Crash course in XCom: Enemy Unknown?

[Anarion]

9. Research carapace armor ASAP

Disagree. Laser weapons first is the way to go. It's nice to actually be capable of killing Chrysalids the first time you see them.

What if the aliens surprise you? What if you miss? Carapace armor takes you out of one-shot territory. All ballistic weapons other than the pistol can one-shot a sectoid.

Not in impossible they can't.