Aliens: Dark Descent — Best Team Compositions

There are five classes in Aliens: Dark Descent, and each squad can contain up to five Marines. Of course, you’ll want to be sure you’re putting the right groups together to increase the odds of survival. That’s where the best team compositions come in, and we’ve pinpointed the 4-class and 3-class squads you’ll want to focus on. Here’s what you need to know.

Best 4-Class Team Composition in Aliens: Dark Descent

• 2 Gunners
• 1 Sergeant
• 1 Medic
• 1 Recon

This squad composition is currently the most balanced. It will fit any playstyle, and it’s useful for both complete beginners and experienced players alike. Omitting the Tecker class — which has been unanimously declared the worst class in the game — you can make room for any other unit with the “Smartass” perk to open Terminals.

Additionally, I’d contend that having a Medic in this team composition is questionable and depends on your experience. While good for new players still learning how to play, this class isn’t as useful for experienced players and takes up a space better used with another Sergeant for extra Command Points (CP).

Best Perks for a 4-Class Squad

• Redemption
• Fast
• Looter
• Aiming Shot

The best perk in Dark Descent is Redemption, which removes all negative traits such as Clumsy, Kleptomania, and Bad Luck. Fast simply makes your units move faster, but it’s extremely helpful in almost every situation, especially when you need to reposition quickly. Looter and Aiming Shot are more specific and can be substituted for something else, depending on your playstyle. These will help you acquire more loot (by 40%) and get more accurate shots, respectively.

Related: Best Weapons in Dark Descent

Best 3-Class Team Composition

• 2 Sergeants
• 2 Gunners
• 1 Recon

I’d only recommend this team composition to experienced players since it doesn’t include a Medic. While your Marines can heal themselves, it’s a much slower process without one, and you’ll need to play more methodically to survive encounters, especially against harder Xenos like the Alien Queen. However, the trade-off is gaining more firepower and more CP with this makeup.

Best Perks for 3-Class Squad

• Team Spirit
• Pouches
• Wider Clip
• Ammo Bag

Team Spirit is an incredibly important perk for this squad comp because it adds a maximum of 8 CP. Being able to use and issue more skills is a boon, giving you more opportunities to engage or flank Xenos. The Pouches perk doubles your team’s carrying capacity, which I strongly recommend for packing in those extra medications sans Medic.

But what’s even more important are the Wider Clip and Ammo Bag upgrades. Since you have two Gunners, you’ll consume a lot of ammo — never a good thing against alien hordes. Both of these perks solve that issue.

Those are the best team compositions in Aliens: Dark Descent. For more tips and tricks, head over to our Aliens: Dark Descent guides hub for more, including how to remove stressors and get rid of those damnable facehuggers.