Never stick your guys in anything but full cover is the general rule. And always use hunker down (unless you're fighting Zerkers or Lids) apart from the snipers with squad sight that everyone should have two of. Classic mode is still fair, I think. Get a solid satellite infrastructure by mid game and the odds are in your favour. Impossible puts your run too much in the hands of RNG for my liking.
I should really get back to my Long War game. That mod is brutal.
Long War the mod, or the extended game type? Am interested in trying the former.
Also interested in how you implement this strategy of hunker down and full cover. There is rarely enough full cover for the squad. I typically move forward and stick people on overwatch. When enemies are revealed i track back and force them to come to me. Overwatch deals with the first 1 or two, and then on the next turn i can mop up the rest.
Last night i tried hunkering down instead, but the aliens just flanked on the next turn and i lost 2 good troops.
Also had trouble dealing with enemies who wait in the corner of the map on overwatch. No way to get near them without losing someone.
They may have patched the AI since I last played but usually aliens will just waste actions shooting troops I'd put hunkered despite the -40%/80% chance to hit. Obviously it's not worth doing if they're close enough to move to a flanking position.
Lightning reflexes are the bane of overwatch spammers and personally the only reason I use Assaults on the harder difficulties. Even then it's only one of em and I always gave them a rifle instead of a shotgun. Alternatively, smoke grenade the trooper you're going to move then dash them. Don't forget that the alien gets another -20% chance to hit dashing enemies when firing on overwatch.
This game is so fucking brilliant. I'm actually addicted.
Just did the alien base, and so preparing and equipping troops for the counter attack. I'm well, well behind schedule, having been fighting sectopods for several months already. Made a big mistake early on of forgetting to assign any research and not realising for far too long. I also have few scientists. Can't afford to buy any more.
Still, despite quickly reaching the point where one more failed mission would result in game over, i haven't lost a troop since then, and have finally assembled a worthy first team squad.