There are two parts to XCOM: Chimera Squad: combat Missions and city management from your Field Office headquarters. In this guide, we’ll help you understand everything going on in the Field Office with a quick overview of all the options there, tips about assigning Agents to Assembly or Spec Ops, how to pick what to do next, managing District Unrest, and using your Field Teams.

Over the first hour or so of XCOM: Chimera Squad, you’ll get more and more options for things to do in the Field Office. When they’re all filled in, you’ll have seven (and sometimes eight) options.

• City Map. There are two things happening in the City Map. First — and most obvious — the City Map is where you’ll select Targets (combat-focused Missions and hands-off Situations). You’ll also manage your Field Teams here. These operate in the background to earn currencies and help you manage the city’s various Districts’ Unrest.
  
• Assembly. The Assembly is basically a 3D printer. You feed it Elerium (a currency) and time, and it researches new gear and items for you. Once the research is done, you’ll be able to unlock the gear from Supply (below). You don’t need to assign an Agent, but if you do, the completion time is cut in half.
  
• Spec Ops. The Spec Ops you have available are really just another way for you to manage resources and income — the first three operations earn you extra currency (Elerium, Intel, and Credits). You’ll need to assign an Agent to complete them.
  
• Training. Training serves two functions: to improve your Agents’ stats or heal Scars. Stat improvements give your Agents things like some extra health or a better dodge. If an Agent has a Scar — a lasting stat penalty received when they fell in combat — you can heal the Scar and remove the penalty.
  
• Armory. The Armory is where you’ll go to manage your individual Agents. Here, you have options to: change their gear and weapon Loadout, Promote Agent (when they earn enough XP in combat) and unlock new Agent Abilities, read an Agent Biography, and Tint Armor (which is useful to color code your Agents for quick reference).
  
• Supply. Supply is like a shop. You’ll buy everything for your Agents’ Armory // Loadout here.
  
• Investigation. Over the course of the game, you’ll be investigating (shooting) three factions operating in the City. Investigation is where you’ll go to review your notes.
  
• Scavenger. You’ll unlock the Scavenger Market with an early Situation. After that, the Market will periodically be available in your Field Office. You’ll spend Intel here to buy gear.

On the Field Office screen you’ll get constant updates about Unrest and idle Agents, and it will feel like you have to do everything at once. But you don’t.

Instead, focus on your immediate needs and think in small steps. If you need credits, assign an idle Agent to a Gladhanding Spec Op. If your favorite Agent has a Scar, assign them to Training. If a city district has a high District Unrest, see if you can use a Field Team to quell it (more on this below).

You don’t have to do everything at once. Early on, you’re not even going to have enough Agents to do everything available. Prioritize what you need, and only worry about your next step.

It won’t take long in XCOM: Chimera Squad before you’ll have more Agents than slots on your APC (for combat Missions). And when that happens, it’s fine to play favorites.

Use the Agents whose abilities work for you in combat, and assign the extras (we’re looking at you, Cherub) to Assembly or Spec Ops every time they fall idle.

Originally posted by NekoValkyrie:

Cherubs guard ability that turns him into cover currently causes an annoying bug. If the mission requires evac and he decided to permanently root himself, then you are forced to restart the mission.

To fix it simply saving the game and reloading the save fixes it. Little annoying sure but only takes a few seconds.

There are two measures of City 31’s health: District Unrest and City Anarchy.

As District Unrest increases, the difficulty of that district’s Missions increases. If a district reaches maximum Unrest, City Anarchy will increase by one every day until you do something to lower it. When the City Anarchy gauge is full, you lose the game.

You have options to lower District Unrest: Completing Missions, using a Field Team Ability, or completing a Humanitarian Aid Spec Op all lower Unrest. You’ll find Field Team Abilities at the bottom of the City Map. Take these small, immediate steps when you can. Just focus on what’s available.

If there’s no Mission in a district or you don’t have any Field Team Abilities available, that’s OK, too. You can survive minor increases in Unrest and Anarchy, so you don’t have to tackle the hardest missions just because the district is colored red.

