The different Aliens Fireteam Elite classes will determine the role your Colonial Marine plays in their squad, as each class has a unique loadout available to them along with a specific set of skills. These perks and abilities dictate how they can assist the rest of the team, so it's good to match this to your person playstyle as closely as possible. Your class will also limit the types of armaments available for selection, but I've covered that in more detail with my separate Aliens Fireteam Elite weapons guide. Here, I'll look closer at those abilities and perks mentioned before, and explain how they function within your squad.
If you're playing online with friends then I recommend that you each select a different role for balance, whereas if you're going in alongside bots then your focus should be on an offensive position – you'll need to do a lot of the heavy lifting yourself as the bots won't take the lead on fighting the Xenos. If you're undecided about which of the Aliens Fireteam Elite classes will suit you best, then here's what you need to know about them.
All Aliens Fireteam Elite classes
Aliens Fireteam Elite Gunner
Weapons: Rifle + CQW
The Gunner is your standard Colonial Marine set up, combining a Rifle for targeting over distance with a CQW for when enemies get too close. The Overclock ability increases your reload speed while also greatly improving the fire rate for you and nearby allies, while the Frag Grenade gives you the ability to deal explosive damage over a wide area to deal with crowds or tougher enemies.
The Stay On Target perk stacks bonus damage up to 10 times but drops when you stop dealing damage, so keep up your fire rate and accuracy to get the maximum benefit. At Level 3 the Frag Grenade can be replaced with a Remote Detonator for more control over explosions, or an Incendiary Burst to deploy a set of microbombs over a wider area.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Demolisher
Aliens Fireteam Elite Demolisher
Weapons: Rifle + Heavy
The Demolisher is a beast on the battlefield, packing a Heavy weapon such as a Smartgun for crowd control in addition to the standard issue Rifle. With the Micro Rockets ability you can fire three projectiles that explode on impact, to both damage and stumble any enemies it hits, while the Blastwave is great to provide clearance around you if you're getting overwhelmed by damaging and knocking back nearby foes.
The Clear The Room perk kicks in when you use either ability, which then stacks gun damage by 2.5% every time you hit an enemy in the following 15 seconds, meaning you can rack up a solid damage multiplier when facing a horde. At Level 3 you can swap the Micro Rockets for Concussive Rockets to launch four missiles that knock down enemies over a wider area, or Napalm Rockets for 12 small projectiles that burst in impact to deal fire damage.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Technician
Aliens Fireteam Elite Technician
Weapons: Hand Gun + CQW
The Technician relies more on their abilities to take down enemies in combat, though they do still have a Hand Gun and CQW to deal with threats. The Sentry Turret ability means you can deploy an automated gun to shoot at enemies, which can also be picked up and repositioned when necessary, while Charged Coils allows you to throw a device that sticks in your target and releases electric shocks to damage and slow down enemies in the blast radius.
The Cross-Platform Synergy perk benefits your entire squad, as any allies near a Turret you've deployed will take 10% less damage, while the Turret itself will regenerate 5% HP per second when you're near it. At Level 3 you can upgrade to an Incinerator Turret, which is basically an automated mounted flamethrower, or a Heavy Turret that has a reduced rate of fire but deals huge damage when it connects with a target.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Doc
Aliens Fireteam Elite Doc
Weapons: Rifle + Hand Gun
The Doc provides the support role to a squad, though they're still able to hold their own in combat thanks to their Rifle and Hand Gun loadout. The Trauma Station ability drops a unit that provides a limited amount of healing to allies nearby, though you can pick it up and reuse it as needed, while Combat Stims provides a boost of 50% to accuracy and stability, 30% to stamina regen, and 15% to movement speed to you and any friendlies in the vicinity.
The Field Medic perk works best when your squad sticks together, as for each ally nearby you get a 15% increase to your ability recharge speed, so you can dish out more boosts to your team in turn. It also means that collecting an Aid Kit will replenish some energy to your Trauma Station, so you can get back to healing. At Level 3 you can convert it to a Painkiller Station that boosts allies' damage resistance and gun handling by 30% at the cost of having less energy, or a Suppression Station that has a wider area of effect and will reduce enemies' movement speed and damage dealt while they're in range.
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