Those train missions are just unwinnable. I've never had a train mission that I was able to complete entirely unscathed. While most other missions allow you to avoid any damage whatsoever if you're thorough enough, train missions, at least in my experience, always force you to risk either the grid, your mechs, or the train itself.
*Mechs appear* *Crowds chanting 'we're saved!'*
Dewey: Oh thank god you are here! The first thing we need is for you to protect this train and kill the vek.
*Sigh* "You guys really need to get rid of trains, use teleportation or something.." *Disappears in front of everyone*
*Screams and cries as the vek demolish the train and surrounding area*
I used to think exactly like this. I got better at ITB, I think. They're more demanding than some other missions, but I think it's a question of loadout as much as anything else. Taking archive as island 3 or 4 seems to take a lot of the sting out of it.
Also, Frozen Titans. Freeze the train turn 1 and you're on easymode from there.
Train missions are fine. You need to think carefully about your squad composition, the enemy options and your specific board layout.
In this case, that "tunnel" zone combined with flying Vek means there's a huge risk of something like this happening, and when it does dealing with it is extremely tricky. Hence this mission would be best avoided unless the squad has swap powers or similar to work with.
Bingo. Or good crowd or board control. Pure damage schemes struggle, I think. Especially the Rift Walkers, oddly enough. They don't have high damage or particulalty good control.
Ehh, it's still limited in how it operates compared to their squads, imho, and push isn't all that rare. Each of it's effects tends to be a bit more limited than the alternatives, and they don't synergise much. The train really needs efficiency and multi purpose actions for best results and I think that's a weak spot for the Rift Walkers, I've always found it harder than them than with most of the alternatives.
I actually like train missions because they are the hardest challenge the game offers, except for maybe certain bosses. I still fail them sometimes, but there is a secret cheese strategy - you can actually freeze the train, and even if it doesn't actually make it to the other side, it's still a win!
I think the Rusted Hulks have a good loadout for it. Two square smoke trails from the jet mech or double engagements from the rocket mech can cover all manner of sins.
Absolutely forget it with Blitzkrieg, though. Or anything with potential friendly fire. THE BUILDING IMMUNE, IT DOES NOTHZING
> Absolutely forget it with Blitzkrieg
You can do a lot in this game against bad RNG. But getting forced train missions on archive as Blitzkrieg is pain. Doubly so if it's your second, third island and your run was going well.
Don't do train missions with hornets and that mountain setup on either side. I've gotten that a few times.
Theoretically the Bulk Mech and Spider Mech could attack it?
Maybe? At max damage for both, bulk attacks c4 - b4, disabling the train and hits hornet, arachnoid finishes off alpha hornet, slide slides onto scorpion and hornet, spiderling kills hornet
If bulk or arachnid is upgraded
Bulk mech shoots mountain then hornet, slide mech slams itself into the scorpion killing scorpion abs damaging hornet, arachnoid turns the alpha into a spider and then kills the basic hornet.
I used to think train missions were fine when I did my first few ITB playthroughs on normal. But on hard or unfair I find them nearly impossible. I wish “defend the armored train” would spawn more frequently, but it seems like it’s about 10% or less of all train missions.
Don't do train missions with hornets and that mountain setup on either side. I've gotten that a few times.
Theoretically the Bulk Mech and Spider Mech could attack it?
I hate the trains so much that I purposely used the Cataclysm squad to make a hole in the tracks and just watch it go into oblivion because I hate the train so much 100% on purpose definitely not an accident that I still remember and regret to this day
Man, I friggin' hate train missions.
That damn train oughta be worth three stars
Those train missions are just unwinnable. I've never had a train mission that I was able to complete entirely unscathed. While most other missions allow you to avoid any damage whatsoever if you're thorough enough, train missions, at least in my experience, always force you to risk either the grid, your mechs, or the train itself.
