Known exploits for Aliens Fireteams Elite

[TheYuriG]

Since this game is in maintenance mode now and no further patches are intended, unless needed, I thought it would be good to compile a list of known exploits to make your trophy hunting experience easier. I'll start with the ones I know, but feel free to post yours and, if I don't update this post with them within a week, feel free to report this post and ask a mod to add your information here on my behalf.

 

• Keeping doors open: Not all objectives require players to be near the objective to start. This allows you to hold open doors that would otherwise close when all players progress, have one player rush forward to trigger a wave, and then retreat into a tiny corridor to force all enemies to funnel through a smaller gap.
• Save scumming: I assume this one is very obvious, but your unlocks are all saved locally (hence why there is no autopop for this game). Installing the DLC will give you some items for free and make some available to buy in the store (including some useful stumble/stun attachments). You will naturally get (if you installed the DLC) all the requirements for 40 decals, 40 weapon colors, 20 emotes and 25 attachments by just playing through Standard, Intense, and grinding exp on 5-2 (or 4-2 if you don't have the DLC) while getting the Hidden Caches. This means that you should need to save scum for the headgear trophy, as they are all cosmetic and don't make you any more effective, then restore your save and spend that on challenge cards (following the reroll tip below, obviously).
• Rerolling a card reward: Completing a daily challenge, a weekly challenge, buying a card pack from the store, or trading 3 cards for 1 card are all actions that don't instantly save, so you can hold the PS button and quit the game if you don't get a card you wanted. You generally want to trade anything that rewards only credits, as those cards are never worth running. You can also be forced to save the game by going into any loadout, and customizing your character appearance (like eye color), then closing all menus.
• Spamming daily/weekly challenges: challenges are generated considering the system clock, based on a specific seed. You can complete the same challenge an infinite number of times if you quit the game go back to the main menu (improved by RagnarNL), change the clock to any number of days before the correct challenge day, then load the game and change the clock again to the correct challenge day. These challenges are EASILY the best way to generate currency. Just playing the game normally/for fun wields an atrocious reward per hour played ratio. Forwarding time (while in-game) will give you a new challenge, but going back in time will only extend the time to complete the current challenge, so make sure to quit the game before going back in time. If you value your time, you should never play the game without an active challenge that you are working on.
  • The daily reset is at 8am UTC. Clicking the link will show what time that is in your own timezone.
• The game turns into a 1/10 if you are using a DLC skill regen build for Demolitionist and use an Overestimulated card. You can spam rockets non-stop and the game becomes really easy, as long as you aren't fighting Synths. Have at least one Technician with shock turrets to deal with the Synths.

Spoiler

My DLC Demolitionist build for spamming rockets:

 

 

Would be really great if the community helped build a list of useful days to grind challenges. Ideally, those would be challenges that can be completed in a single run, while also progressing toward the weekly at the same time. Example:

1. Daily: Complete one mission as Demo.
2. Daily: Destroy 30 eggs.
3. Weekly: Kill 400 Xenomorphs.

 

Below I'm listing the useful dailies combinations for the first two months of 2023 (January and February). Feel free to build upon this list and comment below the good combinations you have scanned for any given month in 2023.

 

FARMING WITH SPECIFIC CLASSES

DEMOLITIONIST

Spoiler

February 20th, 2023: 1 Demo mission, 300 heavy kills, 40 Xeno spitters.

 

MEDIC/DOC

Spoiler

January 3rd, 2023: 500 Xeno kills, 300 pistol kills, 3 medic missions.

January 5th, 2023: 300 Synth kills, 300 rifle kills, 3 medic missions (same week as above).

January 6th, 2023: 40 maintenance Synths, 1 Giants On Earth mission (2-3 recommended), 3 medic missions (same week as above).

January 7th, 2023: 2 Xeno Soldiers, 1 Gift of Fire mission (3-2 recommended), 3 medic missions (same week as above).

----------

January 12th, 2023: 1 Medic mission, 1 mission completed on Intense (1-1 recommended), 8 Pathogen Stalkers (found in 3-3).

 

TECHNICIAN

Spoiler

January 16th, 2023: 1 Technician mission, 300 pistol kills, 3 Striker missions.

January 25th, 2023: 1 Technician mission, 300 pistol kills, 40 Xeno spitter kills.

 

STRIKER

Spoiler

January 19th, 2023: 30 Xeno eggs (4-2 or 4-3 recommended), 300 rifle kills, 3 Striker mission completions.

January 20th, 2023: 400 Pathogen kills (3-3 recommended), 300 CQW kills, 3 Striker mission completions (same week as above).

January 22nd, 2023: 1 Striker mission (lol), 1 Only Way to be Sure mission completion (4-2 recommended), 3 Striker missions (same week as above).

