Usually I would rather try to stun (while guaranteeing disorient) and on the following turn run over and make the kill. With Slugshot you get neither of these bonuses and the low aim of the Assault becomes a serious impediment. To be effective shotguns rely on proximity and flanking to increase the to-hit chance and the crit chance, not just to avoid the distance penalty. When you can’t get close, Slugshot gives you a better to-hit chance, but usually still not good, and without much chance to crit. Slugshot is fine, but it doesn’t 100% solve a problem, as Electroshock does for sectoids.
And in the late game, Electroshock will also multiply the value of Chain Lightning, which is the ability that makes the Assault the most powerful class in the game.Īlternatives: Slugshot or Lightning Reflexes. But more importantly, this ability encourages smarter and safer tactics. This is a great counter against sectoids, breaking mind control and dispelling zombies. With Electroshock, the arc thrower becomes a 100% chance to at least disorient.
The arc thrower, unlike the shotgun, has no range penalty and so it is a great option when you can’t get close. Giving the Assault an effective way to fight from a distance is why I take Electroshock.
