Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Progression Explained
Kit ranks, weapon stars, the 42-slot perk board, and why Combat Rating matters.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 never published a single official spreadsheet for XP rates. What is confirmed — from Cold Iron showcases, Patch 1, and launch play — is enough to plan a marine. This page covers kits, guns, the perk board, and Combat Rating. Class identity lives on the Classes hub. Horde as an XP farm lives on How to Beat Horde after you unlock the mode.
Kits rank to 10
Each class is a kit with its own track. Rank 10 is the cap that opens the deep perk and ability catalogue for that kit. Ranking Marauder does not rank Medic. That is why Specialist asks you to live in all five base kits: fragments and ability replacers are earned on the class they belong to, then mixed later.
Play the kit you want fragments from. A rank-10 Duelist with a rank-2 Machinist will not give you a turret-heavy Specialist. Patch 1 did not change the rank cap; it did rewrite several perk numbers you slot on the way there.
Weapons go to four stars
Guns level in stars, to a maximum of four. Stars unlock traits and, on fully upgraded weapons, augments that can change ammo type, fire behaviour, or the trait itself. Systems director comments before launch put it plainly: you can alter base damage type, not just slap a muzzle on. After Patch 1, re-read attachment numbers — several displays were lying on launch morning.
Traits can be swapped across guns, even across types. A pistol trait that tightens spread can sit on a shotgun. Using a gun is how you earn its trait; some traits are also in the armory for requisition. See Weapon Augments for elemental mods and the High Explosive Rounds rewrite.
The perk board has 42 slots
The original Fireteam Elite board had 32 slots. This sequel has 42. Filling every slot is the Maxed Out achievement — a tiny slice of players had it on day one. Perks come in roman-numeral ranks. Patch 1 fixed values that were simply wrong: Hard to Hit was granting 100 percent damage reduction instead of 20 percent; Unyielding was +10 health instead of +50; Bandolier I and II now add 9 percent max ammo instead of 5.
Some perks only unlock in Horde and only function in Horde. Campaign perks all work in Horde. If you only run story, you will never see the Horde-only nodes.
Place the ability you are building around first, then its core perks, then filler that does not need adjacency. Check Combat Rating against the mission recommendation before you drop.
Combat Rating
Combat Rating is the number on the loadout screen that missions compare you against. It is not a Destiny power-level loot grind. It rises when you:
- Rank the kit.
- Star up guns and fill attachment slots.
- Unlock augment slots and actually equip them.
- Place perks and modifiers on the board.
- Kit grenades, stims, and a real sidearm — pistols count.
You can still enter a mission under the recommendation. Enemies hit harder and your tools feel thin. Intense and above is where the gap becomes a wipe, not a bruise. Attachments that unlock after a first campaign completion, plus Challenge Card rewards, are the fastest CR jumps besides simply playing.
Cold Iron has not published XP per rank or perk points per rank. Treat viral Discord numbers as unverified until they sit in a patch note.
After Patch 1
Explosive Duelist perks are no longer a trap. Companion-bot perks work in multiplayer again. Item duplication from mid-join is closed. None of that changes the rank-10 / four-star / 42-slot skeleton. It does change which nodes you should trust. Re-read Patch 1 before you copy a preview-build board.
Related pages
- How to Unlock Specialist — why five kits matter.
- Weapon Augments — stars, elements, traits.
- Challenge Cards — extra requisition and attachment drops.
- Loadouts — class pairings that spend CR well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2.
What is the kit rank cap?
Rank 10 on each kit. Ranking one class does not rank another. Specialist is a separate kit that grows after you unlock it.
How many stars can a weapon reach?
Four. Stars unlock traits and, on fully upgraded guns, augment slots that can change ammo type or fire behaviour.
How big is the perk board?
42 slots, up from 32 in the first game. Filling every slot is the Maxed Out achievement. Some nodes are Horde-only.
Can I ignore Combat Rating?
You can drop under the recommendation, but Intense and above punishes it. Rating comes from kit rank, gun stars, attachments, augments, perks, and even the pistol.
Do campaign unlocks work in Horde?
Yes, with no restrictions. The reverse is not true: some perks unlock only in Horde and only work there.