XCOM: Chimera Squad’s City 31 is divided into nine districts. Each district has its own measure of health called District Unrest, and these influence the overall health of the city, which is called City Anarchy. The chevrons next to the district names and the large City Anarchy gauge in the top right represent the current levels of each.

Districts will gain Unrest as each in-game day passes and their gauges fill up. If you don’t do anything to lower it, the gauge will eventually fill and the district will turn red to indicate it’s reached maximum Unrest. When that happens, any district with maximum Unrest at the end of an in-game day will increase City Anarchy by one chevron (later in the game, this increases to two and then three chevrons). If there are two districts maxed out, it increases by two, and so on. When City Anarchy is maxed out, you lose the game.

Throughout the game, you’ll be trying to keep any district from reaching maximum Unrest to keep City Anarchy from increasing. When that’s not possible (and it won’t be), you’ll be trying to keep City Anarchy’s increases to a minimum.

The most direct way to reduce District Unrest is by completing Targets — Missions or Situations — in that district. The negative number next to the fire icon in the description tells you how much Unrest will be reduced.

Your other option for reducing District Unrest is Field Teams . Once you have Field Teams deployed in the city, you’ll have four Field Team Ability buttons across the bottom of your City Map. You’ll only be able to use a couple of them at first. They take time (two or three in-game days), but they’ll let you reduce or freeze District Unrest in one district.

Reducing City Anarchy is more indirect and takes more time. To reduce City Anarchy, you’ll need to either complete an Investigation (stopping one of the three factions across several Missions and tough fights) or use the Major Crimes Task Force Field Team Ability.

For the most part, Field Teams are just income streams — they earn you Elerium, Intel, or credits every in-game week. More importantly for District Unrest and City Anarchy, though, Field Teams have Field Team Abilities.

The four buttons across the bottom of the City Map control your four Field Team Abilities. These are invaluable for managing Unrest. Some have prerequisites, so they won’t all be available at first. Hover over them to check their descriptions and see those prerequisites and the effect.

• Vigilance. Reduces District Unrest in a district you choose.
  
• Quarantine. Freezes District Unrest so it doesn’t increase further.
  
• Dragnet. Increase rewards for completing Situations (not Missions).
  
• Major Crimes Task Force. Reduces City Anarchy.

Once you have a Field Team in a district, don’t forget to upgrade it (when you have the Intel to spare). Upgrading a Field Teams brings in more of that team’s currency, adds new perks, and unlocks new Field Team Abilities (specifically Dragnet and Major Crimes Task Force) and Spec Ops.

Every Target (Missions and Situations) will reward you for completing it. Situations will reward you with a currency (Elerium, Intel, or Credits). Missions (because of the difficult combat involved) have better rewards — things like currencies, days taken off of projects (like Assemblies or Investigations), and sometimes even gear.

Think of these rewards as that next small step to quelling District Unrest and City Anarchy. Currencies and gear mean you’re better equipped for combat (and, therefore, more likely to survive and complete Missions). Days off of timelines mean a District’s Unrest has less time to foment City Anarchy.

Use the rewards to guide your choice, even if it means letting Unrest creep up elsewhere. Being better prepared means you’re better able to manage Unrest in the next Mission.

Not every district will have Targets to complete, and you won’t always have Field Team Abilities available. It’s basically inevitable for districts to reach maximum Unrest and City Anarchy to increase. That means you’ll have to make choices about where to focus Chimera Squad’s efforts.

As a District’s Unrest increases, the difficulty of Missions in that district increases. Immediately tackling high difficulty, high Unrest Missions isn’t always the best approach.

Look at all the options you have, and consider what you need. Each Mission and Situation has a reward, and sometimes that reward outweighs reducing District Unrest. Collecting more Elerium, Intel, and Credits will make you better prepared for fights. Missions that reward you with gear — especially Epic (powerful) weapons — will make those very difficult maximum Unrest Missions more manageable.

