Overwatch

"Overwatch" refers to a class of combat Talents that allow combatants to take territory control over a zone, based on the equipped weapon's overwatch zone. The Talent named Overwatch is available to the Soldier class and multiple enemy types, while Deathwatch is a similar Talent for Sniper. Linkwatch is a similar Talent for Gunslinger and Preempt is a melee-enabled Overwatch Talent for CyberSword. The melee Overwatch zone is a small circle and a firearm Overwatch zone is a cone. When activated, the Talent ends Turn for the character and the user will attack any enemy entering or acting within the zone's line of sight until they run out of reaction attacks or weapon ammo.

When a character uses Overwatch, they will continue to maintain the Overwatch stance until they have used all of their reaction attacks or they reach their next Turn. Their Initiative for the next Turn is set by their current Initiative - 2. For example: if a Soldier activates Overwatch near the start of the Turn (21 Init) it lasts through the Turn and they their next action at Initiative 19 next Turn. Conversely, if the Soldier activates Overwatch near the end of the Turn (delayed to 6 init), it lasts through the end of Turn and most of next Turn, until 4 Init. This allows an Overwatch set early in the Initiative order to cover the entire Turn and ending sometime early in the next Turn.

Entering Overwatch stance may move the character out from behind Cover in order to aim at their desired Overwatch zone. They will remain exposed until their Overwatch is ended. When an Enemy activates Overwatch, the HUD will display their Overwatch zone until the Overwatch ends.

While the Overwatch is active, the user will take a reaction attack at any opponent within the Overwatch zone who takes an obvious action. The Overwatch zone will be blocked by full-height obstructions but not by ordinary Cover. Actions that trigger Overwatch reaction attack include:

• Moving
• Using a weapon

Being attacked by Overwatch or Deathwatch cancels the action if the attack connects, consuming the Action Points or Movement Points spent. If the attack misses, the action continues. An important mechanic of Overwatch is that if a merc hits an Enemy by Overwatch fire and causes damage, the Enemy immediately forfeits the remainder of their Turn. If the Overwatch fire misses, the Enemy completes their intended actions. However, many Enemies have a chance to get Overwatch Break and continue their action.

Overwatch can be used even on zero Action Points and will always permit at least one attack + whatever attacks the weapon can make based on remaining AP and ammo unless canceled. The number of reaction attacks they can make is marked by bullet icons. The cone angle and maximum possible range are based on the weapon and can be augmented by changing or modifying the weapon itself, as well as by a number of different skills and Talents.

Each triggering action draws one attack. If a merc in the Overwatch zone repeats a trigger (tries to move or attack again) and the overwatcher has reaction attacks left, they can take additional reaction attacks.

Some actions and items will not trigger Overwatch reaction attacks, such as buffing Talents, medical items, debuffing items like Dazzlers and several Talents. Any action against the Overwatch user that inflicts damage, stunning, or certain effects by Talents like Interference Spike or Synapse Short cancels Overwatch. See Overwatch Defense.

Overwatch's top upgrade line revolves around using it to cover and its bottom line revolves around more impactful fire when used. All Overwatch talents cost 1 point to upgrade.

• Base: Until the character's next Turn, gain 10% ballistic Dmg while taking up to * reaction attacks (1 + attacks by AO) at enemies moving or attacking in the weapon's Overwatch Arc and chosen Overwatch range.
• Topline 1: Overwatch gains 1 max charge
• Topline 2: Overwatch recharge wait is reduced by 1 Turn
• Topline 3: Overwatch firing arc increased by 10 degrees
• Bottomline 1: When using Overwatch, gain extra +10% Ballistic Dmg for the buff's duration.
• Bottomline 2: Overwatch recharge wait is reduced by 1 Turn
• Bottomline 3: When using Overwatch, gain extra +5% Ballistic Dmg for the buff's duration

Overwatch Break

Overwatch Break is a percent chance whenever hit by an Overwatch reaction shot to ignore that and just keep going. Where getting hit by Overwatch usually steals an enemy's Turn, if their Overwatch Break percent rolls successful, their Turn is not stolen and they continue to move or attack as they had planned, even though they take the damage from the OW shot. Like Stun Break, this is used judiciously today with only a few enemies carrying it and it will show up on their status pop up.

Overwatch Defense

The following methods can be used to cancel or avoid triggering Overwatch.

• Causing any damage or Stun to the overwatcher cancels Overwatch--Weapons, Grenades, or Talents will work.
• Note that if a merc pinned in the Overwatch zone does the attack, that will trigger a reaction attack (barring the effects of certain Talents); to avoid this, Delay, Yield, and certain Talents can adjust the Initiative order to let a comrade act against the overwatcher.
• Items: Smoke blocks line of sight. Dazzlers will stun the enemy and cancel Overwatch. While Shock Mines would Stun an enemy and cancel Overwatch, they are a thrown Item and therefore trigger reaction attacks.
• Agent Ex: Life Hack cancels Overwatch. Glitch does not trigger Overwatch on either the starting or ending points; an Agent Ex can glitch out of an overwatch zone to a point nearby and then attack. Smokescreen will block line of sight and does not trigger Overwatch.
• Cybersword: Aegis, Deflection Shield, and Arc Field do not cancel Overwatch, but attacks against Aegis or into the shield will cause no damage. Slashslide does not cancel Overwatch, but the Cybersword can attack without triggering Overwatch.
• Cyber Knight: Interference Spike and Atomic Stutter cancel Overwatch.
• Gunslinger: Snapattack does not cancel Overwatch, but the Gunslinger can attack without triggering a reaction attack. If the Gunslinger hits, the Overwatch is canceled, naturally.
• Scourge: Disorient, Morass, and Brain Worm cancel Overwatch. Any Talent that inflicts Damage Over Time cancels Overwatch at the end of the Turn.
• Sniper: Strike Zone cancels Overwatch.
• Soldier: Marker Sights cancels Overwatch; upgraded, this has an AOE effect
• Vanguard: Refract does not cancel Overwatch, but it blocks sight and weapon fire. Projection lets a Vanguard move through an Overwatch zone without triggering a reaction attack.