XCOM 2
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Exquisite Base Design on Legendary Difficulty
By Laguna Queen and 5 collaborators
Build the most effective facilities to make most of the limited time!
   
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Introduction
The Avenger requires a much more compact base design and advanced planning to build only essential facilities that are beneficial until the very end! The sections include a specific order and timeline of certain facilities to meet the growing XCOM demands!

Note: The build can be used for non-exquisite runs too except the Shadow Chamber will be delayed.

Please click here to begin the Legendary XCOM Journey:
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Please click here for the Advanced Warfare guide:
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Please click here for the Smart Shopper guide:
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Please click here for the Legendary Ranger guide:
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Why are you writing this guide?
I enjoy helping others by writing about technical topics to a higher standard and provide key findings for a higher chance of success!

Who is the intended audience?
The guide is for everyone, but much friendlier to new players. Everything will be explained to be on the same level as those who are the most experienced. The writing will be easy to follow with plenty of screenshots for those who are too lazy to read everything!
Disclaimer for Legendary Difficulty
All construction and excavation times are almost doubled in this difficulty!

Every game will have its own unique and randomized layout of power coils that are normally located on the bottom 2 floors.
Starting Facility
The Guerrilla Tactics School must be constructed first in the only available space.
A future Engineer is needed here to expedite its construction to begin training Rookies.
Such facility is also needed for Combat Tactics, and eventually upgrade squad size to 6.
How Excavations Work
Engineers are needed to begin any excavation and only unlocks rooms adjacently not diagonally.
The optimal order is to clear the upper floors first because they are much faster to complete.
By this approach, more of the much needed supplies will be gained in the early game.

Note: Excavations on each successive lower floor will have increased requirements and needs more Engineers.
Better Excavation Planning
The starting corner position does not give multiple excavation options.
The red arrows indicate priority rooms like the exposed power coils and rooms yielding crystals.
If the starting spot is in the mid-center, there are much more excavation options to reach these rooms.

Note: The next accessible room with the shortest excavation duration should be chosen for more early resources unless there are more flexible paths to take.
Power Coil Rooms
These two rooms must be reserved for the facilities that take up the most power, which are Shadow Chamber and Psi Labs. These two facilities will benefit the most from the free power, 9 and 10 respectively.

Note: The exquisite achievement will place the Shadow Chamber in the first available Power Coil room.
Facility Build Order: Exquisite
1. Guerrilla Tactics School
2. Power Relay
3. Proving Grounds
4. Laboratory
5. Resistance Comms
6. Shadow Chamber
7. Power Relay (Build in Power Coil Room)

Note: Psi Labs will need be skipped to place the Shadow Chamber for faster main mission research.
When to Use Rapid Construction
The construction boost is best when there are at least 2 ongoing Engineer projects.
The Avenger must stay at Resistance HQ, unless there are worthwhile rumors to scan or territory expansion.
First Month [March]
The next facility construction will be delayed until the essentials are purchased first.
The early supplies will be needed to recruit more Engineer/Scientist to expedite development.
The GTS upgrades will also need to be purchased, such as Squad Size I and Vulture Tactics for more loot!
1st Floor Cleared [April]
The entire first floor or most of it will be excavated towards the last few days of March.
Supplies must be used to purchase Squad Size I and Vulture Tactics before the 6th mission.
Such mission can either be the early Blacksite Assault or Supply raid, which will provide enough resources for the second facility.
April: Two More Engineers
The council report can be restarted until the recruits show two doctors.
One of them will be a guaranteed Engineer and another possibility from the Black Market.
The default of the second VIP mission will be capturing the enemy, but it can be rolled for a friendly VIP with another Engineer as the reward!
Significant Supply Boost: Blacksite Loot
The repeated farming of Blacksite will give massive supplies from the countless loot collected!
The Black Market is available to scan, immediately after the first Supply Raid.
The best time to sell is when they are "very interested", such as the surplus Elerium Cores and inferior grades of equipment.

Note: Such massive supply boost will alter the normal facility planning by prioritizing the main mission ones.
2nd Facility: Power Relay
Power Relay is needed first to have more flexibility in building more power-consuming facilities.
The Proving Ground can also be built instead but will cause progression delay due to requiring more power for building more facilities.
Power Relay: Power Conduit Only
2 Power Relays are needed with only the Power Conduit upgrades to not use crystals.
The additional power will be produced with fully staffed Engineers only.
A mission sometimes spawn that give permanent bonus power without additional cost or upkeep.
3rd Facility: Proving Ground
The facility will be available to construct after the Advent Officer Autopsy.
The purpose is to progress main mission research sooner and unlock Intel farming.
The Skullmining research will allow additional Intel gained afterwards with a maximum of 2 Skulljacks being utilized.
4th Facility: Laboratory
The facility significantly improves current research rate with each staffed Scientist.
The construction can begin as early as April with rapid construction.
The upgraded lab will need an Engineer to temporarily staff the first Power Relay.

Note: All Shadow Chamber projects will also benefit from the facility with the overall research improvement.
5th Facility: Resist Comms
The next facility will expand contacts to reach the Codex Data Coordinates.
The area is about 5-6 regions away and will require an upgrade once constructed.
The additional power will require the first Power Relay to have the Elerium upgrade.
6th Facility: Shadow Chamber
The facility will be constructed in the next available room instead of the Power Coils room.
Such deviation is required for the Exquisite achievement and more power is needed for the Psionic Gate.
Early May: Another Engineer
7th Facility: 2nd Power Relay
The last facility will be built in the Power Coil room to increase power for the Shadow Chamber upgrade.
Why The Workshop is Wasteful
The facility offers the maximum additional manpower of only 2 extra Engineers, at the sheer cost of supplies, power, space, and even a monthly upkeep!

Note: The wiser approach is to get more Engineers instead through reward and monthly report manipulations.
Epilogue
The final layout will allow control of 2 continents and progress the main mission in time for the exquisite achievement!
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Copyright Notice
This guide was written by Laguna Queen et al. (2025) on Steam, and not to be republished without crediting the authors and gaining their permission. We can be reached through the the guide comment section below.

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