Phoenix Point - 10 Strategic Layer Tips and Common Mistakes

Just like the old school XCom games, Phoenix point can be brutal on its strategic layer, and it's entirely possible to feel like you're doing just fine and wining all of your battles...right up until the population starts dying, the Pandorans tech up, and the world goes to shit all around you.

In this video I set out 10 basic tips (including how to avoid some common mistakes) that will help you play a more solid game on the geoscape. Don't expect a deep dive, but I'm hoping this answers some questions for new players.

My 10 strategy layer tips:

1) Your first priority is to get a second team operational. Bodies above all else.

2) You live or die by your air fleet. Helios and manticores are there to move your teams, slower stuff is for air-air combat or trade duty. Remember there are free aircraft out there at lower difficulty.

3) Don't overbuild your bases and never build a damn food generation facility.

4) Demolish structures you don't need, and consider scrapping equipment you'll never use if needed.

5) Loot like a madman, and know when your mission requires you to manually pick up loot.

6) Most of the research in the game can be safely skipped - you can go straight for tech 3 weapons.

7) With some basic rules, trade is a great source of very easy profit.

8) Expand your footprint, you can't loot sites you haven't found, or defend havens you can't see.

9) Building faction relations gives huge rewards, but non-story raiding missions are a trap.

10) Mutagens and ancient-sites give you access to a parallel economy that takes the pressure off your normal (food, tech, material) eco. use them.