Seeing a district turn red with the flashing gauge and fire icon makes it feel pressing and important. Don’t let that distract or panic you. Focus on your immediate needs so you’re better prepared and ready to fight when you have to. Sometimes this means letting City Anarchy increase, but that’s OK. Take your time, and manage the increases rather than tackling impossible Missions to prevent it.

The Field Teams you deploy on the City Map mostly just sit in the background and bring in a currency every in-game week. And that makes them easy to forget about, but there’s a lot of value in upgrading them.

Upgrading a Field Teams brings in more of that team’s currency, adds new perks, and unlocks new Field Team Abilities (those buttons across the bottom of the City Map) and Spec Ops.

Originally posted by Ailuro:

Getting a field team to rank 3, unlocks the research for an additional agent slot for assembly (tech-fieldteam), training (finance-team) and spec-ops (security-team).

Your established Security teams will give you intel already. You’ll earn this resource passively each Friday (+5), and actively whenever you finish a mission in a district with a Security team (+30).

Intel can also be rewarded by some missions that pop up on City 31’s virtual map. Likewise, a Spec Ops project, “Legwork,” provides +65 intel within a 3 turns as well.

You can also gain additional intel from missions by using non-lethal attacks to render your enemies unconscious instead of killing them. If you’ve only KO’d a few enemies, you have maybe a 20-50% shot of gaining +20 intel. If you’ve KO’d just as many as Muhammad Ali, then you’re looking at a guaranteed +20 intel each mission. These gains are on top of the bonuses from Security teams and the actual rewards from the missions.

At the start of XCOM: Chimera Squad‘s campaign, your only non-lethal option is the “Subdue” command. A short while later, you’ll be able to get Tranq Rounds. Instead of killing enemies outright, you can equip your characters with Tranq Rounds to put hostiles to sleep. This includes all shots, even during the Breach Mode or overwatch.


Intel isn’t just for your field teams in XCOM: Chimera Squad. The resource is also used for the Scavenger Market. This vendor only appears in your HQ every few days or so, and you’re given a notification whenever it’s around.

The items being sold in the Scavenger Market are rarer than what you’ve obtained in the game, so far, and some are worth grabbing. However, because they do cost intel, you might want to save some whenever you need an upgrade.

Not every enemy in XCOM: Chimera Squad is visible or obvious. This is how we’ve come to think about the game, and it’s helped us a lot:

• Your first enemy is District Unrest (and, by extention, City Anarchy). High District Unrest affects Missions because higher Unrest means more difficult Missions and enemies.
  
• Your next enemy is the Timeline.
  
• Next, you have to consider your chance to hit (and your chance to be hit). The distance to a target and how much cover they have change the likelihood a shot will land. And that means you can’t solely focus on taking out the next enemy in the Timeline. You also have to make sure you’re taking shots that are likely to deal damage.
  
• Another enemy is ammo. Without special Loadout equipment, it will take you a full turn to reload.
  
• Finally, your enemies are your enemy. Obviously. We’re saying the enemies themselves are least important, though, because if you’re careful, they don’t get a chance to be dangerous (because you shot them).

When you enter combat after Breach Mode, your Agents and all enemies in an area will get arranged into a turn order (think of it like initiative in Dungeons & Dragons). These turns fall along a Timeline that appears in the top right corner of your screen.

On the Timeline, the unit — either your Agent or an enemy — acting now is at the top, and the rest of the units in the area are sorted in order heading down.

The Timeline is important because the most effective way to fight is to fight the Timeline, not the enemies themselves. Managing the Timeline is, to put it simply, preventing enemies from shooting you.

Your first goal should be to keep enemies from taking a turn (by shooting them) before you or your teammates. To do that, focus your attacks on the next enemy to act. You can click on them in the Timeline to pan the camera over to them, or you can find them with the numbers (that indicate turn order) next to their names.

Figure out where they are, and if you can get a shot on them. If they’re too far away from you, or you just don’t have a shot, move down to the next enemy on the list.

