadier with Saturation fire would be the best, followed by Psi ops and finally a Ranger with Reaper/Bladestorm.

The only uncontested quality of Sharpshooter is setting up overwatch traps through Kill Zone and a concealed Ranger, which isn't strategy you can always rely on. The enemy pods are even coded to specifically stop moving when Concealed Ranger has them in sight to not trigger the Kill Zone/Long Watch during their turn. It can work in regular missions, usually... but in the final mission without free reloads by the time you enter the final room where there isn't any truly amazing high ground spot to setup in, they are really underwhelming one-trick-ponies.

[mal-bane]

Can you do a video on sectopods? They're giving me a lot of trouble

[sortehuse]

This video was very helpful when I first watched it some years ago. Thanks :-)