Unleash the Ultimate Marine Promotion Strategy in Aliens: Dark Descent

Aliens: Dark Descent is an action-packed tactical real-time strategy game where players take control of a squad of Colonial Marines. Their mission is to fight against Xenomorphs and deranged fanatics on the planet Lethe. From the command center on the USS Otago, players have the opportunity to make necessary adjustments and preparations in between each mission. This includes customizing and promoting the Marines. Each Marine possesses a distinct set of skills and personality traits upon recruitment, although these traits are often negative. However, as Marines progress through the ranks, they have the chance to eliminate these negative traits.

During deployments, Marines earn experience points (XP) that contribute to their overall rank. Players can passively develop inactive Marines by utilizing the Training Room in the Otago's Barracks once it is unlocked. When a Marine is ready for promotion, a leveling up icon appears next to their name, and the player is notified at the Otago's main Command Deck prior to deployment. The promotion process focuses on two main areas: Upgrades and Attributes. Each area offers unique deployment bonuses for the Marine. Additionally, as Marines are promoted, they can select a specialized Class, which further enhances their skills and creates a versatile and formidable fighting force.

Upgrades

On the main unit screen, players can apply upgrades to Marines. They have the option to customize the Marine's appearance and apply specific upgrades if they have enough materials and available upgrade slots. These upgrades can range from small stat boosters like Aiming Shot, which improves maximum accuracy, to powerful additions like the M56 ACT Machine Gun and the M11 Drone.

Each Marine has a total of five upgrade slots, and they unlock a new one at levels 2, 3, 6, and 10. These upgrades significantly enhance the combat effectiveness of individual Marines and may also benefit the entire squad. It's crucial to equip a diverse set of upgrades for the roster of Marines, as some upgrades won't stack if multiple Marines have them.

Attributes

Attribute Perks are another important element in upgrading Marines. These bonus skills function similarly to Personality Traits and have a wide range of applications. Certain perks can change the Marine's mindset, including the Redemption perk, which can eliminate negative traits. Others offer combat enhancements like increased Accuracy or Armor Points, decreased Stress levels, and the ability to self-heal Trauma.

Unlike Upgrades, many Attributes can be applied to the entire squad, such as the Team Spirit and Fast perks, which provide benefits to all team members. While there are limited options for Attributes and they do not differ between classes, they can still greatly impact the effectiveness of the deployed squad in combat.

Aliens: Dark Descent is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.