I'm sure I'm missing something, but I don't understand the advantage to the limited flight capabilities of archangel armor. According to the item's description, flying doesn't give you any altitude advantages for combat, so what is it for? It is just a way to quickly get on rooftops?

@Kerned said:

I'm sure I'm missing something, but I don't understand the advantage to the limited flight capabilities of archangel armor. According to the item's description, flying doesn't give you any altitude advantages for combat, so what is it for? It is just a way to quickly get on rooftops?

Pretty much. It's like the grappling hook but you don't need to be right next to a building/surface to use it.

It's super useful on Snipers but pointless on anyone else.

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

@Vitor said:

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

That's for sure. My sniper with Team Sight and Double Tap can bring just about anything down in one turn.

High ranking snipers have such a high % to hit they don't really need the height advantage anymore, just a clear line of sight. So give the jetpack to the sniper and use his first turn to get him as high up as possible and he'll be ready for anything. Almost feels like cheating.

Didn't find it that useful all things considered, but I did like using it with a shotgun wielding Run & Gun Assault.

My answer to the exact same question from another thread:

It's best for snipers with squad sight. Because then the elevation makes sure that nothing is obstructing your shot and any visible enemy can be shot at. You also get an elevation bonus for determining your own shots. Meaning that a flying leveled up sniper is like a finger of god killing everything in sight with their 100% to hit and 80-100% crit.

It makes you invulnerable to melee. It makes terrain and going around it a non issue thereby increasing mobility. A sniper can stay far enough away and not care about cover because of the extreme distance. Also enemies don't get a crit % chance increase like they do when you're out of cover or flanked (tho like the game says you do not get a cover bonus for % to hit against you). Also due to map size an archangel sniper can basically target and entire entire map with a single repositioning, meaning less wasted turns moving and more double tapping.

For extra lulz combine with a stealth suit sniper with sensor grenades, that can reveal enemies without triggering the alert state. Then you are basically killing enemies before they can even move or seek cover.

Elevation also ensures that enemies don't get into the minimum sniper rifle range degrading the % to hit.

Also works great for Heavies.

I use it with my assault soldiers to get them into range without having to use stairs, ramps, or ladders. Sometimes it gets them closer and to the right spots just before running out of run and gun.

If melee aliens storm at you, you can simply lift off and they won't be able to reach you.

@Kerned said:

@Vitor said:

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

That's for sure. My sniper with Team Sight and Double Tap can bring just about anything down in one turn.

Just unlocked Double Tap again on my second playthrough on Classic, I've missed it so much.

There is only one real reason for using it that you guys have totally overlooked. You get an achievement for killing a dude while flying. After that put it back in the bank ;p.

High ranking snipers have such a high % to hit they don't really need the height advantage anymore, just a clear line of sight. So give the jetpack to the sniper and use his first turn to get him as high up as possible and he'll be ready for anything. Almost feels like cheating.

Snipers with shared vision and double tap in Archangel armor own the map. Shortcuts.
 
Most powerful armor in the game. Just ask Chrysalids and Berserkers about it.

Beyond what everyone else has said (squad-sight snipers getting line of sight on everything), Snipers also get a skill that gives you benefits for shooting from higher ground than the target is on.

Not sure, but I think there's always a benefit to shooting from a higher ground?

And, of course... Chryssalids and Berserkers can't get to you.

@Kerned said:

@Vitor said:

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

That's for sure. My sniper with Team Sight and Double Tap can bring just about anything down in one turn.

Team sight and In the Zone can be just as deadly. I was running with two snipers, one with Double Tap, one with In the Zone. If floaters ever showed up, In The Zone was 100 times better than Double Tap.

@BoG: I can see how that would be awesome. The last couple of missions I have been on have had fairly large groups of floaters. I have a sniper just about to be a Colonel (Vinny Caravella, as it turns out) so I think I'll spec in that direction.

I'm sure I'm missing something, but I don't understand the advantage to the limited flight capabilities of archangel armor. According to the item's description, flying doesn't give you any altitude advantages for combat, so what is it for? It is just a way to quickly get on rooftops?

@BoG said:

@Kerned said:

@Vitor said:

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

That's for sure. My sniper with Team Sight and Double Tap can bring just about anything down in one turn.

Team sight and In the Zone can be just as deadly. I was running with two snipers, one with Double Tap, one with In the Zone. If floaters ever showed up, In The Zone was 100 times better than Double Tap.

Yeah, they're both awesome. Just comes down to whether you want the "guarantee" from Double Tap, or the potential of higher returns with In The Zone. Or perhaps whether you want your sniper to focus on big guys or mop up the little ones.

As an aside, I think most of the skill choices are really well designed. It can be so hard to choose! :(

@EthanielRain said:

As an aside, I think most of the skill choices are really well designed. It can be so hard to choose! :(

Absolutely! It's rarely an easy choice.

The tech and ability progression doesn't feel like cheating. It feels like winning.

I would have used archangel more if all of my main snipers weren't psi-warriors. As it happened, I only used it on assaults for good old-fashioned run and gun (fly and gun) action. But it was only needed rarely.

@BoG said:

@Kerned said:

@Vitor said:

Then again, 2 fully levelled snipers practically break the game anyway if you spec them the right way so it's not like they need more advantages as is...

That's for sure. My sniper with Team Sight and Double Tap can bring just about anything down in one turn.

Team sight and In the Zone can be just as deadly. I was running with two snipers, one with Double Tap, one with In the Zone. If floaters ever showed up, In The Zone was 100 times better than Double Tap.

I love In The Zone, because I always forget I have it, and it's like a Christmas gift every time.

Because its Garrus.

Because its Garrus.

One good use for it is flanking enemies, get on the roof behind the aliens, elevation and flank. Very good for a pincer movement.

@Sackmanjones

Because its Garrus.

Garrus cosplay or skin suit?

It counts as half cover when in the air, or at least thats what the ui has led me to believe, so I use it with my assaults so they never get flanked.

I think that even if flying doesn't give you an accuracy bonus, it at least takes away the defense bonus from guys on higher elevations, which is nice.

Once you're about 2 spaces higher than your enemy, you get a +20% aim height advantage.

Having a sniper with damn good ground and scope in archangel essentially gives you a sniper with +40%, effectively nullying most of the high level enemy's defences and/or full cover since full cover is basically -40% aim.

Give them squad sight and you have a sniper that can hit practically anything with high % chances at from anywhere in the map