izigame.me

Cool items: weapons and cosmetics
worth getting in bundle alongside WoTC and base game but not worth getting without WoTC.
Intresting idea for uniquly difficult mini boss types enemies.
despite all the features this DLC alone can ruin your experience with the game singlehandly, especially if you're new player.
Main feature of this DLC are Alien rulers. They are huge dmg sponges which will take turn after every soldier's action (even after moving or setting up overwatch). Most have area CC too. After taking a beating they're retreat but they retain health between appearances. Thank god they don't regenerate health cuz 2nd one has +80 hp with 3 armor points. They feel unfair due to the way they're introduced - having ~4 times more health than average enemy type with area CCs and ability to move after every action while player learns the game and can dish out 3-6 dmg .
Vanilla XCOM 2:
Somewhere after 3rd mission there's a random chance ruler will spawn. First one has +20 hp with 2 armor points with ability to freeze multiple soldiers. On my first encounter 1/2 of my squad got killed by snake ruler. 2nd has 80+hp, 2 3 armor and can knock unconscious full health solider, this one killed my the most succesful run yet
XCOM 2 with WoTC:
They start showing up after encountering them in thier respective facility once you fail to kill them. After that they can randomly show up during missions. You're properly warned about their presence before launching raid on the facility they're in.
examples (all of them comes from vanilla playthroughs):
#1 first encounter: supply raid
Viper Ruler freezes 2 of my soliders, next turn it grabs my ranger and killing him. After getting 3 shots advent trooper pod comes while this snake retreats. Troopers in their 1st turn kill my recently unfroze soldiers.
#2 VIP escort on vanilla
In VIP escort mission onmy succesful run (which will end later due to another ruler) Viper ruler blocked EVAC point alongside 2 vipers, 2 troopers, officer and sectoid. Since I was taken by suprise ruler froze half of my squad which was grouped in 1 place near each other. Luckly I just got my magnetic weapons so I killed this snake within 3 action (it got hurt badly during 1st encounter) but during the fight it grabbed my specialist which was shot quickly by his trooper entourage.
after this encounter I learned they can appear randomly
#3 VIP extraction on vanilla and the reason why I'm writing this review
During another VIP extraction after nearly being outplayed by CODEX I moved my ranger near EVAC point. On EVAC was Berserker ruler with astonishing +80 hp pool with 3 armor within 23reactions he stunned 2 soliders, put my ranger to sleep and was about to flaten my sniper. During he's show of dominance game spawn reinforcements . At that point only my sniper and grenadier carrying VIP(which ruler ignored for some reason) was standing. Since my last save is 3h long I decided to abandon this playthrough and uninstall this DLC for my future attempt.
I don't say rulers are bad. I find them intersting and somewhat fun to fight on paper.
I might have had more fun fighting them if I wasn't learning the game at those times.