My battle strategy

[Battlescared]

My strat is:

2x Assaults (assault rifles to start, upgrade to em rifle and plasma rifle)
2x Heavy (Machine guns, upgrade to heavy lasers and plasma blaster)
3x Sniper (sniper rifles, upgrade to coilgun at some point, but the basic sniper rifle is good throughout the entire game)
1x Grenade Launcher/Stunner

I like to keep a good mix of weaponry, so I use all types.  This helps with ammo distribution and making sure I never run out of anything, though UFO:AI is pretty good at keeping ammo available in the store.

Med kits on all, grenades and flashbangs, but to be honest, I never use them.  With 3 snipers, I take down most at long range and the assaults are there to help keep the bad guys away from the snipers and heavies.  If I get rushed, the Grenadier puts the hurtin on them while the rest pick em off.  I also keep at least 2 extra ammo packs for everyone.

For Harvester assaults, I first wait for all the aliens to rush out and pick them off from the sides.  Then I send in my assaults in first, put them just before the stairwell... hard to describe, but as you go in through the back of the UFO, you go through the main door, then two more doors.  Just after you get into the main body, there are some shelves or something.  I put my two assault guys between the shelves and the stair well, my two heavies just this side of the shelves, and snipers behind them in the doors.  Then I wait for the the enemy to rush.  They usually stop just at my assault guys without firing and without reaction points, depending on the weapon they have, who then pick them off quickly with bursts.  If needed, I finish them off with the heavies.  Then I send my guys forward to take any enemies who may be hiding in the stairwell.  Game over.

I do mix it up a bit on squads, replacing the third sniper for something else, depending on what is available.

[Salvo]

- All my guys get medkits and infrared glasses (in backpack).
- Mixed weaponry in the team. I try to keep one sniper around. The rest is what it is. I try to have only one of each weapon.
- Only sniper(s) and grenadiers get backup weapons, or more accurately ,the 7.62mm handcannons.
- I employ the infrared glasses a lot. Usually I leave 1-2 guys outside a Harvester constantly scanning the interior. That guy is most often the sniper or any recently wounded guy.
- I move my guys in 2-4 man teams. Always.
- Being observant and knowing what I'm about to engage is vital. VITAL. It's common sense to look at the alien and see what weapon and armor it's carrying. Alien autopsy reports are mandatory reading in all of my UFO games. No exceptions.
- If a wounded guy is still at risk, a healthy guy nearby will provide cover. With his body.
- Sensible and frequent use of cover is obligatory.
- Bolter gun is just a shotgun on steroids. Best used at melee ranges.
- When in doubt, use full auto firing mode. It's better to overkill than to underkill.
- When in doubt, check the soldier inventories. Await inspiration.

[albedo]

Since 2.2 and until 2.4, the best squad for my gameplay are:
- 2 Heavy guys (Flame Thrower at the beginning, then heavy laser)
- 2 Sniper (As the game wents on they are increasing their stats so that they are even useful in later stages of the game.)
- 2 Grenade launcher solders (Absolutely great for shooting over obstacles and even better after the research of plasma grenades.)
- 1 Rocket soldier (Rocket launcher), 1 assault solder (Bolter)

Depending on the map, they act as one big team or I divide them into 2 separate troops. All soldiers are equipped with a knife, grenades of all types, a medic kit, ir goggles and enough ammo. I never need a second weapon, more ammo is more useful.

During the mission, I always try to give my soldiers a hide at the end of a turn. Mostly, the enemies approach, using up every action point and without firing a single shot. Then my solders make one step to decover, shot and retract again. (Always watching through walls using the ir googles.) I began with this tactic in 2.3, where reaction fire was working really bad.

Due to the KI, I never need to enter a mothership. I just place one soldier directly aside of the crawler and all aliens inside approach him directly behind the wall. Now, I have all the time to arrange my other soldiers well hidden at the exit, retract the lure-soldier and shot down the enemys that exit one after another.