----------

February 10th, 2023: 2 Xeno Soldiers (3-2 has several), 300 rifle kills, 3 Striker missions.

February 11th, 2023: 40 maintenance Synths, 1 Giants On Earth mission (2-3 recommended), 3 Striker missions.

 

FARMING SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS

GIANTS ON EARTH (Campaign #2)

Spoiler

February 1st, 2023: 1 Demo mission completion, 1 Giants On Earth mission completion, 30 elite synth kills (2-3 recommended).

February 2nd, 2023: 300 Synth kills, 300 CQW kills, 30 elite synth kills (2-3 recommended).

 

GIFT OF FIRE (Campaign #3)

Spoiler

January 13rd, 2023: 400 pathogens (3-3 recommended), 300 CQW, 8 Pathogen Stalkers (found in 3-3).

February 17th, 2023: 400 pathogens (3-3 recommended), 1 Intense mission, 8 Pathogen Stalkers (found in 3-3).

 

 

ONLY WAY TO BE SURE (Campaign #4)

Spoiler

January 26th, 2023: 30 Xeno eggs (4-2 or 4-3 recommended), 1 mission completed on Intense (4-2 recommended), 40 Xeno spitter kills.

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by TheYuriG
added easy mode build for DLC owners

[Helyx]

Thanks for compiling this list. I agree with all your tips, since this is what I did when A:FE originally released a few years ago. I'm excited to go through the game again soon for the PS5 stack.

[RagnarNL]

Good tips here. Btw, you don't need to close the game to reset and spam the daily challenges. Just quit to title screen, change your system clock and then go back in.

 

If anyone's interested I can probably share some newbie friendly builds, especially for those who do not own the DLC. I'm also just playing the base game from PS Plus. Without the Pathogen DLC we don't have access to some awesome perks/weapons.

[Rikorus_Boss]

Hello,

 

I read about some dlc class is quite op and I see dlc is currently on sale.

I am talking about this one : Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Pathogen Expansion Can sb confirm if I purchase this dlc I can make my life easier?

[TheYuriG]

18 hours ago, Rikorus_Boss said:

I read about some dlc class is quite op and I see dlc is currently on sale.

[...]

Can sb confirm if I purchase this dlc I can make my life easier?

Yes, it's the last bullet point and the first spoiler.

On 11/27/2023 at 10:29 AM, TheYuriG said:

• The game turns into a 1/10 if you are using a DLC skill regen build for Demolitionist and use an Overestimulated card. You can spam rockets non-stop and the game becomes really easy, as long as you aren't fighting Synths. Have at least one Technician with shock turrets to deal with the Synths.

  Reveal hidden contents

My DLC Demolitionist build for spamming rockets:

 

[HuntingFever]

@TheYuriG: What are the DLC Perks called that you used for your Demolisher build? Also, when/where in the DLC do you get them from ?

[NajiLionheart]

On 11/28/2023 at 8:38 AM, RagnarNL said:

Good tips here. Btw, you don't need to close the game to reset and spam the daily challenges. Just quit to title screen, change your system clock and then go back in.

 

If anyone's interested I can probably share some newbie friendly builds, especially for those who do not own the DLC. I'm also just playing the base game from PS Plus. Without the Pathogen DLC we don't have access to some awesome perks/weapons.

 

I'm interested! 😀

[archangeltw_]

Sorry I got the answer from Reddit. It’s randomly rewarded after a mission on intense or higher.
 

——————

 

It’s very strange. I can’t make a same demonlisher perk board because I am missing Quick Recharge II (2-grid). According to trophy progress I have opened 45 hidden caches and the last 10 caches only gave me consumables/stickers/skins. Will quick recharge II be in one of a future caches?

 

*I have Quick Recharge I, III, and IV, and I have bought everything from the merchant. And no, it is not in any one of the classes that I haven’t fully upgraded to Rank 8

 

Does anyone know how to get Quick Recharge II? Or can anyone confirm that they get it from hidden caches?

Edited February 1 by archangeltw_

[The Ordinary Bloke]

9 hours ago, archangeltw_ said:

Sorry I got the answer from Reddit. It’s randomly rewarded after a mission on intense or higher.
 

——————

 

It’s very strange. I can’t make a same demonlisher perk board because I am missing Quick Recharge II (2-grid). According to trophy progress I have opened 45 hidden caches and the last 10 caches only gave me consumables/stickers/skins. Will quick recharge II be in one of a future caches?

 

*I have Quick Recharge I, III, and IV, and I have bought everything from the merchant. And no, it is not in any one of the classes that I haven’t fully upgraded to Rank 8

 

Does anyone know how to get Quick Recharge II? Or can anyone confirm that they get it from hidden caches?

