New run. Update 42, PX unbuffed squad, Legend difficulty, Afghanistan start.
Update to 43 on 03.02.2047

# Status on 17.02.2047
I’m allied with Synedrion (95%) and Anu (93%) and aligned with NJ (53%).
The Behemoth and The Pure are defeated.
I did 2 infested haven but no ancient missions.
I captured a Scylla on 11.02.2047.
The key research (Yuggothian Receptacle) for the PX ending would be done in 1d7h.
I started the final mission for Synedrion (Polyphonic Tendency) on 17.02.2047 but ran into a bug (TFTV.log excerpt below).

# Thoughts about (early) Mercenaries
I recruited all 6 types on 15./16.01.2047.
If they are extra classes HG weapon and ammo should have a Slug tag and SR weapon and ammo a Ghost tag.
All Mercs have atypical perks.
I mixed them with Kaos Buggys, 3 soldiers from a scavenging site (09.01.2047) and a Synedrion Infiltrator as C- and D-team.
Slug (Technician): 3 missions played.
For my taste a Slug is too SP hungry. He needs more Strength to be able to make occasional use of the Tech Arms and to carry turrets. To make good use of Resurrect he needs WP and Speed.
He can’t replace a standard Technician for healing purpose. He can’t have a Neural Torso for carrying several turrets. It might work if he fights alongside a mule (=other soldier with Neural Torso).
Ghost (Priest): 0 missions played
IMHO this is a strange class. He looks more like a support to me. With lowest Strength of all Mercs, Die Hard and Vanish he is meant as a glass cannon? SR proficiency makes him somewhat useful. As a Priest he is inferior: as a glass cannon I won’t bring him near enemies (so no Mind Control and he does not have Resurrect). AR Targeting? I think I have never used that skill. And here it is downgraded to level 6 skill.
But in the next run I will give him a chance to prove himself.
Spymaster (Infiltrator): 1 mission played
He can be played quite similar to a standard Infiltrator. Takedown has good synergy with Surprise Attack and Neural Feedback. But it is quite easy to find a recruitable high level Synedrion Infiltrator.
Old Hound (Heavy): 30 missions played
He can be played quite similar to a standard Heavy. More Heavies is always welcome.
Sectarian (Berserker): 31 missions played
Very interesting. One of my favorite class combos is Berserker/Infiltrator. The job is to daze enemies. If the Sectarian does not daze but kill Punisher will be really good.
(In this run I was lucky and got a level 3 Anu Berserker on day 3 in a haven event. He was the 5th member of the A-/B-team (+Kaos Buggy)).
Exile (Assault): 38 missions played
He can be played quite similar to a standard Assault. He was a team member on the final mission.

# Thoughts about the Vehicle Rework
It looks interesting but it is so late in this run …
I did a base defense with a Kaos Buggy, an Aspida scavenging mission with a Kaos Buggy, tried Catch the Runner with an Aspida but fall back to a Kaos Buggy instead.
I used the default weapon and no modules (because I’m so used to play without them and without leave/enter cheese).
Kaos Buggy: I like the 2 AP for the Grenade Launcher. But I need to adjust to the shorter range.
In general: 1 AP for entering a vehicle is good. And there are modules for reducing AP for leave/enter.

# Bug?
Revenant Resistance - Shred Damage (Void Omen): does not protect against Armor Break (15 shred are applied).
(But completely negates shred 1x6 from AR.)

# Ancient Ruins
I have excavated all 6 sites but only have 5 entries in the objectives list. [game save available]

# Comments
[Probably a Vanilla issue] The base in South America detects an unseen Pandoran Colony (Pandoran Citadel is researched) … it is the Palace.
Event “The Science of Madness“: happens although I have already researched the Node. According to TFTV.log the Pandorans get evolution points for this infested haven. But it is nowhere to be seen.
Missing key: KEY_INFESTATION_STORY_OUTRO_TITLE.
Tooltip about food processing still says 50 food per day and facility.

# Bug?
“One of them“ might be broken: a soldier with this ability got 8 Delirium just by a single Arthron’s Return Fire (Co-Delirium is in play) which did not do any damage.