As your Agents improve and gain new Abilities, you’ll start to have more options for managing the Timeline. Terminal, for example, has the Pin Down ability that doesn’t deal damage, but delays an enemy’s turn and moves them down the Timeline. That gives your teammates more chances to shoot them before they get to act.

Moving an enemy down the turn order is just as important as killing them.

Every Encounter (the subsections of Missions) starts with Breach Mode. This is where you assign your Agents in the order they burst through the door.

• Breach order determines turn order — where your Agents end up on the Timeline. The first one through the door is the first to act on the Timeline, and so on.
  
• Breach Points — different doors or windows — might have different effects applied to the Agents that use them. You’ll see these effects when you’re reviewing the Breach Points.
  
• Breach Mode lets you weaken or kill enemies before combat even starts. You can focus every Agent on the same strong or dangerous target to remove them from combat before they get a shot off, or you can land hits on multiple targets to make them easier to kill during turn-based combat. Both ways have their benefits, so it depends on the Encounter which choice is better.

Ammo is one of the unseen enemies you’ll be dealing with. You can give yourself a major advantage here by equipping everyone with an Auto-Loader from Supply.

An Auto-Loader gives you one free reload per Mission. That means you can move, reload, and shoot all in the same turn. It’s an invaluable addition to your arsenal.

These firearms pack quite a punch and, combined with enhanced and master-crafted upgrades from your research projects, you’ll gain additional damage for each of the weapon types as well as the “Shredder” perk to chew through armor. Each one also provides a unique skill to the wearer:

• Artful Fathom: Lightning Hands – Fire a shot that doesn’t cost an action point; 3-turn cooldown. This weapon is perfect for Blueblood due to his skills and abilities. Sold in the Scavenger Market for 105 intel.
  
• Endless Brevity: Fan Fire – Shoot the pistol three times at the same target; 1 use per mission. Obtained via a side mission.

• Lonely Herald: Run and Gun – Take an action after dashing; 3-turn cooldown. Obtained via a side mission.
  
• Callow Ember: Rapid Fire – Shoot an enemy twice in a row; aim penalty on your second shot; 1 use per mission. Sold in the Scavenger Market for 105 intel.

• Surly Constant: Hail of Bullets – The shot is guaranteed to hit your target, but it uses up a lot of ammo; 3-turn cooldown. Obtained via a side mission.
  
• Crucial Symmetry: Chain Shot – Take a shot with an aim penalty, but you’ll shoot the target again if it hits; 3-turn cooldown. Obtained via a side mission.

• Impetuous Spire: Banish – Shoot a target until it dies or you run out of ammo; 1 use per mission. Sold in the Scavenger Market for 115 intel.
  
• Fortunate Blossom: Each kill you make with the weapon refunds your action; 1 use per mission. Obtained via a side mission.

Every Encounter (the subsections of Missions) starts with Breach Mode. This is where you assign your Agents in the order they burst through the door.

First, Breach order determines turn order (where your Agents end up on the Timeline). The first one through the door is the first to act on the Timeline, and so on. This means you’re actually setting up your turn order in advance, not just deciding who kicks in the door.

Using Breach Order and Abilities is how you’ll manage enemies in the Timeline as well. There are two ways to do it: You can focus every Agent on the same strong or dangerous target to remove them from combat before they get a shot off, or you can land hits on multiple targets to make them easier to kill during turn-based combat. Both ways have their benefits, so it depends on the Encounter which choice is better.

Breach Points may have effects Agents that use them. You’ll see these effects when you’re reviewing the Breach Points. Knowing that the first Agent through the door won’t be able to move for a turn or the last Agent in will get extra damage should influence your order. Think about how each Agent works, and what those buffs or debuffs will do.

Breach Points have a turn order, too. You control this with the numbers next to their names. Agents get added to the Timeline based on their Breach Point first, and then order through the door.

Not every enemy is visible from every Breach Point. This means that if your goal is to focus on tough enemies first, you’ll want to keep your team together since you can’t be certain that every Agent will be able to fire on every target.