It will either drop from completing a mission on Intense or above, or from Hidden Caches. 

[Game_Knot]

10 hours ago, archangeltw_ said:

Sorry I got the answer from Reddit. It’s randomly rewarded after a mission on intense or higher.
 

——————

 

It’s very strange. I can’t make a same demonlisher perk board because I am missing Quick Recharge II (2-grid). According to trophy progress I have opened 45 hidden caches and the last 10 caches only gave me consumables/stickers/skins. Will quick recharge II be in one of a future caches?

 

*I have Quick Recharge I, III, and IV, and I have bought everything from the merchant. And no, it is not in any one of the classes that I haven’t fully upgraded to Rank 8

 

Does anyone know how to get Quick Recharge II? Or can anyone confirm that they get it from hidden caches?

Its a 13% drop rate intense difficulty or higher.

 

It only drops from hidden caches when you have found all of the available Attachment Rewards in a Campaign's Hidden Cache pool.

[RagnarNL]

On 1/29/2024 at 2:21 PM, NajiLionheart said:

 

I'm interested! 😀

 

Sorry for the belated reply. I haven't been checking back often.

Anyways, I recommend the Lancer class as it has good survivability, able to use the most newbie friendly weapon in the Smartgun, and probably the best DPS weapon in the Pump Shotgun. It is also extremely easy to stack damage as you only need to hold your position for Overwatch stacks.

 

For perks:

 

Abilities

• Particle Wave - AoE, easy to stun groups of enemies when you're surrounded or to save an ally. General life saver.
• Tenacious - Onslaught lasts 20% longer, +5% damage & 5% damage resistance while it's active
• Unshakeable - Onslaught gives immunity to stuns + 150 temp health when activated
• Quick Charge 1 - You can use extended duration if you want, but I find faster recharge to be generally more important.
• Protective Layer - 20% damage reduction to Melee and environmental hazards.
• Omniscience - Additional stack of Overwatch and easier to maintain your stacks. Pretty much essential for any Lancer.
• Down Range - Increase far distance damage by 20%. Fairly underrated perk. One of the main issues with Smartgun is the low damage output to far enemies and ammo efficiency. Down Range gives a substantial boost to damage, which also indirectly improves ammo efficiency since each bullet is doing more. You can try with and without the perk to see the difference it makes.  

Weapon Training

• Demolisher Heavy Training - Increase heavy weapon max ammo by 20%, reload speed by 15% (Essential)
• Lancer Heavy Expertise - Increase fire rate and reload speed of heavy weapons by 15% (more DPS)
• Lancer Heavy Mastery - Improves effective range and stumble chance of heavy weapons by 15% (synergy with Down Range)
• Technician CQW Training - Increase reload speed and accuracy of CQW by 15%. (Essential)
• Gunner CQW Mastery - Increase fire rate and accuracy of CQW by 15% (more DPS)
• Technician CQW Mastery - Increase fire rate and stability of CQWs by 15% (more DPS)

For the Weapons:

 

M37A3 Pump Shotgun

Ported Compensator: +20% Fire Rate, +40% Stability

Tempered Chamber: +15% Fire Rate, +20% Max Ammo

Hybrid Sight: +30% Accuracy, + 20% Weak Point Damage

 

L56A3 Smartgun

Tanker Muzzle Brake: +20% Weak Point Damage, +10% Stumble Chance, +10% Effective Range

Polygonal Rifling: +20% Fire Rate, 50% chance on hit to cause enemies to take additional 10% damage for 5 seconds (Very good since Smartgun is a fast firing weapon)

Max Capacity Armature: +35% Max Ammo, +25% Handling

 

This build is easy to use since you will not deal friendly fire to your teammates while also being good at crowd control with the Smartgun even if you're not a great aim. Just learn where to defend, make sure to get your max stacks of Overwatch for increased damage. When any elites appear, unload your shotgun at them and use your entire clip, then pop your Onslaught and continue blasting them away. You won't need to reload and the shotgun can make quick work of any pesky elites. You have increased survivability with the Tenacious and Protective Layer perks, and you get 150 temp health during Onslaught. Using Lancer also trains you to not sway left and right like an idiot and get into your teammate's line of fire, which is a plus.

 

You can refer to this link on how to unlock the different perks or attachments: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ADUYI66mOHLasdauJOArL4lv7XMEw96IcFS6_XBhsgA/edit#gid=11651903  

 

Another good class for newbies to use is the Technician. Excellent support class. You can still contribute a lot to the team with crowd control and your turret even if you're not a great aim. I can put up my build when I find the time.

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by RagnarNL

[celienka]

This is the Technician I used to plat the game:

• Xeno missions (No DLC):

 

Edited February 22 by celienka
insert addicional info

[celienka]

Synthetics missions (No DLC)