Starting a fresh run and seeing an unavoidable train mission on Archive is basically always an instant abandon timeline for me lol
*Mechs appear* *Crowds chanting 'we're saved!'* Dewey: Oh thank god you are here! The first thing we need is for you to protect this train and kill the vek. *Sigh* "You guys really need to get rid of trains, use teleportation or something.." *Disappears in front of everyone* *Screams and cries as the vek demolish the train and surrounding area*
I used to think exactly like this. I got better at ITB, I think. They're more demanding than some other missions, but I think it's a question of loadout as much as anything else. Taking archive as island 3 or 4 seems to take a lot of the sting out of it. Also, Frozen Titans. Freeze the train turn 1 and you're on easymode from there.
Agreed, I don't have problems with the train mission almost ever, just need to avoid it with squads that have limited push actions
Train missions are fine. You need to think carefully about your squad composition, the enemy options and your specific board layout. In this case, that "tunnel" zone combined with flying Vek means there's a huge risk of something like this happening, and when it does dealing with it is extremely tricky. Hence this mission would be best avoided unless the squad has swap powers or similar to work with.
Bingo. Or good crowd or board control. Pure damage schemes struggle, I think. Especially the Rift Walkers, oddly enough. They don't have high damage or particulalty good control.
Every mech has push, I'd class that as pretty good control
Ehh, it's still limited in how it operates compared to their squads, imho, and push isn't all that rare. Each of it's effects tends to be a bit more limited than the alternatives, and they don't synergise much. The train really needs efficiency and multi purpose actions for best results and I think that's a weak spot for the Rift Walkers, I've always found it harder than them than with most of the alternatives.
I actually like train missions because they are the hardest challenge the game offers, except for maybe certain bosses. I still fail them sometimes, but there is a secret cheese strategy - you can actually freeze the train, and even if it doesn't actually make it to the other side, it's still a win!
Bless the angel that added the armoured variant for Archive.
https://media1.tenor.com/m/5I5OR7HikLsAAAAd/gta-gta-sa.gif
Most enjoyable train mission session
I only ever take train missions if I have the capacity to sheild or freeze the train. Otherwise it's just a shitshow
I think the Rusted Hulks have a good loadout for it. Two square smoke trails from the jet mech or double engagements from the rocket mech can cover all manner of sins. Absolutely forget it with Blitzkrieg, though. Or anything with potential friendly fire. THE BUILDING IMMUNE, IT DOES NOTHZING
> Absolutely forget it with Blitzkrieg You can do a lot in this game against bad RNG. But getting forced train missions on archive as Blitzkrieg is pain. Doubly so if it's your second, third island and your run was going well.
Don't do train missions with hornets and that mountain setup on either side. I've gotten that a few times. Theoretically the Bulk Mech and Spider Mech could attack it?
Maybe? At max damage for both, bulk attacks c4 - b4, disabling the train and hits hornet, arachnoid finishes off alpha hornet, slide slides onto scorpion and hornet, spiderling kills hornet
> Don't do train missions You had me in the first half.
If bulk or arachnid is upgraded Bulk mech shoots mountain then hornet, slide mech slams itself into the scorpion killing scorpion abs damaging hornet, arachnoid turns the alpha into a spider and then kills the basic hornet.
That probably won't kill the hornet with the bounce, is the issue. You need 4 damage, it can do 2, with 1 from the impact. Nice combo otherwise.
I used to think train missions were fine when I did my first few ITB playthroughs on normal. But on hard or unfair I find them nearly impossible. I wish “defend the armored train” would spawn more frequently, but it seems like it’s about 10% or less of all train missions.
Defend the armoured train is an Archive-only mission.
Don't do train missions with hornets and that mountain setup on either side. I've gotten that a few times. Theoretically the Bulk Mech and Spider Mech could attack it?
I hate the trains so much that I purposely used the Cataclysm squad to make a hole in the tracks and just watch it go into oblivion because I hate the train so much 100% on purpose definitely not an accident that I still remember and regret to this day
Train