Some Agents will have Breach Abilities that are only used during Breach Mode. If you want to use these Abilities, you’ll need to account for when those Agents go through the door(s). For example, Verge has the Levitate Breach Ability that lifts an enemy into the air (and out of cover). If Verge goes first, this will give every Agent that follows a better shot on that target. If Verge goes last, though, the Ability will be wasted.

If you have Breach Items in your Loadout(s), this is where you’ll use them. The first Agent through the door, however, can’t use Breach Items (only Abilities) because they’re busy kicking in the door. That means you’ll have to place your Item users later in the Breach order.

Research in XCOM: Chimera Squad is fairly straightforward. You’re not going to conduct alien autopsies to increase your knowledge of advanced technology. Instead, research projects are made available as you progress through the story. Some are even unlocked after you’ve completed faction investigations. For instance, eliminating The Progeny lets you research psionic-based grenades and defense systems. Completing these projects will let you buy certain items or upgrades from your HQ’s supply menu.

Here are some useful ones:

• Improved assembly research – Allows two agents to be assigned in the assembly to speed up research completion
  
• Improved spec ops/improved training – Allows two agents assigned to complete different spec ops or training projects
  
• Enhanced/master-crafted weapons – There are variants of these for pistols, SMGs, assault rifles, and shotguns. The enhanced buff adds +1 damage; the master-crafted buff gives another +1 damage and the “Shredder” perk (lowers target armor).
  
• Enhanced/master-crafted armor – The enhanced version adds +1 HP for troopers; the master-crafted version gives another +1 HP and an extra utility item slot.
  
• Field teams upgrades – These will allow you to level-up your field teams on the holo map.

The basic spec ops projects can be undertaken by any character, and these require 3 turns to get completed. The rest have various effects that can be very beneficial for your XCOM: Chimera Squad campaign. However, they’ve got different requirements and will take 5 turns to complete.

Basic projects:

• Gladhanding – +85 credits
  
• Legwork – +65 intel
  
• Elerium Sting – +25 elerium

Additional projects:

• Sanctioned Cooperation – the next item you buy in the Scavenger Market is free; requires Special Agent rank or higher; requires a Technology field team at rank 2 or higher
  
• Humanitarian Aid – reduce unrest in all districts by 1 point; requires Special Agent rank or higher; requires a Security field team at rank 2 or higher
  
• Recruitment Drive – gives a free field team that can be assigned to a district; requires Special Agent rank or higher; requires a Finance field team at rank 2 or higher
  
• Crisis Management – reduce City 31 anarchy by 3 points; requires Senior Agent rank or higher
  
• STAR Initiative – +20% mission XP for agents for the next 5 days; requires Principal Agent rank

Humanitarian Aid can single-handedly save your XCOM: Chimera Squad playthrough because it reduces unrest. If you need stuff such as epic weapons from the Scavenger Market, you can use Legwork to gain intel or Sanctioned Cooperation for a freebie.

Training lets you gain permanent buffs for your characters in XCOM: Chimera Squad. If your squadmates were wounded during a fight, they’ll also have scars and they’ll suffer from a debuff unless they undergo training to get healed.

Default (no rank requirement; 2 turns):

• Basic Conditioning – +2 HP
  
• Mental Preparation – Remove “Unfocused” psi scar
  
• Toughness – Remove “Weakened” HP scar
  
• Heightened Reflexes – Remove “Sluggish” effect (low dodge)
  
• Resolve – Remove “Shellshocked” effect (reduced will)

Unlock Potential (requires special agent rank; 3 turns):

• Cherub, Shelter, and Zephyr – +2 movement
  
• Verge and Godmother – +1 mobility and +15 dodge
  
• Torque – +1 movement and +20 dodge
  
• Axiom – +1 movement and +1 armor
  
• Claymore – +1 armor
  
• Blueblood – +15 crit chance
  
• Terminal and Patchwork – +1 utility item slot

Thanks to Polygon and PC Invation.

Special thanks to the following people for additional tips:

• NekoValkyrie
  
• Foxtrot
  
• Ailuro

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