Phoenix Point is a deep, tactical strategy game that rewards careful planning, efficient resource management, and adaptability in combat. If you’re just starting out, these essential tips will help you maximize your efficiency, improve your tactical awareness, and survive the challenges ahead. Whether you’re transitioning from XCOM or entirely new to the genre, here’s what you need to know.

Precision Aiming and Disabling Enemy Limbs

Phoenix Point offers a unique aiming system that allows you to manually target enemy body parts. This gives you an immense tactical advantage if you can’t immediately kill an enemy. Instead of focusing on raw damage, consider disabling key limbs:

• Arms: Enemies wielding two-handed weapons become completely ineffective if one arm is disabled.
• Heads: Some enemies, like Sirens, rely on their head for abilities such as mind control. Crippling their head removes these threats.
• Legs: Slowing down fast-moving enemies gives you more time to react and reposition.

Always click on an enemy and check their Info panel to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing where they are most vulnerable and which body parts have the least armor can significantly shift the battle in your favor.

Utilizing Movement and Cover Effectively

Unlike XCOM, where attacking often ends your turn, Phoenix Point operates on an action-point system that allows for flexible movement. This means you can:

• Step out of cover to take a clear shot, then retreat back into safety.
• Mix movement and attacks within the same turn.
• Fire multiple times if your soldier has enough action points.

Experiment with different movement combinations to avoid unnecessary exposure while still dealing damage. Be mindful of destructible cover—solid walls can be your best defense but can also be destroyed, leaving you vulnerable.

Overwatch: How to Use It Efficiently

Overwatch allows your soldiers to fire during the enemy’s turn if they enter a set zone. However, one major difference in Phoenix Point is the ability to control the size and direction of your overwatch cone. Here’s how to maximize its effectiveness:

• Narrow down overwatch zones by holding Control and scrolling with the middle mouse button.
• Avoid large overwatch zones unless using a wide-area weapon like a machine gun.
• Position your soldiers properly so that obstacles don’t block their line of sight.

By anticipating enemy movement and adjusting your overwatch cone accordingly, you can make it significantly more effective.

Always Carry Backup Weapons

If you have extra space in your inventory, always bring a secondary weapon. Soldiers who use two-handed weapons may become useless if one arm is disabled. However, if they carry a pistol, they can still fight.

• Melee units should have a ranged backup weapon for times when they can’t reach their target.
• Snipers and heavies can carry sidearms to remain effective in close-quarters combat.
• Assault units benefit from having a shotgun or secondary rifle for different engagement ranges.

Managing the Strategic Map

Success in Phoenix Point isn’t just about combat; managing your bases and resources is just as critical. Here’s what you should prioritize:

• Research: Always have something researching. New technologies unlock better equipment, tactics, and capabilities.
• Manufacturing: Constantly build new weapons and armor, especially early on, so your recruits are always battle-ready.
• Scouting: The green scanning circle on the map represents active area scans. Always have a scan running to find new locations, resources, and threats.

Healing and Training Bases

As your soldiers take damage and fatigue from missions, they will need to recover. Setting up dedicated bases for healing and training is essential:

• Medical Bays restore health over time. The more you have, the faster soldiers heal.
• Training Facilities grant passive experience, allowing you to level up backup soldiers without needing to send them into combat.
• Living Quarters ensure your soldiers have enough stamina for missions.

Consider designating a base solely for healing and training. Rotate your troops in and out to maintain a constant pool of battle-ready units.

Recruiting New Soldiers

Early on, research Haven Recruitment Protocols—this unlocks the ability to recruit soldiers from faction havens. Each faction offers unique classes:

• Disciples of Anu: Berserkers and mutation-based warriors.
• New Jericho: Technicians and military-focused units.
• Synedrion: Stealthy infiltrators and advanced tech specialists.

Look for havens with soldier icons to find new recruits. Some may be special faction classes that you can’t train yourself, making them highly valuable additions to your squad.

Building and Acquiring Vehicles

Vehicles are extremely useful for early missions. They provide:

• High durability and mobility, allowing you to transport troops safely.
• Powerful weapons, including grenade launchers that can clear enemies from cover.
• The ability to crush obstacles, uncovering hidden threats.

While you can build an APC, consider stealing an aircraft from a faction instead. At some point, it’s nearly impossible to stay friendly with everyone, so taking a faction’s transport can provide a huge strategic advantage.

Food: The One Resource You Can Produce

Out of all resources, food is the only one you can generate yourself by building food production facilities. Food is crucial because:

• It sustains your soldiers—running out leads to severe penalties.
• It can be traded for materials and tech at faction havens.
• Early-game food production helps maintain economic stability.

Research Haven Trade Protocols as soon as possible to start trading excess food for other needed resources.

Final Thoughts: Always Be Prepared

Phoenix Point is an unforgiving game, but with careful planning and tactical execution, you can turn the tide in your favor. By leveraging precision targeting, mastering movement mechanics, optimizing resource management, and making strategic faction choices, you’ll ensure that your forces remain strong against the growing Pandoran threat.

With these beginner tips, you’re now better equipped to take on the challenge. Good luck, Commander—the survival of humanity rests in your hands.