Xcom 2 Optimal Avenger Layout

The layout of your Avenger base inXCOM 2(including War of the Chosen) can greatly impact campaign efficiency from engineering speed to covert operations, soldier training, and power management. By prioritizing key facilities and placing them thoughtfully, players can streamline growth, save on power, and unlock critical upgrades sooner. Below is a comprehensive guide to the optimal Avenger layout that balances early-game needs, resource use, and late-game scalability.

Early Priorities: What to Build First

The first two facilities you want are the Guerrilla Tactics School and Resistance Ring (in WotC), or Proving Grounds (in vanilla) as early as possible:

• Guerilla Tactics Schoolunlocks squad size upgrades (important for missions) and rookie specialization.
• Resistance Commsexpands regional contacts, enabling covert ops and accelerating campaign progress.

According to build order recommendations: The first three buildings… experienced in descending order based on importance… GTS, Resistance Ring, Training Center, Laboratory, Workshop, Power Relay ([turn0search10]).

Workshop Placement and Engineer Synergy

The Workshop grants GREMLIN drones that staff adjacent engineer-reliant facilities doubling or tripling efficiency when placed centrally. Ideally, build it on the second row, center column so it touches four adjacent slots:

• Adjacent facilities like Power Relay and Resistance Comms benefit from GREMLIN staffing without your own Engineers.
• Engineer-staffed Workshop provides four GREMLINs when upgraded ([turn0search0], [turn0search4]).

A common layout: Workshop in row two center, flanked by Power Relay, Resistance Comms, Advanced Warfare Center and another engineerstaffed room ([turn0search6]).

Leveraging Power Coils Effectively

Avenger has a few exposed Power Coils special excavation spots that provide free or bonus power when built on:

• Building Power Relay on a Power Coil gives +7 power (versus +3 normally).
• Facilities that consume high power like Psi Lab or Shadow Chamber cost zero if located on a Power Coil ([turn0search0], [turn0reddit18]).

Best advice: place Psi Lab and Shadow Chamber directly on coils to maximize efficiency and minimize static power consumption ([turn0reddit12], [turn0reddit15]).

Middle & Late‘Game Facility Prioritization

Must‘have Facilities

• Proving Grounds– engineer staff halves research time on experimental gear, synergizes with Workshop.
• Advanced Warfare Center / Infirmary (WotC)– speeds soldier healing and retraining, critical after missions, especially staffed with Engineer.
• Psi Lab– unlocks Psi Operatives; powerful but resource‘heavy.
• Shadow Chamber– mandatory for campaign progression, high power use.

Optional Facilities

• Laboratory– accelerates research but often overlooked due to limited scientists ([turn0reddit11], [turn0search9]).
• Defense Matrix– useful for Avenger defense missions, but not essential unless such missions are imminent ([turn0reddit20]).

Example Layout Structure

A blueprint favored by experienced players looks like this:

• Top corners: Laboratory and Guerilla Tactics School (they don’t benefit from engineers).
• Second-row center: Workshop staffed with engineers for maximum GREMLIN adjacency.
• Surrounding Workshop: Resistance Comms, Power Relay, Advanced Warfare Center, and Proving Grounds.
• Bottom-row coils: Install Psi Lab and Shadow Chamber on Power Coils for zero power cost ([turn0search6], [turn0reddit15]).

Other facilities like Commander’s Quarters or Barracks can fill leftover spots as needed.

Community Insights

Players note that workshops become unnecessary later once you recruit plenty of Engineers:

>Workshops are only worth it when you have incredible bad RNG and miss on a lot of engineers… ([turn0reddit15]). >Psi Lab and Shadow Chamber are best placed on coils, since they cost more than vanilla coil bonus ([turn0reddit15]).

Others emphasize building only what’s necessary: You should never build the Guerilla Tactics School… skip labs or workshops… priority is power and comms ([turn0reddit11]).

Using the Rapid Excavation Breakthrough

An often-overlooked Engineering Breakthrough grants one room excavation instantly ideal to use on deeper Power Coils or long excavation spots to free up engineers for other projects ([turn0search7]).

Maintenance & Flexibility Tips

• Be cautious removing facilities some cannot be undone if they drop power or contact thresholds too low ([turn0reddit16]).
• Use the remove facility option via Engineering menu when replacing outdated rooms.
• Only clutter empty slots after essential builds extra space can house late-game facilities or cosmetic touches.

Summary

To maximize the efficiency of your Avenger inXCOM 2or War of the Chosen, follow this ideal layout:

• First construct the Guerilla Tactics School and Resistance Comms.
• Place the Workshop in the center second row to power adjacent rooms via GREMLINs.
• Install Power Relay adjacent, and excavate Power Coils early.
• Build Psi Lab and Shadow Chamber on Power Coil spots to eliminate power costs.
• Add Proving Grounds and Advanced Warfare/Infirmary near Workshop to speed operations.
• Labs and Defense Matrix are optional use only if resources and space allow.

The optimal Avenger layout balances early squad and contact capacity, power management, and mid- to late-game facilities. By centering the Workshop, leveraging Power Coil bonuses for high-energy buildings, and sequencing priority construction by mission needs, players can maintain momentum, shorten build times, and juggle multiple systems intuitively. Whether playing on Legend difficulty or in master campaign runs, thoughtful placement pays dividends. With this layout guide, your Avenger becomes a finely tuned hub of research, recruitment, and resistance.