This XCOM 2: War of the Chosen Abilities Guide will tell you how to quickly farm ability points in the new game that can be a tricky task for some players. Apart from this, the guide provides a comprehensive detail of all of the new abilities in the three new Factions that have been introduced in the War of the Chosen expansion so you do not have to spent time being bored while getting to know what each of those abilities do.
For more help on XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, you can check out our Soldiers Bonding Guide.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen Abilities
We have detailed all the Faction Abilities as well as some tips to help you farm more Ability Points in the game.
Ability Points Farming
These points are used to level up your special units. They reward you for using smart tactics so there are a number of ways to level up these points. One of them is to do specific covert actions and the other one is to kill an enemy in a specific way as explained in the following paragraph.
When you are concealed and you kill an enemy you get an Ambush Kill, this can be easily done at the start of missions and grants you Ability Points. Apart from this, you can use the Flanking Shot in which you have to move to a location where you have a clear shot of the enemy rather than going through cover to eliminate them.
Lastly, you can use the Height Advantage Shot which is pretty self-explanatory, get to a higher ground than the enemy and kill him to gain ability point for this shot.
Faction Abilities
The Skirmisher Faction
The skirmishers utilize Assault Rifles and grappling gauntlets. Use this faction if you like moving around the map while shooting.
Marauder
Rank: Squaddie
Standard shots do not end turns allowing for multiple shots in a turn.
Justice
Rank: Squaddie
Grapple a humanoid towards you and deliver a Ripjack strike.
Grapple
Rank: Squaddie
Gain an extra action for the next turn when fired upon.
Reflex
Rank: Corporal
Deal +1 damage on wounded targets
Total Combat
Rank: Corporal
Using an item or throwing a grenade does not end turn
Wrath
Rank: Sergeant
Uses grapple to pull to an enemy and deliver a Ripjack strike.
Zero In
Rank: Sergeant
Consecutive shots on same target provide +10 critical chance.
Wiplash
Rank: Lieutenant
Attack an enemy with an electrical lash.
Full Throttle
Rank: Lieutenant
Gain 2 mobility with every kill that turn.
Combat Presence
Rank:Captain
Gives an extra action to a squad mate.
Retribution
Rank:Captain
Free ripjack attacks on enemies in melee range.
Interrupt
Rank:Captain
Perform a single action instead of firing.
Waylay
Rank: Major
Can take as many shots as remaining actions when entering Overwatch.
Reckoning
Rank: Major
Unlock Ripjack Slash attack.
Manual Override
Rank: Colonel
Lower all ability cooldowns by 1.
Battlelord
Rank: Colonel
Take a turn after each enemy in line of sight takes a turn
Judgement
Rank: Colonel
Enemy has a chance to panic when targeted.
The Templar Faction
These guys use psionic energy and their swordblades to fight in melee range so remember to put more power in your damage stat and gather focus to enhance their abilities.
Rend
Rank: Squaddie
Melee attacks have a chance to stun the target.
Volt
Rank: Squaddie
Deals low damage but jumps to nearby units at higher focus.
Focus
Rank: Squaddie
Gain it during missions for enhancement of your stats.
Parry
Rank: Corporal
Prevents damage from the next attack after using rend (instead of moving).
Aftershock
Rank: Corporal
Targets hit by Volt are easier to aim at.
Amplify
Rank: Corporal
Marks a target to take 33% additional damage.
Overcharge
Rank: Sergeant
Rend attacks gain 33% chance to gain focus.
Pillar
Rank: Sergeant
A pillar is summoned to act as cover.
Stun Strike
Rank: Sergeant
Strikes an enemy and knocks them back.
Deflect
Rank: Lieutenant
Templar has a chance to deflect attacks when it has Focus.
Channel
Rank: Lieutenant
Dead enemies leave psionic energy which can be collected to raise Focus.
Invert
Rank: Captain
Switches locations with an enemy.
Reflect
Rank: Captain
Having 2 or more focus grants you a chance to reflect shots back at your attacker.
Deep Focus
Rank: Captain
Maximum Focus is increased to 3.
Arc Wave
Rank: Major
Rend generates psionic energy in the attack’s direction.
Exchange
Rank: Major
Switches locations with a squad mate.
Ionic Storm
Rank: Colonel
Lightning strikes all nearby enemies
Void Conduit
Rank: Colonel
Imprisons a humanoid in a Psionic trap, rendering them useless for multiple turns and transferring their health to you.
Ghost
Rank: Colonel
Duplicates a fallen humanoid.
The Reaper Faction
Reapers have the ‘Shadows’ ability which allows them to stay in stealth until they engage an enemy. Use claymores and sniper shots to take down enemies using this class. These are the Reaper abilities:
Shadow
Rank: Squaddie
Gain an advanced form of concealment.
Claymore
Rank: Squaddie
Throw a targetable explosive.
Remote Start
Rank: Corporal
Detonates an environmental explosive
Blood Trail
Rank: Corporal
Shots deal +1 damage on wounded enemies.
Target Definition
Rank: Sergeant
Units seen by Reaper remain permanently visible.
Shrapnel
Rank: Sergeant
Claymore has +1 Radius and +3 Damage.
Silent Killer
Rank: Lieutenant
Vector rifle kills do not increase chance of a shadow break out.
Distraction
Rank: Lieutenant
Claymore kills put you in Shadow.
Needle
Rank: Lieutenant
Shots taken in shadow have +2 armor piercing.
Sting
Rank: Captain
Fire 1 shot while preserving your shadow.
Soul Harvest
Rank: Captain
Kills increase crit chance by 5 up to 20.
Highlands
Rank: Major
Carry 1 more Claymore.
Banish
Rank: Major
Shoot a target until ammo depletion or death.
Homing Mine
Rank: Colonel
Attach an enemy with a Claymore.
Annihilate
Rank: Colonel
Keep firing at a new target if you kill someone with Banish.
