As the primary reconnaissance and close-combat soldier class in XCOM 2, Rangers (and their specializations, the Scout and Assault sub-classes) are some of the most powerful units for taking out foes. They are perfect for stealthy tactics and are ideal for ambushing and flanking enemies.

RELATED: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts You Never Knew About The XCOM Franchise

Equipped with either a rifle or shotgun as their main weapon and a sword for a secondary weapon, Rangers have high damage output and are always ready to spill enemy blood. It's often best to level up a Ranger along either the Scout route or the Assault avenue, for each has great potential.

To start off, the Ranger class will only have a single ability that makes them noteworthy, though this will change as they level up and specialize. It is recommended to stick to one or the other specialization paths, as mixing and matching decreases their respective effectiveness.

• Slash: Attack any enemy within movement range with a sword attack

• Phantom (passive): When the squad is revealed, this soldier remains concealed
• Shadowstrike (passive): When concealed, gains +25 Aim and +25 critical hit chance when attacking enemies
• Conceal (active): Immediately enter concealment once per mission
• Implacable (passive): If this soldier kills an enemy on the player's turn, they are granted a bonus move
• Deep Cover (passive): If this soldier did not attack this turn, hunker down automatically
• Rapid Fire (active): Fire twice in a row at an enemy (consumes 2 ammo); each shot suffers an Aim penalty of -15 (5 turn cooldown)

RELATED: The 10 Hardest RTS Games Ever Made, Ranked

From the abilities listed above, it becomes obvious how one should implement a Scout Ranger class soldier. These units are made for deadly ambush tactics and make great use of the concealment mechanic for devastating surprise attacks that enemies never see coming.

Players can use the Implacable passive ability to thin out enemy ranks by chaining Slash attacks after taking down a foe, however, if a kill cannot be accomplished this turn, one's Scout can hunker down automatically to become immensely safer if one is positioned behind some cover. The Rapid Fire active skill seems a bit out of place for this class, but it can be handy when one needs a bit more firepower and is not quite in range for a sword strike.

• Blademaster (passive): Deal +2 extra damage on all sword attacks and gains +10 Aim
• Shadowstep (passive): This soldier does not trigger overwatch or reaction fire
• Run and Gun (active): Take another action after dashing (3 turn cooldown)
• Bladestorm (passive): Free sword attacks on enemies that enter or attack from melee range
• Untouchable (passive): If this soldier kills an enemy during the player's turn, the first attack against them during the next enemy turn will be guaranteed to miss
• Reaper (active): Launches a guaranteed-to-hit sword attack, which, if lethal, grants another move, however, each additional melee attack will deal reduced damage (4 turn cooldown)

RELATED: XCOM Chimera Squad: Best Weapons to Use in the Game

This Ranger specialization is all about rushing in and dealing as much damage to foes at close range as possible. The passives for an Assault Ranger allow soldiers in this class to deal the most melee damage out of any player unit in the game with great efficiency and the ability to negate enemy counterattacks.

Active skills geared towards heightened mobility and a devastating chain attack are the stand-out traits for Assault Rangers and can let them infiltrate enemy ranks to take out specific targets that can buff or heal their allies, in addition to laying waste to other adversaries along the way.

Due to the highly offensive nature of this class, Rangers are best for hitting the enemy hard and fast from unexpected angles. They are the best units to open up a conflict with by starting things off via a devastating sneak attack or a juggernaut-like charge.

Scouts are ideal for ambushing foes, so sending them around the enemy's main forces while unseen can let them get in position to take down high-priority targets immediately and alleviate the headache of having to deal with them buffing and healing other enemies. Be sure to make use of cover when possible to allow a Scout to become a one-person hit squad that the opposing side can do little to stop or even hinder while they deal with the rest of the player's forces.

Assault Rangers should be sent forth as the vanguard of one's attack due to their close-range potential and ability to shrug off and evade enemy counterattacks. They can shred through weaker hostile units and greatly harm stronger ones with their unrelenting might. Backing them up with support from allied soldiers can even increase their potency on the battlefield as well as help them out if foes land a lucky blow or two on one's Assault Ranger.

NEXT: XCOM: Chimera Squad - How to Get Intel for Field Teams