XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[Jarmam]

Thin Men have 75 aim on Classic+. So even in Hardcover you will get hit once per 3 shots, for 4-6 damage (6-9 critical). Taking a potshot fight with Thinmen early on is one of the best ways to get wiped with no real chance to win. You either have to outflank them, heavily outgun them or explode them along with their cover. Incidently MECs do all three of those quite admirably. Having one on the 17 Thinmen council mission makes it a lot smoother.

On Impossible, Sectoids also have 75 aim along with an innate 20 critical. So taking a fight hardcover to hardcover gives you 25% to hit with 10% crit, vs their 35% chance to hit and 20% crit which can be buffed to 45% crit with Mindmerge. Also Merge heals 1 health. Potshot duels are completely unwinnable from day 1. You must cower like the Cowman said - Hunker Down while repositioning in hard cover is vital as this move grants you 80 defense. For some reason the aliens will take 0% shots at you at times instead of just Overwatching, but be mindful that if the aliens are close enough they will get range-bonuses to hit and can hit soldiers even in Hunker Down. Lost 2 Hunkered rookies on my 2nd mission to what I believe was a 10% and a 20% shot at close range from the last two Sectoids on the map. Blerh.

And finally a little whine-story: After finally stabilizing and getting 2 months into the game I was left with everyone in medcare except my Sniper for an abduction mission, so I took one of my 3 Squaddie Heavies along with 3 rookies to do a little training. First round triggers 2 rooftop-Sectoid and 6 Floaters, killing 2 rookies before they ever got a chance to shoot an alien. Through some insane luck I managed to stabilize and clear all of the map bar 1 group, but my only survivor by then was my corporal Sniper, who had earned a promotion for his modest 10 kills that mission. The reward was panic reduction and a sergeant Sniper, which I heavily lacked, so I decided to take on the last group with just my Sniper. I manage to activate them from a rooftop that has heavy cover, giving me a real fighting chance against those two 6-hp aliens. I first thought they were Thinmen and kind of freaked. Turns out they were Seekers...

ANANDA GUPTA! JAKE SOLOMON! WHY? Had to bail the mission! I have never bailed a mission before! My Sniper got out in time, but... goodbye reward-Sniper and goodbye Canada :(