Alien Resources (LWR)

In General

Aliens accrue resources as the campaign progresses and spend these resources to repair and replace UFOs that XCOM shoots down. Alien resources indirectly affect what kinds of UFOs the aliens deploy on Missions, what types of missions they run each month, and how much Meld you get per canister. Alien resources do not affect either the quality or quantity of aliens on missions.

Alien resources are capped to at most 100% and at least 0%.

Effects of Alien Resources

Alien Missions and UFO Types

Every 5 minutes, Alien Resources is computed and used in conjunction with alien Aggression to generate the UFO Missions that will be conducted.

Different types of alien missions will be generated based on the following Resource thresholds:

Tight Resources: <17%
Modest Resources: 17-33%
Adequate Resources: 34-50%
Ample Resources: 51-66%
Surplus of Resources: >66%

Each mission that is launched will require a specific UFO. Alien Resources are used again (in conjunction with Alien Level) to determine which types of UFOs to send on Missions. See the Missions page for detailed information on this decision.

Increasing and Decreasing Alien Resources

Aliens gain resources in a variety of different ways. At the beginning of a month, they are set to a minimum level of 3% for each month that has passed. In addition, each Alien Base they have online generates +6% resources at the end of each month. Lastly, the Aliens can conduct Harvest missions with UFOs to award themselves large chunks of resources.

Aliens only lose resources in two ways: first, paying the initial cost to construct Alien Bases costs them resources. Second, aliens accrue resource costs to replace or repair UFOs that XCOM shoots down, assaults, or damages.

Minimum Daily Resources

At the beginning of each day, aliens resources are set to at least a base minimum. If their current resources exceeds this minimum amount, there will be no effect.

Minimum Resources per day: 0.13% per day passed (up to a maximum of 100%)

Since the maximum amount of resources for aliens is 100%, a campaign that progresses for long enough will eventually see Alien Resources permanently set to its 100% cap each day, regardless of XCOM activity.

Income from Bases

At the end of a month, aliens generate resources for each base they have in play and pay for each base they created.

Existing alien bases: +6% per base
Creation of a new alien bases: -20% per base

Harvest Missions

The UFOs can conduct Harvest missions in an attempt to obtain resources. This is particularly likely if resources from last month were low. Successful Harvests award them with a bunch of resources, depending on the class of UFO used.

Transport: +24% resources
Harvester: +18% resources
Raider: 12% resources
Scout: 6% resources

Successful harvest missions rewards are modified by Campaign Length.

Combat Patrols

Undamaged interceptors can be sent on Combat Patrols. This will cost credit and raise alien aggression, but will lower continent panic and alien resources. For more information click here: Combat Patrols

Cost of Repairing / Replacing UFOs

As a month progresses, shooting down, damaging, or assaulting UFOs accrues costs to replace and repair them, reducing alien resources.

The resource costs to replace shot down, assaulted, or destroyed UFOs is as follows:

Scout: -4% resources
Fighter: -4% resources
Raider: -6% resources
Destroyer: -8% resources
Overseer: -14% resources
Transport: -16% resources
Abductor: -20% resources
Harvester: -8% resources
Terror Ship: -14% resources
Assault Carrier: -18% resources
Battleship: -22% resources

All resource costs are modified by campaign length with shorter campaigns having more of an effect on resources and longer campaigns having less of an effect.

Damaged UFOs cost a fraction of their full resource value to replace, proportional to the percentage of damage accrued:

UFO Repair Cost: Regular Resource Cost of UFO x % of Damage Dealt to UFO