# Softlock on the final mission
(I activated the gate controls on turn 4.)
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:36 PM] Palace mission. End of Turn 4 for Phoenix_FactionDef. Reinforcements.
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:36 PM] Acheron reinforcements on 5 difficulty level. Adding a AcheronAchlysChampion_TacCharacterDef
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[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:36 PM] EXCEPTION:
Message: Object reference not set to an instance of an object<br/>
StackTrace: at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionVision+<>c.<CheckVisibleLineBetweenActors>b__46_0 (UnityEngine.Transform aimPoint) [0x00000] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at (wrapper delegate-invoke) System.Func`2[UnityEngine.Transform,UnityEngine.Vector3].invoke_TResult_T(UnityEngine.Transform)
at System.Linq.Enumerable+SelectEnumerableIterator`2[TSource,TResult].ToList () [0x0001b] in <351e49e2a5bf4fd6beabb458ce2255f3>:0
at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[TSource] (System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1[T] source) [0x0001f] in <351e49e2a5bf4fd6beabb458ce2255f3>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionVision.CheckVisibleLineBetweenActors (PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase fromActor, UnityEngine.Vector3 fromActorPos, PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase toActor, System.Boolean checkAllPoints, System.Single basePerceptionRange, System.Nullable`1[T] otherPos, System.Single rangeMultiplier, Base.Levels.PhysicsCast visibilityCast) [0x0012c] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionVision.ReUpdateVisibilityTowardsActorImpl (PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase fromActor, PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase targetActor, System.Single basePerceptionRange, System.Boolean notifyChange) [0x00061] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionVision.OnActorMoved (PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase movedActor) [0x0012f] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionVision.OnActorEnteredPlay (PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase tacticalActorBase) [0x00084] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at (wrapper delegate-invoke) <Module>.invoke_void_TacticalActorBase(PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase)
at (wrapper dynamic-method) PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalLevelController.PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalLevelController.ActorEnteredPlay_Patch2(PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalLevelController,PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase)
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActorBase.FinalizeEnterPlay () [0x0001b] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Entities.TacticalActor.FinalizeEnterPlay () [0x00000] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at Base.Entities.ActorComponent.DoEnterPlay () [0x00022] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at Base.Entities.ActorSpawner.SpawnActor[T] (Base.Defs.BaseDef def, Base.Entities.ActorInstanceData instanceData, System.Boolean callEnterPlayOnActor) [0x000a3] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.ActorDeployment.TacticalDeployZone.SpawnActor (Base.Core.ComponentSetDef actorSetDef, Base.Entities.ActorInstanceData instanceDataTemplate, PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalFactionDef factionDef, PhoenixPoint.Common.Levels.Missions.TacMissionParticipant missionParticipant, UnityEngine.Vector3 spawnPosition, UnityEngine.Quaternion spawnRotation, System.Object source) [0x00059] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.ActorDeployment.TacticalDeployZone.SpawnActor (Base.Core.ComponentSetDef actorSetDef, Base.Entities.ActorInstanceData instanceDataTemplate, System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1[T] deploymentTags, UnityEngine.Transform forceSpawnAt, System.Boolean canFail, System.Object requester) [0x000da] in <c69dc55e78704401ace8def9e8010c56>:0
at TFTV.TFTVPalaceMission.SpawnAcheronReinforcements (System.String spawnName, PhoenixPoint.Tactical.Levels.TacticalLevelController controller) [0x00067] in <6f008be53e26417ebbd156cec899fcf0>:0
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[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:36 PM] Reinforcement tag added to Crabman_37 True
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:37 PM] reinforcement Crabman25_AdvancedPretorian_AlienMutationVariationDef has no 1AP weapon, so applying RecentReinforcementUnder2AP
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:37 PM] Crabman_37 receiving RecentReinforcementUnder2AP
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:37 PM] Reinforcement tag added to Swarmer_38 True
[TFTV @ 11/29/2023 3:37:37 PM] Swarmer_38 receiving RecentReinforcement1AP